82 ACANTIIOPTERYGII. 



The Armed Bull-head or Pogge, Aspidophor us cataphr actus, Jen., 

 Is found around the coast, and is a common fish. 



The lai'gest specimen taken by the Ordnance Collectors is said to have 

 been 6 inches long, which is a very large size for the species to attain — at 

 least on our northern coast. 



It is a deep-sea fish, and is most frequently captured in the dredge ; I 

 have occasionally found it along Avith other fishes, in the stomachs of cod. 

 " Taken abundantly above the Pigeon House in the Liffey." — Dr. Ball. 



Templeton had only seen one specimen, which may be accounted for by 

 the fact, that that naturalist was not in the habit of using the dredge or 

 trawl. 



The Bergylt or Norway Haddock, Sebastes Norvegkus, Linn. 



Mr. W. Andrews obtained several specimens of the Norway haddock 

 off Dingle Bay, a few years ago, as recorded in the proceedings of the 

 Dublin Nat. Hist. Society. I am not aware that this fish had been pre- 

 viously observed upon our coasts. 



The Three-Spined Stickleback,* Gasterosteus aculeatus, Linn., 

 Is common from North to South. 



In the Annals of Nat. Hist, for April, 1841, I published the following 

 observations on the several species of stickleback [Gasterosteus, Linn.) 

 found in Ireland : — 



In the Histoire des Poissons of Cuvier and Valenciennes, the Gasterosteus 

 aculeatus of Linnceus is divided into several species. The views there adopted 

 are followed in Great Britain f by Mr. Yarrell and Dr. Parnell in their respect- 

 ive works ; but in Mr. Jenyns's Manual four of these species — all that have 

 been recognised as British — are, after a close comparison of examples from the 

 same pond, and of these again with otliers from different waters, reduced to one 

 species. J Having myself compared specimens of the fish in question from still 

 more numerous localities than the last-named author, I arrive at the same con- 

 clusion in so far as it extends ; but go still further and venture to consider six 

 or seven of tlie species of the Hist, des Poiss. as in reality but one, assuming 

 so many different appearances. To allude to the extreme accuracy of descrip- 

 tion characteristic of that truly great work — the Hist, des Poiss. — would be 

 most superfluous. On anotlier point altogether the different view adopted in 

 the present paper turns — namely, on the permanency of characters there attri- 

 buted to the 3-spined Gasterosteus. 



In this genus, Ireland possesses all the forms which are included in 

 the British catalogue. An additional one — G. semiloricatus, Cuv. and 



* Vulgarly called Spricklebag in the North of Ireland, Thornback at Killalo, 

 and Pinkeen in'some localities. 



t Nilsson, in his Prodromus Ichthyologiae Scandmavicae, published in 1832, 

 thus describes varieties of Gast. aculeatus, Linn. : — ■ 



"a. Capite, a latere inspecto, magis acuto; spinis dorsalibus longioribus, 

 media longitudinem capitis dimidiam aquante et dimidiam corporis altitudinem 

 superante. 



"f3. Capite, a latere inspecto, magis ohtuso ; spinis dorsalibus brevioribus; 

 media multo breviore quam | capitis et dimid. corpor. altit." — p. 86. 



This author'makes G. trachurus synonymous with G. aculeatus, Linn.; he does 

 not offer any opinion on the species of Gasterosteus in the Hist, des Poiss. 



J In a note to p. 350, Mr. Jenyns observes with reference to G. brachycentrus, 

 that " it is more than probable that some of the other foreign Gasterostei de- 

 scribed by Cuvier are mere varieties of this species" — G. aculeatus, Linn. 



