THE SMALL-SPOTTED DOG-FISH. 247 



ORDER VIII.— PLxVGIOSTOMI. 



The Small-spotted Dog-fish,* Sci/llium Cunicula, Cuv., 



Seems to be common around the coast, and is as abundant in the North as 

 in the South of Ireland, which does not appear to be the case in Great 

 Britain. (See Dr. Parnell's remarks on this subject.) 



This is by far the most common species of the Squalidce on the N.E. coast, 

 where it proves a serious nuisance to the fisherman. 



3Iaij 2, 1838. — Of this fish 17 were taken to-day, by Richard Langtry, 

 Esq., when mullet-fishing off" the White House, Belfast Bay. On measur- 

 ing, I found the few largest about 2^ feet long. There was no difference 

 in colouring according to sex, though a considerable difference in that of 

 the specimens : not one had any tinge of yellow as a ground colour, such 

 as represented by Donovan (pi. 55), but had the ground colour of the back 

 and sides varying from grey to blackish,t and studded over with round 

 spots of a darker hue. In some of both sexes these spots were very 

 numerous and small ; one large male exhibited only 2 or 3 large ones. 

 Others had, in addition to the ordinary-sized sjDots, a few large black 

 markings, about | an inch in diameter. Pennant's Spotted and Lesser 

 Spotted Shark (pi. 19, ed. 1812) are certainly but one species, as remarked 

 by Jenyns. 



Jan. 3, 1839. — A female, which I obtained from Carrickfergus, was of 

 a handsome .y<one-coloured ground, like that represented by Donovan 

 (pi. 55), and covered over beautifully with small round sjjots, more than 

 twice as numerous as those on Donovan's figure. It contained a number 

 of eggs the size of marbles, and from these a series down to mere points : 

 they were all round. This specimen was taken on a sandy bottom, and I 

 should, a priori, have anticipated the difference in colour between it and 

 those above noticed, the haunts being different. 



Sqiialiis CanicHla. — Mr. Bernard Meenan says, too common everywhere : 

 has seen this winter three creels-full, a cwt. in each creel, taken by one 

 boat at Island Magee, on long-lines. The fishermen use them for putting in 

 " buckie" creels to capture these shell-fish [Buccinum iindatiDu). 



Dog-fishes are said to be eaten at Roundstone,J as well as at the Isle of 

 Man; and Dr. J. D. Marshall informs us that they are valued at Itathlin 

 for the oil which they afford. 



The stomach of one which I examined contained a GunncUus nthjaris, 

 and many opercula of the Bucci)ium undatum. Dr. Drummond states 

 that in several others he found many of these opercula. 



In reference to the season at which the young are produced, I may men- 

 tion that on one occasion, in the month of May, I found a fresh specimen 

 lying on the shore at Rockport, Belfast Bay, from which some of the 

 tendrils that envelope the case containing the young protruded. 



The Large-spotted Dog-fish, or Rock Dog-fish, 

 tSri/Iliiim Strlidris, Cuv., 



— C((fii/iis [s\y.), lAnn., 

 Frequents the North-East coast, and not improbably the coast generally. 



* Also called " Ddg-fish," " Blind Dog-fish," and " Rough Dog." 

 f It is worthy of note that they were taken on a soft, oo/y bottom. 

 t Mr. Niinnio. 



