THE UNCTUOUS SUCKER. 221 



Lump, considering the first only as eatable ; but the difference in colour, and 

 also in the quality of the flesh, is only the effect of season, the fine external 

 colour, as well as the firmness of the flesh, being lost to the fish for a time by 

 the exhausting process of spawning; it is then by them considered as the worth- 

 less blue lump." 



My observations lead to a different conclusion, viz. that the red lump 

 is the male, and the hhic lump the female. 



Scotland. From Ballantrae, Ayrshire, an adult specimen was once sent 

 me in spring;, and in Auo^ust, 1839, I saw, when there, two specimens 

 which had been taken in the salmon nets. 



The Unctuous Sucker, or Sea-Snail, Liparis vulgaris, Flem., 



Is noticed in the Ord. Survey Memoir (p. 14, Notices) simply as ob- 

 tained at " Lough Foyle and Larne." On looking critically, however, to 

 eight specimens so named in the Ord. collection, and labelled " Larne, 

 1849," I considered them all to be Montagu's sucking-fish, L. Mon- 

 tagui. 



Mr. 3I'Calla wrote to me of his having procured i. vulgaris at Round- 

 stone, a specimen of which Dr. Ball had purchased from him ; but on 

 looking to this I found it also to be L. Jlontagui. 



It would be desirable if the other specimens alluded to from these dif- 

 ferent quarters were closely examined ; but until this be done, and L. 

 imlgaris be positively found among them, or be obtained elsewhere, it 

 had better be omitted from our Catalogue. 



Montagu's Sucking-fish, or the Diminutive Sucker, 

 Liparis Montagui, Flem., 



Has been taken on every side of the island. 



The following abstract of a paper read by me before the Linncean 

 Society, on 6th May, 1834, appeared in the Phil. Mag., vol. v. p. 300 : — 



" The Cyclojjterus Montagui, Donov., which stands recorded as having been 

 taken only on the southern coast of England, and there but by its discoverer, 

 was next introduced from the circumstance of a specimen occurring to the 

 author on the coast of the County of Down in Dec, 1833. 



" The difference consisting chiefly in colour and markings between this fish, 

 which was mature, and Colonel Montagu's as described in the Wern. Mem. 

 (vol. i. p. 92), was pointed out." 



I subsequently ascertained that Mr. Templeton had "found an individual 

 adhering to a plant of Fucus scrratus on the shore of Carrickfergus Bay, 

 about two miles below the castle, on the 1st of April, 1807," although he 

 had not determined the species. (See his Catalogue.) 



Since the publication of the above abstract, several specimens have 

 been procured on the N. P2. coast, and I have seen in Dr. Ball's collection 

 examples from Tramore (County of Waterford) and Youghal ; also one 

 from Roundstone Bay, County Galway. (See the preceding notes on 

 Liparis vidgnris.) 



In April, 1837 and 1838, specimens were kindly sent to me from Port- 

 patrick by Captain Fayrer, R. N. In one instance four individuals were 

 taken at the same time adhering to sea-weed {Furi), after it had been 

 thrown ashore for manure. The largest of these was 3^^ inches long. Dr. 

 Johnston has met with this species on the coast of Berwickshire. 



