THE CONNEMARA SUCKER. 215 



diameter, distant from snout 1| of tlieir diameters, occupying ^ the length of 

 head ; gape wide, the lower jaw rather the shorter ; teeth pointed and very 

 numerous in both jaws, the outer ones of the upper jaw the largest ; gill opening 

 small ; pectoral fins placed just behind it, and ' extending downwards to the 

 lower surface of the body, where the rays [4 in number] become suddenly 

 stronger, and the membrane doubling forwards passes on to unite with that of 

 the opposite fin under the throat ; the membranes of the pectorals thus united 



enclose a disk, and form a [slight] hemispherical cavity [but smaller 



and of different structure from that of L. Cornubiensis\ formed by the united 

 ventrals : ' dorsal fin originating behind the middle of the entire length, and con- 

 tinued to near the caudal fin. with which it is unconnected ; anal fin commenc- 

 ing nearer the caudal, from which it is separate ; last ray of dorsal and anal fins 

 when laid close to the body reaching to the base of the outer rays of caudal fin, 

 their posterior rays about equal in length to the depth of the body at their base ; 

 caudal fin occupying about I of the entire length, central rays longest ; rays of 

 all the fins articulated but not branched ; vent situated midway between the 

 posterior part of ventral disk and the extremity of caudal fin : a short anal 

 tubercle as in the genus Gobius — this the L. Cornubiensis and L. biniaculatus 

 also possess. 



" Colour (in spirits) — entire upper surface, sides of head and body, of an uni- 

 form dull flesh-colour (having been probably crimson when recent), pectoral 

 fans and under surface of a paler hue ; dorsal, anal, and caudal fins pale carmine 

 at the base, changing gradually to deep carmine at the extremities. 



" Spec. char. A single very minute cirrus before each eye ; dorsal and anal 

 fins unnconnected with the caudal ; ventral disk small. 



" When noticing the Lepadogaster ('ornubiensis as an Irish species before the 

 Zoological Society of Loudon, in June, 1835 (Proceedings Z. S., p. 81), I called 

 attention to the very great discrepancy in the number of fin-rays in the specimen 

 then exhibited, compared with that attributed to the species by the British 

 authors who had to that period described it ; stating at the same time that I 

 could not but consider the Irish specimen the L. Cornubiensis. The individuals 

 who furnished the descriptions to the works of iVIr. Jenyns and Mr. Yarrell since 

 published have accorded with mine, and the view taken by these authors 

 respecting the synonyma is similar. 



" Dr. Fleming in describing the L. Cormibiensis (Brit. Anim. p. 189) remarks, 

 that it ' differs from the L. Gouani and L. Balbis of Risso ; ' and adds, ' the 

 former of these, figured by Gouan, Ich. p. 177, gen. xxxiv. t. 1, f. G, 7, diflers 

 in the spots behind the eyes being crescent-shaped, and the dorsal iin having a 

 greater number of rays.' Here there is some confusion — what is stated in refer- 

 ence to the spots in Gouan's figure is correct, but not so the number of iin-rays, as 

 in the figure of the upper side of the fish 1 1 rays — the number Dr. Fleming attri- 

 butes to the L. Cornubiensis — are represented in the dorsal fin ; in the engrav- 

 ing of the under side 10 rays only appear in this same fin ; in the anal fin like- 

 wise one ray less is given in the view of the under side than in that of the upper 

 (9) : it thus seems as if the precise number of rays was not intended to be repre- 

 sented. Besides the form of the markings behind the eyes being different in 

 Gouan's figure from those of the L. Cornubiensis as mentioned in the extract 

 above quoted, the separation of the dorsal and anal from the caudal fin (suppos- 

 ing the engraving to be correct) at once shows his to be distinct from this species. 

 Risso, referring to Gouan's figure as an illustration of the Lepadogaster that he 

 has named L. Gouani, gives 16 as the number of rays in the dorsal fin." * 



The Lump Sucker, or Lump Fish, Cyclopterus Lmnpiis, Linn., 

 Is taken around the coast. 



This fish is chiefly known from adult specimens, which, in the spring 

 of the year — March till May — resort to the shores to spawn, when they 



* Hist. Nat. I'Eur. Merid. t. iii. p. 271. There is a typographical error here ; 

 Gouan, i. 67, being quoted instead of [t.] i. [fig.] 6 and 7. 



