Freshwater Mollusca of Ireland. 



197 



the Moyntaghs, county Armagh. From the Grand Canal also and 

 the river Shannon I possess specimens of the A. anatina, Pfeiffer, 1. 

 112. t. 6. f. 2 ; and from this last locality likewise I have the A. 

 cellensis, Pfeiffer, 1. 110. t. 6. f. 1, and Rossmassler, fig. 280. — of 

 this last I have had the advantage of a comparison with English 

 specimens kindly sent me by Mr. Alder, and named " A. cellensis, 

 Pf." From the Anodon, varying so much, not only according to lo- 

 cality, but in the same waters, I cannot coincide with the authors 

 who make so many species. The four forms here noticed, I venture 

 with Mr. Gray to consider but one species — of the Irish specimens 

 which I have critically compared, none exactly agree with the A. ven- 

 tricosa or A. ponderosa of Pfeiffer. W. It. Wilde, Esq. of Dublin, 

 informs me that Anodons are thrown up in quantities on the shores of 

 Lough Schur, county Leitrim, where they are eaten by the peasantry 

 — Sliggaun is the common name applied to the Anodon in the north 

 of Ireland \. 



Gen. 2. Alasmouon, Say. 

 A. margaritiferus, Gray, Man. p. 293. pi. 2. f. 9. 

 Unio margaritiferus, Turt. Man. p. 19. f. 9. 

 Unio margaritifera, Drap. p. 132. pi. 10. f. 17 — 19. and pi. 11. 

 f.5. 



Mya margaritifera, Mont. p. 33. 

 This has for a long period been on record as an Irish shell ; from 

 papers published on the subject in the Philosophical Transactions, 

 &c., Pennant drew the information which appears in his ' British 

 Zoology.' It is indigenous to several of the northern counties, and 

 to the south. By Capt. Brown it is noticed as found " in the river 

 Slaney, Enniscorthy," p. 505. In the cabinet of Mr. Hyndman of 

 Belfast, are specimens from the river Bann and from the county of 

 Donegal. This species inhabits some of the tributary streams of 

 Lough Neagh, and is plentiful in the neighbourhood of Omagh, 

 county Tyrone, where I have been informed it was taken in such 

 quantity in 1839, that the prisoners in the jail were employed in 

 breaking the shells for manure. Mr. Humphreys of Cork, notes it as 

 abundant at Inchigeela, and as inhabiting the small rivers which run 

 through Blarney and Glanmire (county Cork) — at Curraghmore 



f The following note on the species of Anodon and Unio, which in the 

 course of a forenoon in July, 1836, I obtained alive in the river Avon near 

 Leamington, Warwickshire, may not be out of place here. 



Anodon. A fine series of specimens, from nine lines in length to full 

 size, does not agree exactly with any species as represented by Pfeiffer (3 

 Parts) or Rossmassler (10 Parts) — according to the views of these authors 

 they would constitute two or three species. They do not correspond with 

 any of my Irish specimens. 



Unio pict.orum, identical with specimens from the neigbourhood of Lon- 

 don, presented by Mr. Alder. 



" Unio tumidus, Pfeiffer," agreeing with shells from Belgium, so named, 

 which I owe to the kindness of M. Michaud. 



" Unio rostrata, Lam. Mich.," according to examples from the north of 

 France, sent me under this name with the last. The number of species (so 

 called) in the genus Unio is surely, like that in Anodon, (mite too great. 



