90 
ACANTHOPTERYGII. 
seen in the fish-market at Belfast, whither they are brought with quantities 
of the atherine ( Atlierina Presbyter) from Portaferry, in the winter and 
early spring. In the rock-pools, on different parts of the coast, the margins 
of which are accessible at low water, the fry of G. Spinachia may be ob- 
served in the month of June about three-quarters of an inch in length ; * 
and in such places I have at Bangor (County Down), in the middle of 
September, captured them of twice that size, where in winter neither 
young nor adult examples ever occurred to me : the species is on our coast 
throughout the year. 
Both the G. aculeatus and G. Pungitius were included in Dr. Patrick 
Brown’s Catalogue ; the former species was noticed two years before by 
Itutty. In M‘Skimmin’s History of Carrickfergus, and in Mr. Temple- 
ton’s Catalogue, the G. Spinachia has a place. 
In one respect the foregoing pages [on the Gasterostei ] may be con- 
sidered rather as exhibiting a retrogression than an advancement of the 
subject, as in them an attempt is made to restore what have latterly been 
considered as several species simply into the three described by Linnaeus 
as Gast. aculeatus , G. Pungitius, and G. Spinachia. 
“ The 15 -spined stickleback is abundant on the southern coast and in Dublin 
Bay. It possesses the chameleon-like quality of changing colour when ex- 
cited.”— -Dr. Ball. 
This peculiarity is noticed by Mr. Couch (see Yarrell, p. 103), and Dr. 
Stark mentions the change of colour in the 4-spined stickleback. (See 
Yarrell, p. 98.) 
The Maigre, Scicena Aquila, Cuv. and Val., 
Has been once taken on the coast, as mentioned in the following note 
which I extract from The Cork Fauna, by Dr. Harvey : — 
“ A fine specimen of this fish, the first which has been recorded as having 
occurred on the Irish coast, was taken while basking at the surface of the water 
opposite passage in the harbour of Cork, on the 1st August, 1840. It measured 
6 feet 4 inches. The skin and auricular bones were preserved, and are in my 
possession, but its large and beautifully-fringed air-bladder was unfortunately 
burst in attempting to free its numerous processes from their attachments be- 
tween the vertebrae.” 
Dr. Harvey, in a letter which I received from him relative to this fish , 
remarked that “ it was seen lying on the top of the water by some fisher- 
men, who managed to haul it into their boats ; it was apparently in good 
health — the flesh very firm.” 
Specimens of the maigre are occasionally taken on the British coast ; 
The Times of 4th November, 1850, thus noticed one : 
“ An enormous fish weighing upwards of 100 lbs. called the Maigre {scicena 
aquila') was caught during the last week off Brixham roads by some fishermen 
of that port, and sent by railway to Billingsgate market on Saturday morning.” 
Family Spared a:. 
The Spanish Sea-Bream, Pagellus erythrinus , Cuv. and Val., 
Has been obtained on the South-West coast by Mr. William Andrews. 
See proceedings of the Dublin Nat. Hist. Society. 
The Common Sea-Bream,! Pagellus centrodontus, Cuv. and Val., 
Is common around the coast. 
* In July (1840) I took them an inch long on the coast of Galway, 
f Called “Brazier” in the North, “ Carf,” “Carp,” or “Sea-Bream,” in 
the North-East, and “Gunner ” in the West. 
