90 ACANTHOPTERYGII. 



seen in the fish-market at Belfast, whither they are brought with quantities 

 of the atherine [Atlierina Presbi/ter) from Portaferry, in the winter and 

 early spring. In the rock-pools, on different parts of the coast, the margins 

 of which are accessible at low water, the fry of G. Sjjinachia may be ob- 

 served in the month of June about three-quarters of an inch in length ; * 

 and in such places I have at Bangor (County Down), in the middle of 

 September, captured them of twice that size, where in winter neither 

 young nor adult examples ever occurred to me : the species is on our coast 

 throughout the year. 



Both the G. aciileatus and G. Pungitius Avere included in Dr. Patrick 

 Brow-n's Catalogue ; the former species was noticed two years before by 

 Rutty. In M'Skimmin's History of Carrickfergus, and in Mr. Temple- 

 ton's Catalogue, the G. Spinachia has a place. 



In one respect the foregoing pages [on the Gasterostei'] may be con- 

 sidered rather as exhibiting a retrogression than an advancement of the 

 subject, as in them an attempt is made to restore what have latterly been 

 considered as several species simply into the three described by Linnaeus 

 as Gast. amleatus, G. Pungitius, and G. Spinachia. 



" The 1 b-spined stickleback is abundant on the southern coast and in Dublin 

 Bay. It possesses the chameleon-Hke quality of chuiighig colour when ex- 

 cited."— Z)r. Ball. 



This peculiarity is noticed by Mr. Couch (see Yari'ell, p. 103), and Dr. 

 Stark mentions die change of colour in the 4-spined stickleback. (See 

 Yarrell, p. 98.) 



The Maigre, Sciana Aquila, Cuv. and Val., 

 Has been once taken on the coast, as mentioned in the following note 

 which I extract from The Cork Fauna, by Dr. Harvey : — 



" A fine specimen of this fish, the first which has been recorded as having 

 occurred on the Irish coast, was taken while basking at the surface of the water 

 opposite passage in the harbour of Cork, on the 1st August, 184U. It measured 

 6 feet 4 inches. The skin and auricular bones were preserved, and are in my 

 possession, but its large and beautifully-fringed air-bladder was unfortunately 

 burst in attempting to free its numerous processes from their attachments be- 

 tween the vertebrae." 



Dr. Harvey, in a letter which I received from him relative to this fish, 

 remarked that " it was seen lying on the top of the water by some fisher- 

 men, who managed to haul it into their boats; it was apparently in good 

 health — the flesh very firm." 



Specimens of the maigre are occasionally taken on the British coast ; 

 The Times of 4th November, 1850, thus noticed one : 



" An enormous fish weighing upwards of lUOlbs. called tlie Maigre {scicena 

 aquila) was caught during the last week oft" Brixham roads^by some fishermen 

 of that port, and sent by railway to Billingsgate market on Saturday morning." 



Family Sparid.e. 

 The Spamsu Sea-Bream, Pagellus erythrinus, Cuv. and Val., 

 Has been obtained on the South- West coast by ISIr. William Andrews. 

 See jn'oceedings of the Dublin Nat. Hist. Society. 



The Common Sea-Bkeam,! Paydlus cenlrodontus, Cuv. and Val., 

 Is common around the coast. 



* In July (In4U) I took them an inch long on the coast of Galway. 

 t Called "Brazier" in the North, " Carf," "Carp," or "Sea-Bream," in 

 thi; North-East, and " Gunner " in the West, 



