io6 The Irish Naturalist. July, 
ON THE IRISH NAMES OF REPTILES. AMPHIBIANS 
AND FISHES 
BY R. F. SCHARFF, B.SC, PH. D. 
In the March number of the In's/i Naturalist for 1915* 
I pubhshed a hst of the Beasts or Mammals of Ireland with 
their Gaehc or Irish names. This was followed in July^ by a 
list of the Irish names of Birds. I now submit a short list of 
the Irish names of Reptiles, Amphibians and Fishes inhabiting 
Ireland or the seas surrounding the country. I have en- 
countered great dififi cutties in compiling this list. Even in the 
English language the same fish is called by different names in 
several parts of the British and Irish coasts and one name is 
often applied to several distinct species. Except in the case 
of a few common species, it is doubtful whether the names of 
the fishes I give can be considered as final, and it must be left 
to future researches which names should be used. There are 
still a number of Irish fish-names which in the present state 
of our knowledge cannot be identified with any of the existing 
species living in Ireland. As regards the Frog the existence 
of several Irish names strengthens the belief which I expressed 
long ago'' that it is indigenous to this country. 
I shall be most grateful to Irish scholars for any criticism 
or any identifications of Irish names of Fishes. In my re- 
searches I received the greatest assistance in many ways from 
Mr. L. S. Gogan. He not only prepared a manuscript list of 
Fishes for me from Father Dinneen's Irish Dictionary, but he 
indicated to me the correct pronunciation of the first name given 
for every species. He also suggested a few Irish names which 
might be used for such common Fishes which possess no satis- 
factory Irish name. I am also indebted to Mr. E. W. E. Holt 
for some valuable hints and criticisms and a list of Irish names 
of Fishes. Mr. Charles Green and Mr. F. W. E. Keane likewise 
supplied me with some Irish names. 
• Vol. xxiv., pp. 45-53. 
- lb,, pp. 109-129. 
Irish Naturalist ^ vol. ii., 1893, 
