THE TWAITE SHAD. 1 * I 



The following notes have reference to the County of Cork : 



." Jan., 1839.— Sprats were taken in such abundance in the S. W. of 

 Cork about 10 years ago, that great quantities were used as manure : the 

 tanpits, &c., were filled with them." * 



" Sprats are occasionally so abundant on the South coast of Ireland, 

 that as many as seven millions have been caught in a single haul. The 

 fishermen at Youghal distinguish several kinds as true Sprat, soft-head, 

 hard-head, &c." f 



" About Christmas, 1846, vast numbers of sprats died in Cork Harbour, 

 and were carried off in basketsful, dying and dead. The people ate them, 

 and considered them very good ; it was the year of the famine. They 

 had mostly a ' pearl,' or white appearance, in the eye while Living : some 

 had both eyes, and others only one of them, diseased." X 



The Pilchard, Clupca PUchardus, Bloch, 

 Is taken chiefly on the more southern coasts, where a few occur every 

 year. Great numbers are occasionally captured. 



Localities noted: — Belfast Bay; Newcastle (County of Down) ; Youghal 

 (Dr. R. Ball) ; South-West of County Cork (Professor Allman) ; Galway 

 (Mr. Nimmo and Mr. M'Calla.) 



In Belfast market I have seen but one pilchard, a very fine specimen, 

 which was taken with herrings in the Bay on 26 May, 1836. 



The Tvi'AiTE Shad,§ Alosa Fitita, Cuv., 



Annually ascends some of the southern rivers. 



Rutty mentions the " Shad " as having been found in the Liffey, near 



Ring's End.|| 



In Tighe's Kilkenny (1802), p. 155, it is remarked that 



" The Shad, Clupea Alosa, Linn., comes up the river (Nore ?) in the end o' 



April, and returns to the sea about the end of May, not remauiing above a month 



in the fresh water. Though a good fish when dressed like a herring, it is not 



much esteemed, on account of its bones." 



I do not know which species is here alluded to ; but that of the neigh- 

 bouring Blackwater we know, from Dr. Ball's attention to the subject, to 

 be the A. FInta. 



For the following note on this species I am indebted to Dr. Ball: — 

 " Early in May they are taken abundantly in the Blackwater, at Cappo- 

 quin, where the water is brackish. They are called ' bony horsemen,^ and, 

 not being esteemed, are sold for one penny each — even the largest, which 

 reach 20 inches." 



When visiting Donegal in 1837, I heard of the recent capture of two or 

 three fish, such as had never been caught there before. From the descrip- 

 tion given, I had no doubt of their having been of this species. 



On 29th April, 1842, I received from Dr. Hodges the head of one of 

 these shads (judging from the presence of teeth), which was taken at 

 Dundrum, County Down, where the species had never before been ob- 

 served by the fishermen ; and I have seen a drawing taken from one, 

 caught in the river Moy, at Killala, on 26th July, 1840. 



The Allice Shad,^ Alosa commtmis, Cuv., 

 Is said to be taken on the coast of Derry. 



* Dr. G. J. AHman. f Dr. R- Ball. + Mr. Robert Warren, jun. 



§ Yarrell. 



Ij The Shad he alludes to as from Loiighs Neagh and Erne is the Pollan. 

 H Yarrell. 



N 



