THE MINNOW. 139 



" 3Iihiiow, Cyprinus Phoxtnus. — In Ireland I have not heard of their 

 being found in any river but a small stream near Swords in the County of 

 Dublin, where, as I have been informed by Mr. Martin Kelly of Dublin, 

 they may be found in considerable numbers." 



James Callwell, Esq., of Dublin, told me in 1835, that about 10 year.s 

 previously, Lieut. Stone introduced the minnow to Drumcondi'a river 

 near Dublin, and that the species had become abundant there. 



At a meeting of the Dublin Natural History Society held in June, 1844, 

 — Dr. Scouler in the chair — specimens of the minnow, taken at Balgriffin, 

 about 6 miles fi'om Dublin, were exhibited. 



" The chairman observed that this was a very local fish in Ireland, and in 

 many districts rare, while in Scotland it occurred in vast abundance in every 

 subalpine stream. He stated it was worthy of inquiry what influence the geolo- 

 gical structure of a country covdd have in the distribution of fresh-water fishes. 

 In the present mstance the minnow was scarce in Ireland, where calcareous 

 rocks predominated, while it was frequent in Scotland, where the waters were 

 often remarkably free from calcareous matter." — Saunders' News-letter, June 

 22, 1844. 



John E. Herrick, Esq. wrote to me as follows, in March, 1849 : — 

 " There are no minnows in our southern rivers. I took some to Cork and 

 placed them in two streams, with Avhat effect I cannot as yet say. I have 

 heard that they Avere introduced from England into the Tolka. They are 

 however in the Dodder and in some ditches near Harold's Cross." 



Dr. Ball favoured me with the following note dated July, 1846 : — 

 " When in Wicklow I saw numbers of minnows in Lough Dan. The 

 fisherman said he had been there 25 years, and that they were as plenti- 

 ful when he came as they are noM."' 



When visiting Dovedale (Derbyshire) on 29th June, 1835, I procured 

 a few minnows out of a large shoal in the river Dove, — the first of the 

 species which I had seen alive. Each of them had a broad black line 

 on its sides, which led me at first to believe that they were of some other 

 species. 



Yarr. and Jenyns do not describe this black lateral marking, nor is 

 there any indication of it in the figure given by the former author or by 

 Donovan. 



The largest minnow of which I have a note was taken by Dr. Ball in a 

 pond at Glasnevin Garden (Dublin) ; it was 6 inches in length. 



There is an interesting account of the minnow in the Gardener's Chro- 

 nicle of 19th July, 1845, p. 489. 



The Loach, or Bearded Loach,* Cobitis harlatula, Linn., 



Is pretty generally difi"used over the island and localities noted : — County 

 Londonderry (Ordnance Collection) ; Counties of Monaghan and Cavan 

 (J. T. Tcnnent, Esq.) ; streams about Florence Court (Lord Enniskillcn) ; 

 County of Dublin and river at Ballitorc, County Kildare (Dr. Ball) ; 

 streams near Barrow (Kev. B. J. Clarke) ; Killaloe (Kev. C. Mayne) ; 

 Portumna (Mr. J. J. ^larshall) ; small ra])i(l streams in South-Wcst of 

 Cork (Professor J. Allman). [Wc recently jn'ocured specimens from 

 County Wicklow. — Ed.] 



Rutty says in reference to the Loach, "It delights in clear rivers, and is fre- 



* Also called " Redhcard," " Beard-dod," " Killoch," " Culloch-rue," and 

 " Coleen-ruadh " (Red-girl). 



