102 ACANTHOPTERYGII. 



ill Belfast Bay have considerably exceeded in this respect any of those I find 

 recorded to have been obtained in more southern seas.* The ordinary weight 

 is from 2| to 5 lbs. ; the largest procured by the respective mullet-fishers (all 

 intelligent men of other occupations, and who pursue this chiefly as a pastime) 

 have varied from 8 to V2\ lbs. The heaviest of which I have heard, was taken 

 in the day-time, by my relative, Richard Langtry, Esq., and, being accurately 

 weighed, proved to be 14| lbs. ; this gentleman has likewise captured several of 

 9 and one of 10 lbs. weight. 



" I shall here condense a series'of observations made on this species at Belfast 

 during the last three years. It will be seen that it is not obtained in any great 

 quantity. On the 25th of March, 1835, about sixty individuals taken in the 

 bay, and the first this season, were brought to market, where nearly all of them 

 were alive when I saw them, though none had been less than three hours out 

 of the water; they were from 16 to 20 inches in length. On the 27th and 

 28th larger fish were captured ; several of equal length — 2 feet — that I had 

 weighed, were 5|, 6, 6|, 7, and 8 lbs., thus showing that the weight is rather a 

 consequence of depth than length ; all were equally firm and solid. About the 

 1st of IMay this year the greatest_ number occurred ; in one net 7 cwt. were 

 procured at a single draught, and on the same night about 9 cwt. by another 

 boat. They were sold at -id. per pound to the fish-venders in the market, and 

 retailed at 6d.; at these rates they have been throughout the season. The best 

 fish brought in by the one boat weighed 71bs.,_by the other 11 lbs. 12 oz., being 

 the largest example obtained this year. 



"In 18.36 the first mullet wefe taken on the 18th of March. The greatest 

 quantity obtained any night during this year was on the 11th of April, when 2 

 cwt. was procured by one boat, and at the same time upwards of 2^ cwt. by 

 another. On the 13th of May many fine fish were taken ; one which I weighed 

 was 8-5 lbs., and several more, judging from appearance, were not less ; these 

 were about 2 feet long, and some individuals, apparently not heavier, were some- 

 what above this length. On the Tith of August a quantity was taken. On Sep- 

 tember the 13th I saw a few specimens about 9 inches long, on the 16th many 

 of ordinary size, and on the 22nd several about a foot in length. With I'eference 

 to the small fish, it must be remarked, that individuals of herring-size form part 

 of the shoals in spring, but in the set-nets used at that period none under 2 lbs. 

 are ' meshed.' The smaller ones are all taken in draught-nets, employed at a 

 later period of the year. The largest fish obtained this season weighed 12^ lbs. 

 They were sold regularly at the same prices, wholesale and retail, as in 1835. 



'' Towards the end of July, 1837, I on different occasions saw specimens about 

 a foot in length, which were taken in the river Lagan, and with them young 

 herrings (C. Harengus), from 4 to 5 inches long, were captured. The greatest 

 quantity of mullet secured this year at one draught was ninety^two fish, weigh- 

 ing 3 cwt. ; they were obtained on the 10th of August. Until the 22nd of Sep- 

 tember mullet were brought to market, and on this occasion in large quantity. 

 The best fish of 1837 was about 10 lbs. weight. During these three years the 

 largest captures were all made about Garmoyle, a deep portion of the bay, 

 about three miles from town. This fish is sought for 'only with nets. An ac- 

 quaintance out eel-spearing in the bay, once struck and secured with his spear a 

 mullet of 5 lbs. weight, as it was swimming on the surface of the water. 



" With reference to European mullets generally, it is remarked in the' Hist, des 

 Poiss. of Cuv. and Val. : ' Les anciens, qui donnaient a tout une couleur poe- 

 tique, ont en consequence fait du muge le plus innocent, le plus juste, des pois- 

 sons ; tout auplus mangerait il ceux qu'il trouverait morts,' t. xi. p. 77. Mr. 

 Couch, apparently from his own observation, says of the M. Capita, ' it is in- 

 deed the only fish of which I am able to express my belief that it usually selects 

 for food nothing that has life.' — Yarr. Brit. Fish. vol. i. p. 204. With the M. 



* Risso states that they attain the weight of 8 lbs. Cuv. and Val., judging 

 from the size of the head, as represented in a collection of Spanish engravings, 

 consider that the M. Chelo may attain two feet in length, t. xi. p. 51. 



