68 NATURAL HISTORY SOCIETY OF DUBLIN". 



somewhat like Polypodium alpestre in appearance ; abundant in some 

 localities. 



Symenophyllum Tunbridgense. — Not uncommon on the silicious 

 rocks ; very abundant south of Killery harbour. 



H unilaterale, rarer than Tunbridgense, grows in similar situa- 

 tions. 



These are only a few of the plants selected from Mr. Kinahan's 

 paper, upon which the Chairman and Mr. Andrews made remarks as to 

 its extreme interest, bearing upon the geological characteristics where 

 the plants were distributed, and where they were extremely local. 



The variety of Adiantum capillus veneris is a beautiful plant. A 

 more northern locality than that described by Mr. Kinahan of the Adi- 

 antum capillus veneris was found by the late Eight Hon. John Wynne, 

 in Leitrim, on the borders of Sligo. 



Mr. William Andrews, M.E.I.A., then read a paper: — 



Notes on the Ichthyology of the South- West Coast 

 of Ireland. 



It is always of interest to bring to notice any new facts, either in 

 zoology or botany, of a county or district, but more especially so when 

 any discovery can be recorded which presents new features of animal 

 or vegetable life, the existence of which had not been previously known. 



The chief remark conveyed in this Paper is with reference to the 

 capture, in January last, on the south-west coast, of several specimens 

 of a fish of extremely rare occurrence — the Trichiurus lepturus. 



When first it was met with by Dr. Busteed, cast ashore after a gale 

 of wind, he conceived it to be a species of the scabbard fish, Lepidopus, 

 the terminal portion of the tail or filament having been torn of. Its 

 formidable jaws, and the pectoral fins pointing upwards, led him to that 

 conclusion. 



The specimen was washed on the beach near Hilville, Brandon Bay, 

 county of Kerry ; but, subsequently, several other fine specimens, with 

 the caudal portion complete, were found on the shores of different parts 

 of the same bay, and at Fahamore, near the Magharees. 



The Lepidopus, as also the Trichiurus, belong to the toenioids, or 

 riband-fish. The former is remarkable, with an elongated muzzle, 

 mouth cleft, possessing strong trenchant teeth, lower jaw more elon- 

 gated than the upper. Lepidopus of the European seas is a remarkably 

 large and handsome fish, and, being a deep-water species, it is seldom 

 taken on our shores, though I have no doubt its existence would be 

 found not unfrequent. It is a fish possessing a large swimming bladder, 

 is of great swiftness of action, and the scales, though delicate, are of 

 the most silvery brightness : hence its specific name, argyreus. 



The Trichiurus, or hair- tail, has seldom been reported as seen on the 

 British coasts, yet its occurrence I suspect to be by no means rare. Its 

 generic name is significant of its character, hair-tail, from the termina- 



