530 Scientific Proceedings, Royal Dublin Society. 



tlie wording of his letter, that pollan are found in Lough Melvin, 

 and the Bundrowes river. In addition to these localities it is well 

 known in the estuarj of the Bann, and I now propose to give a 

 short account of its recent colonization of the estuary of the Foyle. 

 Here they appeared first in 1881, but were scarce and of large 

 size, while, in the following season, they were slightly more 

 plentiful, about a dozen being taken at each tide, and up to the 

 ordinary standard of size ; but in 1883 they were much smaller — 

 all those which I personally weighed scaling from 7 oz. to 9 oz. — but 

 infinitely more numerous, as many as 7 doz. being not uncommonly 

 taken in a tide. In this year, positive proof of their breeding was 

 obtainable, examples of about three inches long having been caught, 

 and hundreds of others were seen to pass through the meshes. 

 Owing to the unusual lowness of , the river, consequent on the long 

 drought, the season of 1884 proved exceptionally unsuccessful for 

 all kinds of fishing, and it is not, therefore, surprising that the 

 numbers of these fish which were taken were far less than in the 

 preceding year; but it is remarkable that with the. decrease of 

 numbers the increase of size again became most marked. Nothing, 

 however, was seen of those which where bred last year, nor any 

 sign of this year's brood. The bay between Dunnalong and 

 Magheramason points, on the Tyrone bank, is the only part of the 

 river in which they seem to be permanently established, probably 

 because at all states of the tide there is slack water there ; it has 

 for the most part a muddy bottom, but with occasional patches of 

 stony ground. It is in this bay, about five miles above London- 

 derry that they bred in 1883. Odd examples are captured in the 

 nets, further up the estuary towards Strabane. Whatever may be 

 the opinion of the edible qualities of the Lough Neagh pollan, 

 these brackish-water fish, when obtained perfectly fresh from the 

 net, are of excellent flavour. So full are they of oil, when in con- 

 dition, that after having been kept for a few hours, it will actually 

 drip from them when hung up. 



Belone mlgaris. — Horn-eel is the only local name now in use 

 in the Portrush district ; never, so far as I can ascertain, " spear- 

 ling." Here they are common during the autumn, but are more 

 solitary than gregarious. The nets used are loosely hung within 

 a wooden frame, about one yard square, and are anchored in eddies. 

 They are almost the best bait for whiting and sea bream. They 



