Dublin Natural History Society. A2\l 



the year, but in spring approach the shore to spawn. It is different from the true 

 smelt (Osmerus eperlanus), which belongs to the Salmonidae, or trout family. The next 

 contains a great many pretty species among the Gobiidae, or the gobies. Of these the 

 blennies are remarkable — the viviparous blenny possesses much of interest in its 

 examination. The spotted gunnell (Gunnellus guttatus), is very numerous in Dingle 

 harbour, and called the butter-fish, from the unctuous feel of the body. It is every 

 tint of rich brown, yellow, and purple, and the large dark spots in some specimens are 

 very conspicuous along the line of the dorsal fin. Young specimens of the sea-wolf 

 (Anarrhicus Lupus), have been taken in Dingle harbour, and a large specimen in the 

 bay, remarkable for its hideous head and powerful jaws. The black goby (Gobius 

 niger), beautiful in the spawning seasons with the deeper shades it assumes, and the 

 rich orange tints of its dorsal fins, is plentiful in Dingle harbour; and also the 

 spotted, the one-spotted, and the double-spotted gobies have all been taken in Dingle 

 and Ventry harbours, and also in deep water in the bay. In Ventry harbour I met 

 with a very beautiful species, presumed to be the Gobius reticularis, peculiar to the 

 Mediterranean, and distinguished by the rich rosy tints of its dorsal fins. In a calm 

 and sunny day in the month of August, and in a little sheltered inlet in Sneem 

 harbour, I watched for some time the movements of multitudes of gobies. I was 

 surprised at the numbers of the black goby, which occupied, with their young, a muddy 

 recess between rocks, from which they occasionally darted, seizing and returning with 

 their prey. The shanny (Pholis Icevis), was more exposed, and in sandy grounds ; 

 they occasionally rose to the surface perpendicularly with the aid of the pectoral fins, 

 and with the aid of the same movement appeared singularly to raise themselves, or 

 creep up the face of any perpendicular rock or stone. Both these species had nume- 

 rous young, which they seemed carefully to protect. The speckled gobies were in 

 clear, sandy, and sunny spots, and the two-spotted goby remained near the surface 

 perfectly motionless. Of the dragonets, the gemmeous (Callionymus Lyra), is beauti- 

 ful in the living state, richly marked, and the transparent beauty of its dorsal fins is 

 singularly delicate. It is only obtainable in the trawl in deep water, for I have only 

 met in the harbour the sordid dragonet (C. dracunculus), which possesses no beauty. 

 The family of wrasses, or Labridae, vie with all others in the brilliancy and gaudiness 

 of their colours. Of these I have obtained Labrus maculatus, L. lineatus, and L. 

 variegatus, and beautiful specimens of the three-spotted wrasse (L. trimaculatus), in 

 Valencia harbour — its colour most brilliant rose and reddish orange. In the sean, in 

 Dingle harbour, I have taken the Comber wrasse (L. Comber), and a beautiful little 

 wrasse marked with a lateral band similar to the rainbow wrasse, but having the 

 abdomen reddish, and the head marked with wavy orange lines. The goldsinny, or 

 goldfinny (Crenilabrus cornubiensis), I have taken in numbers; it is an extremely 

 beautiful fish. I am certain that others of the Crenalabri will be met with on the 

 coast of Kerry, and even some that are peculiar to the Mediterranean. There is no 

 class of fishes that would be more beautiful in a vivarium, nor none that could be 

 more easily fed, living as they do upon Crustacea and the harder Mollusca, which their 

 jaws, armed with strong conical teeth, enable them to crush. Thus, imagine such a 

 species as the Labrus lupinus— silvery, with three broad longitudinal bands formed of 

 vermillion dots, with yellow pectorals and blue ventrals. The EsocidaB include the 

 garfish (Esox vulgare), and which, in the young state, has afforded to me some degree 

 of interest in the examination, particularly with reference to the supposed existence in 

 our seas of a species of Hemiramphus. However, the numerous opportunities I had 



