180 MALACOPTERYGII. 



quality, they do not appear to attain so large a size, the average weight 

 being about 4 lbs., although individuals weighing 10 lbs. are sometimes 

 sent thence to Belfast. 



The baits most frequently used in Belfast Bay are mussels— both the 

 horse-mussel and the edible species. It is said that the Ballantrae fisher- 

 men come to Belfast for these shell-fish. 



Pennant refers to haddock of uncommon SIZE (as 14 lbs. weight) be- 

 ing " extremely coarse," and that the best for the table weigh from 2 to 

 ;> lbs., but in the Irish markets, the larger the haddock the more it is 

 generally prized. I have never met with a finer-flavoured fish than one 

 of 10 lbs. of which I partook. 



The food of this fish varies according to locality. Many examples pur- 

 chased by Dr. J. L. Drummond and by myself in Belfast market during 

 one season, contained only the remains of Ophiura, and were almost in- 

 variably filled with the most spinous species of this genus, Oph. rosnla. 

 In his valuable papers on the Irish Entozoa, published in the Mag. Nat. 

 Hist., Dr. Drummond attributed the absence of intestinal worms in the 

 haddocks which he had examined, to the circumstance of the stomach and 

 intestines of the fish containing the spines of Oph. rosida. Almost every 

 haddock that I have opened had the stomach and intestines filled with the 

 remains of Ophiurce* &c. &c. The cod-fish, although often exhibiting an 

 extraordinary variety of food, I sometimes find quite empty ; and we 

 rarely see any food in the salmon. 



In the month of February my attention was once called in Belfast 

 market to a large haddock in fine condition, which was singularly co- 

 loured. It was clouded over the sides with an extremely pale stone colour, 

 apparently as if the skin had been taken off", but this was the natural 

 colour, and all the scales were on.f 



Oct. 14///, 184S. — One of these fishes, 18 inches in length, and in good 

 condition, was brought to me from Belfast market on account of its colour. 

 Where usually grey or dark-coloured, i. e. over the upper half of the 

 liody and head, it was of a beautiful rich salmon colour, of which also all 

 the fins partook, except the caudal one at its extremity, which was dusky ; 

 more than its basal half was salmon-coloured, the V. and A. fins were 

 lighter than the D. The whole of the lower portion of the sides and belly, 

 usually white, were very faintly blushed over with light salmon colour. 

 The blackish marks near the pectoral fins were extremely faint. Not a 

 greyish or dusky hue was seen anywhere on the fish except at the tip of 

 the caudal fin, and at the nearly obliterated blackish spots below P. fin. 



A specimen taken ofi'the entrance to Strangford Lough and brought to 

 Belfast market, on 21st March, 18.50, was of the following singular colour. 



The upper surface of the head and the back Avere of a pale golden yel- 

 low, of which the dorsal, caudal, and pectoral fins partook, the D. and C. 



* [The MS. contains full notes of the various kinds of food which Mr. Thomp- 

 son found in 119 haddocks, examined by himself during a period of 16 years. 

 The results may be thus briefly stated : — In 102 of these fishes were fragments 

 of Ophiura rosida, which in many instances completely filled the stomach. Other 

 species of the Ophiuridcp, small Crustacea, shells, a few sea-mice (Aphrodita 

 nodeata), and Nereida, sea-urchins, one Actinia, two small fishes, viz. a Coitus 

 (species not mentioned) and a young herring, constituted the remainder of the 

 food. Ed.] 



+ " On one occasion a large haddock was obtained of a canary coloiu' ; on an- 

 other, a small fish of a light rose red, by Dr. Ball, in Dublin." 



