86 NATURAL HISTORY SOCIETY OF DUBLIN. 



vestigations in all branches of the natural sciences that he has accom- 

 plished. It had always been forcibly impressed upon him (the Presi- 

 dent) that, no matter how well grounded in such sciences theoretically, 

 no useful nor definite results can be arrived at without being combined 

 with thorough practical acquirements. 



The President then made some remarks on the peculiarities of the 

 young state of the Salmonidse, and exhibited specimens of the Parr, or 

 Gravelling — such as figured and described in the first edition of " Yar- 

 rell's British Fishes." These fish were taken in a clear stream in the 

 month of December, 1862, and exhibited the states of ova and of milt. 

 They are species of river-trout, peculiar to swift-running and clear 

 streams, and in their markings and blight silvery appearance differing 

 from the usual varied forms of river-trout. They are also different in 

 the character of their fins — more so iD that of the caudal fin — which are 

 strikingly seen in the forms shown in the true Salmon fry. Differences 

 can also be seen in the form of the head and of the gill-cover. 



Specimens of the young of the Salmo salar, and the sea-trout, Salmo 

 trutta, were shown, and marked differences were observable. These 

 several species were obtained at the same season. 



The President then alluded to the large number of Sunfish or Bask- 

 ing Shark, Selachus maximus, that had been seen off the south coast of 

 Ireland during the early part of the month of May of the past year. 

 These valuable fish — valuable for the large quantity of pure oil that the 

 liver of a single fish yields, averaging 120 gallons, and which is so use- 

 fully employed in several kinds of manufactures — appear on our coasts, 

 from Boffin, in Mayo, and south to the coast of Cork, during the 

 latter part of April and the early part of May ; and at one time on the 

 coast of Mayo and Galway an extensive fishery was carried on. Now, 

 the fisheries of the country have so deteriorated from want of suitable 

 boats for keeping the sea, that that fishery has been given up, and the 

 deep-sea fisheries are altogether neglected. Mr. Thomas Alexander 

 Montgomery, who has embarked largely in the herring and mackerel 

 fishery, by working with boats well fitted out for our coasts, states that a 

 large fish was brought into Kinsale in the week previous to the 19th of 

 May, being captured in the herring nets, in which on a calm night the fish 

 became entangled. About 150 fathoms of rope and nets were wound 

 round its body — the nets, consequently, being much damaged. The fish 

 was about thirty feet in length, and was estimated to weigh about seven 

 tons, the liver about fifteen cwt. It yielded 136 gallons of remarka- 

 bly fine oil, which was sold at three shillings per gallon. From the 

 description given, this was the Selachus maximus. Much larger fish were 

 seen. 



The President then referred to several extremely rare Birds that had 

 been recorded as visitants to Ireland, among them the Membranaceous 

 Duck, Malacorhynchus membranaceus, which had some years since been 

 shot in Castlemaine Bay, county of Kerry, out of a flock of six; and the 

 Puffinus obscurus, obtained at Valentia; both Australian birds. A beauti- 

 ful and accurate drawing of the duck, made by Mr. Du Noyer, was ex- 



