116 ACANTIIOPTEllYGII. 



Ireland (on the shores of whicli country the species lias not before been record- 

 ed as met with), that the lish so named by Donovan, with which these were 

 identical, is distinct from the G. niger of Pennant, and as such ranks as a third 

 species of Gobius to the British Fauna, two species only having yet a place 

 in it." 



Mr. Yan'ell afterwards applied to this fish the specific name of lipimc- 

 tatvs. 



This is a very handsome fish, not only from the hlue markings along 

 the side, and the large dark spots on sides of tail which give such an 

 individuality to it, but from the fins being delicately mottled with brown, 

 or bronzed, and the dorsal having two or three light-coloured broadish lines 

 throughout. The latter fins have much more beauty than Donovan re- 

 presents. 



Owing to their dark colour, these gobies are everywhere conspicuous 

 (in which they wholly difier from G. minntus, and the other species 

 found in sandy bays), and seem unwilling to venture far from their fa- 

 vourite fucus-covered rocks. Dr. Parnell's observations on this species 

 (p. 88) quite agree with the preceding, made previous to the publication 

 of his work. 



As noticed in Charlesw. Mag., N. H., iii. 586, 1 obtained specimens from 

 Portpatrick, through the kindness of Captain Fayrer, R. N. 



Sept. 16, '35. — 1 remarked that this species was now much scarcer in 

 the rock-pools in Ballyhonie Bay, than I have found it there in winter. 



June 22, '46. — A Gobius hipunctatus was found in a common tern shot 

 to-day on Laithe Rock, Strangford Lough. 



Mr. Yarrell's collection contains specimens similar to mine, which were 

 taken by him in Poole Harbour. 



The Freckled Goby, Gobius minutus, Pall., 



Is common on sandy shores, where it is found with the next two species, 

 from North to South of the island. 



I have seen specimens taken in various localities from the County of 

 Antrim, along the eastern line of coast to Cork, inclusive, and Mr. 

 M'Calla noted it as common on the coast of Galway. 



Immature specimens I have found in abundance in sandy pools on dif- 

 ferent parts of the coast of Down, and I have obtained larger ones — 3 

 inches long — by dredging in water several fathoms deep. 



Templeton noticed the species in his catalogue thus : — " Several speci- 

 mens, but not of greater length than 2 inches ; stated to be common 

 on the sandy shores, lodging under large shells when the tide is out." 



I have seen this species display the rosy tint in the D. fin noticed by 

 M'Coy in Annals Nat. Hist., vol. vi. p. 404, and in other characters so 

 closely agreeing with the specimen there described, and considered to be 

 Gobius reticulatus, Cuv. and Val., that I cannot consider them to be of 

 two species. 



The Slender Goby, Gobius gracilis, Jenyns, 



Is found from North to South. 



The subjoined notes upon this fish have been already published 

 by me : — 



" From the coasts of Down and Louth I have obtained two specimens of this 

 fish. The difference in colour between them and Gob. miniitits attracted me at 

 first sight ; but I did not examine further, until my attention was directed to 



