Holt — Survey of Fishing Grounds, West Coast of Ireland. 439 



out at prey on occasions, whilst in the evening and night they rise into midwater and 

 to the surface, and lead a pelagic existence. Thus, all the Pollack between 13 and 17 

 inches (except 3) and 4 mature forms were caught in the mackerel nets one night in 

 Killeany Bay. It seems hardly necessary to say that their movements are doubtless 

 regulated by those of their prey, which is mainly of a pelagic nature, as indeed the 

 structure of their jaws would seem to indicate sufficiently. The presence of a con- 

 siderable number of very large forms on sandy ground, between 35 and 40 fathoms, 

 may be partly connected with the spawning instinct, as many of them were ripe or 

 approaching ripeness, or may be a normal habitat insufficiently understood OMdng to 

 the activity of the fish aiding it to avoid the trawl. During the winter months, the 

 Pollack are not much in evidence, presumably because the organisms on which they prey 

 do not affect the upper waters and shore margins during that period. I gather from 

 the tow-net collections, not included in the above table, that the very young Pollack, 

 less than an inch long, are pelagic, and to some extent shelter themselves under the 

 umbrellas of the large jellyfish (Cyancea), like the young of some other members of the 

 genus. Specimens of about an inch and less appear amongst the rock pools and Zostera 

 beds somewhat later than the young Coal-fish, a fact to be connected probably with the 

 difference in the spawning periods of the two forms. They are abundant in such 

 localities, up to 3 or 4 inches, during the late summer and autumn, and a few larger 

 specimens, 4 to 10 inches, were found with them. On the Cornish coast I have seen 

 numbers about 6 inches long darting about at the surface close to rocks, in the evening 

 in autumn. Young Mackerel-midges, which were rather plentiful, appeared to be the 

 object of this activity. On the east coast of Scotland the fish seems to be rare, and the 

 only specimen I have seen at St. Andrew's was a large fish taken in the salmon stake- 

 nets in May. 



SILVERY 'POIJ'S^—Gadus argentens. 



In August, great numbers, from less than 1 up to about 2\ inches, were trawled at 

 62 to 52 and 80 fathoms, off the Skelligs. In April a specimen of about 4 inches was 

 taken from the stomach of a Witch from 166 fathoms, 20 miles off Black Eock. In 

 July, a few, from 4| to 5 inches occurred at 220 fathoms, and a great number at 144 

 fathoms, 40 and 30 miles off AchiU Head. 



This species, which does not seem to attain a greater length than b\ inches, is thus 

 extremely abundant locally on this coast, and appears to be gregarious at all stages. It 

 is noticeable that the very young forms are found in shallower water than seems to 

 be frequented by the adults. It has been known in the neighbourhood of Ireland since 

 1869, when the "Porcupine" took an example from 183 fathoms off the south-west 

 coast. Bourne, in the " Research," obtained 2 near the same place in 1889, and some 

 years before. Day had recorded a single example cast up on the beach after a storm, at 

 Aberdeen. It was discovered in the Mediterranean by Guichenot, and has more recently 

 been obtained there again by Giglioli. Vaillant found it very numerous on the north- 

 west coast of Africa. The recorded range seems to be from 52 to 220 fathoms. 



MOKO. — Mora mediterranea. 

 Two yoimg examples, 9 and 12 inches, and an adult of 29 inches, were trawled at 

 500 fathoms, 54 miles off AchiU Head. This is an exclusively deep-sea form, and is 

 foimd in the Mediterranean, off Madeira, where it is common in 300 to 400 fathoms, 

 and off the Canary Islands, where it is taken all the year round in 200 fathoms. It 

 has not been taken in British waters before. 



