142 MALACOPTERYGIl. 



chiefly taken at Killinchy, 2 dozen being sometimes captured in the her- 

 ring nets in the course of a night's fishing. He has seen shoals of them 

 often about Carrickfergus in summer on the surface of the water. 



There is a prejudice against this fish, in consequence of its bones being 

 green, but I have known of its being brought to table and highly ap- 

 proved of. 



February, 1835. — Two stufi'ed specimens examined by me were as 

 follows : — 



No. 1. — 26^ inches long. 



D. 1|17 ; P.'13 ; V. 6 (?) A. 1121 ; C. 15 (not reckoning any of the lateral 

 rays) ; B. 12. 



2nd specimen also 26^ inches in length; D. 1|19; P. 13; V. 6; A. 

 1|22; C. 15; B. 14. 



A specimen in the Belfast Museum is 2 feet 9 inches in length. 



Donovan's figure (plate 64) of this fish, under the name of £sox Belone, 

 is excellent. 



The Sauky-Pike, Sauky, or Skipper, Scomheresox Saurus, Flem., 



Has been taken (but very rarely) on the North and East coasts. 



Sampson includes it in his Fishes of Derry ; from his remarks, how- 

 ever, it seems doubtful whether the Esox Belone is not the species referred 

 to, although both are mentioned. Templeton in his Catalogue says : — 



" This curious and rare fish appears to visit the coast of Ireland very seldom, 

 for, notwithstanding all my inquiries about the natives of our coast, I was never 

 able to procure a specimen, until one was caught near the Long Bridge, Belfast, 

 and brought to me in 1820." 



On 17th Sept., 1840, I received from ]\Ir. Wm. Darragh a fresh speci- 

 men of this fish, V2\ inches in length, and which was found in a pool left 

 by the receding tide on the long strand near Belfast, after a strong gale : 

 there was but the one. 



Another was taken near Belfast on the same day. An oar touching the 

 water caused it to dash on the sandy beach, where, as " it could not turn 

 round to the water again, like an eel," it was captured. 



On the 7th of the following month a third example was seen in the 

 Bay. 



The only other native specimens which I have seen were the three fol- 

 lowing, all of which were stranded : viz., one measui'ing 11:^ inches, found 

 by Mr. J. R. Garrett, at Clifden (Belfast Bay), on 13th Sept., 1844. 

 Another, measuring 13^ inches, obtained by Mr. G. C. Hyndman, near 

 the Lagan Bridge (Belfast), in the first week of Oct., 1847 ; and the third, 

 measuring 12 inches, found by myself on the beach south of Newcastle 

 (County Down), on the 23rd Julyi^ 1851. 



Dr. Ball saw a specimen in possession of the late Dr. Coulter, but has 

 no other information as to the occurrence of this species in Ireland. 



" Scomheresox Camperi, Lacep." is the name adopted for this- fish by 

 Cuv. and Val., in vol. xviii. p. 464, where it is stated to have been con- 

 founded with the Mediterranean sp., which is different, and on which 

 " Scomheresox Rondeletii " is bestowed by Valen. 



a space of little more than three years, he who imparted the information, he by 

 whom it was noted down, and he by whom those notes were arranged for pub- 

 lication, were all carried off by death. — B. Patterson. 



