122 NATURAL HISTORY SOCIETY OF DUBLIN. 



THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 7, 1867. 



Robert Callwell, M. R. I. A., President, in the Chair. 

 The Minutes of the previous meeting were read, and signed. 

 A paper was then read, entitled 



Zoological Notes. By "W. Andrews, M. R. I. A., Y. P. 



I hate always felt an interest in exploring the tide-marks of lines of 

 coast or shores that have been but imperfectly investigated ; for often 

 after gales of wind will be found among rejectamenta, relics of facts of 

 importance to knowledge, and of forms new to zoological science that 

 inhabit the deeper soundings off the coast brought to note. 



My intention this evening was to have submitted some records of 

 interest with regard to two specimens of Tetraodon, obtained in that 

 part of the Bay of Brandon, coast of Kerry, that stretches towards the 

 point of the Magherees, on the shores of which, during violent north- 

 west gales, the heavy seas of the Atlantic roll, sending in numerous spe- 

 cimens of zoology to notice, some exhibiting rare forms of the warmer 

 shores of the coast of Portugal and the Mediterranean, and others which 

 are characteristic of a northern zone. 



I place but little importance upon the often-supposed influence of 

 the Gulf-stream, and of the peculiar features of the soundings of the 

 Nymph Bank, which sweeps around the south-west coast of Ireland, 

 extending to some distance to deep Atlantic soundings ; or of those 

 currents whose warm influence is presumed to give a Lusitanian cha- 

 racter to the zoology and to the botany of the south and western parts of 

 our island. We have instances of a mixed character of the Pauna and 

 Plora, but they give no indications of any decided feature of importance. 

 No doubt, our western and southern shores are much influenced by insu- 

 lar position, and by the expanse of the Atlantic Ocean, that from pre- 

 vailing winds cause a mild and moist climatic effect. The saxifrages of 

 the Pyrenees, Arenaria ciliata, Erica Mediterranean E. Sibernica, and 

 other forms, show a Lusitanian character like that of Portugal, while 

 numerous species of marine zoology are representatives of the shores of 

 that country and of the Mediterranean. The Red-band fish — Cepola ru- 

 bescens, Mullus Surmuletus, Polyprion Cernium, common to the Medi- 

 terranean, are recorded as rare on our shores, because only rarely taken ; 

 but I believe them not to be so, if proper means of capture were practised. 

 The flying fish (Exocetus evolans) has been found in Galway Bay, and 

 numbers of living specimens were seen in Dingle Bay. In fact, nume- 

 rous Mediterranean species could be recorded, and other forms of ma- 

 rine zoology, still unnoticed, for want of means of opportunity of search- 

 ing investigation. Northern forms are equally numerous, such as the 

 Greenland Bullhead, Cottus Grcenlandicus, Sebastes Norvegicus, and the 

 species of the Syngnathus (Siphonostomom Typhle), is most abundant 



