77 



June 9, 1835. 



William Yarrell, Esq., in the Chair. 



At the request of the Chairman, Mr. Tliompson of Belfast exhi- 

 bited numerous specimens of Birds and Fishes, some of which were 

 new to the Britisli, and many to the Irish, Fauna. With reference 

 to these specimens, and to others not in his own possession, he read 

 the following notes. 



" Of the following species of Birds, Fishes, &c,, the first four are 

 additions to the British Fauna : the remainder are species hitherto 

 unpublislied in the Fauna of Ireland. 



Canada Owl, Surnia funerea, Dum. An Owl of this species, pre- 

 served in the collection of Dr. Burkitt of Waterford, was taken on 

 board a collier, a few miles off the coast of Cornwall, in March, 1830, 

 being at the time in so exhausted a state as to allow itself to be 

 captured by the hand. On the arrival of the vessel at Waterford, 

 whither she was bound, the bird was given to a friend of Dr. Burkitt, 

 with whom it lived for a few weeks, and then came into his posses- 

 sion. The very circumstantial account of the capture of this bird 

 given by Captain Stacey of the collier, leaves no doubt of its accu- 

 racy. 



Lough Neagh Coregonus. In September last a comparison of the 

 Lough Neagh Coregonus with the Vendace of Loch Meben (whence 

 I procured specimens, through the kindness of Sir William Jardine, 

 Bart.,) proved to me that these species are distinct. The disagree- 

 ment of the former with the Gwiniad, or Coregonus of Wales, as de- 

 scribed by Pennant, was at the same time very obvious ; and from 

 the examination of an individual of the latter species (lately favoured 

 me by Mr. Yarrell) and specimens of the Lough Neagh Fish, I am 

 fully satisfied that they are specifically different. 



From the Gwiniad, the Pollan or Lough Neagh Coregonus differs 

 in the snout not being produced ; in the scales of the lateral line ; 

 in having fewer rays in the anal fin, and in its position being rather 

 more distant from the tail ; in the dorsal, anal, and caudal fins being 

 of less dimensions ; and in the third ray of the pectoral fin being 

 longest, the first being of the greatest length in the Gwiniad. 



From the Pollan, the Vendace or Loch Meben Coregonus differs so 

 essentially in its lower jaw being the longer, as well as in its being 

 turned upwards, as to render it unnecessary to draw further com- 

 parison. 



The Pollan is very uniform in size, its ordinary length being 

 about 10 inches: none that I have ever seen exceeded 12. The 

 relative length of the head to that of the body is as 1 to about 3^: the 



No. XXX. Proceedings of the Zoological Society. 



