THE WIDE-MOUTHED SAND EEL. 235 



of this species. It was quite unknown to the fishermen, and I have hardly 

 a doubt of my informant's correctness as to the species, as I showed him 

 all the figures of the Tcsnioides and OphkUmn-Wkc fishes, in Mr. Yarrell's 

 work, and he dissented from all but the Echiodon : he paused on Cepola, 

 but said his fish was of a brown colour.* 



The Wide-mouthed Sand Eel, (The Sand Eel, Yarrell, The Wide- 

 mouthed Launce, Jenyns,) Ammodytes Tohianus, Linn., 



Is taken on the North-East and West coasts : probably on the South also. 

 The following notes were published by me in the Annals Nat. Hist, 

 vol. ii. : — 



" Ammodytes Tobianus, Bloch. Wide-mouthed Sand Eel. — This species is 

 rare on the shores of Ireland, as elsewhere, compared with A. Lancca. Of the 

 latter, were specimens of Ammodytes favoured me by Dr. Ball from the coast of 

 Cork, and, with one exception, all that I have taken from the stomachs of the 

 cod and other fishes. Such likewise, judging from their size (' 4 to 9 inches in 

 length'), are those described in the Wild Sports of the West, as sought for on 

 the coast of Mayo, and also those taken on the sands adjoining the village of 

 Bushfoot near the Giant's Causeway. In this last locality, I speak on the author- 

 ity of a gentleman who has often been present at the sand eel fishing, and who, 

 on being shown my specimens of A. Tobianus, remarked that he had never seen 

 any of those taken there at all approaching them in size. In a paper by Dr. J. 

 D. Marshall on the Statistics and Natural History of the Island of Rathlin, pub- 

 lished in a late part of the Transactions of the Royal Irish Academy, the A. To- 

 bianus is enumerated among the fishes of the island ; but I have the authority 

 of the author for stating, that it is the common species now distinguished by the 

 name of A. Lancea f to which he there alluded. 



" August 23rd, 1836. ^On inquiring at Dundrum on the coast of Down about 

 sand eels, I ascertained that two species are procured in the extensive sands here ; 

 the larger of which is called ' Sneddon,' and the smaller ' Sand Eel,' and that 

 they are throughout the district considered as distinct as any two species of fish. 

 This information induced me to attend the sand eel fishing to-day, when at the 

 extreme of low water I had the satisfaction of seeing both A. Tobiamis and A. 

 Lancea taken indiscriminately. From the loose sand covered with water to 

 about the depth of 9 inches, the persons engaged in this occupation with great 

 dexterity drew these fishes from their lurking-places, using for the purpose old 

 reaping-hooks. These are run through the sands with the right hand drawn 

 towards the left, by which the fish is seized and transferred to a basked strapped 

 round the waist and carried in front. It is in shape like the angler's, but much 

 larger and open at the top. The A. Tobianus is said to be always scarce here 

 compared with the A. Lancea, and is sometimes not to be found at all. An in- 

 telligent fisherman informed me that the greatest quantity he ever took of the 

 former species during ' one ebb,' was twelve or thirteen quarts. It is by measure 

 both kinds are estimated and sold, the A. Lancca producing from one to two- 

 pence the quart, and the ' sneddens,' being more highly prized on account of 

 their superior size, one-half more. On inquiring how the two species are dis- 

 tinguished when of equal size, one man stated, by the difference of form, and 



* The Literary Gazette of 21st February, 1852 — the same number of that 

 Journal which records Mr. Thompson's death — mentions, that at a meeting of the 

 Zoological Society held on the lOlh of February, Mr. YarroU in the chair, that 

 gentleman exhibited a specimen of this Echiodon. It had been found by Miss 

 Helen Blackburn on the shore of the harbour of Valencia, County Kerry, after 

 a violent storm from the West. This specimen was smaller than Mr. Thomp- 

 son's, measuring only 8 inches in length, but quite perfect. — Ed. 



t Both species were until the last few years considered as one, which was 

 desimated A. Tobianus. 



