186 MALACOPTERYGir. 



from the body, is a conspicuous black spot, and from this a narrow line of 

 black runs for some distance forward between the white and brown mar- 

 ginal lines just mentioned. 



A. fin trans2)arently colourless with a very narrow white margin, and 

 black as in the D. within the Avhite line which terminates it transversely, 

 and the black runs forward for some way near the margin. 



C. fin coloured like the body till towards the margin, where a broad 

 band of rich brown and black intermixed appears, and is margined with 

 white. 



P. fins dull yellow. 



V. fins white. Under parts white with a delicate lilac hue. 



The Three-bearded Rockling, Motella tricirrata, Nilss., 



— vulijaris, Cuv., 



Is found sparingly around the coast. 



Its colour is very variable. Mr. Yarrell remarks that " young fish of this 

 species are of a uniform brown colour until they have acquired 6 or 7 

 inches in length," but the first specimen of it which I captured (in Jan.) 

 was only 3| inches long, and of a brown colour, thickly spotted over the 

 head, opercula, back, and .sides with pale yellow spots : it was taken in 

 Strangford Lough. 



A 2nd example 9 inches in length, and captured in Belfast Bay, was 

 similarly marked. Small examples under 3 inches in length taken at 

 Lahinch, Co. Clare at the end of July, under stones between tide-marks, 

 were, together with examples of the five-bearded species taken at the 

 same time, uniform in colour. 



Of two specimens of 10 and 14 inches long which I received from the 

 rocky coasts of Down and Antrim, the smaller was marked with a few 

 black pea-sized spots more numerous posteriorly, and the other displayed 

 numerous black markings just as represented in Donovan's Fishes, plate 

 2: the ground colour of both fishes rich brown. The pupil of the eye 

 was dark blue, irides silvery clouded with brown ; the stomach contained 

 a small crab {Plaf;/carci>nis Payuriis) and the remains of a fish. In Dr. 

 R. Ball's collection is a specimen from Youghal 20 inches in length, 2nd 

 D. .56 ; A. ol ; P. 21 ; V. 8 ; C. 34 in all. 



Two males which I received from Donaghadee early in the month of 

 Oct. had the milt highly developed. This species is said to be " very com- 

 mon in Roundstone Bay, Connemara." * 



The Five-bearded Rockling, Motella 3Iustela, Nilss., 



— quinquecirrata, Cuv., 



Is distributed around the coast, and is more common than the three- 

 bearded sj)ecies. I have obtained specimens taken in rock-pools from 

 numerous localities, and also one example dredged by Mr. G. C. Hynd- 

 man in water from 3 to 6 fathoms deep in Belfast 13ay. Some young 

 ones which I obtained at Lahinch in the month of June were less than 2 

 inches in length. 



The Torsk or Tusk, Brosmus ruh/aris, Cuv., 



Is said to have been taken on the coast. 



We can only quote on this species, as Irish, the five words used in 



* Mr. M'Coy, in Ann. Nat. Hist. vol. vi. p. 404. 



