THE LUMP SUCKER. 
219 
latter, by Pallas and Sir James C. Ross, to have been obtained among floating 
masses of sea-weed in the Atlantic Ocean. 
“ 1 have had the opportunity of examining specimens of C. Lumpus (as all are 
considered to be) taken from the northern to the southern coast of Ireland. Of 
the individuals particularized in this article, those answering to the Cycl. minutus, 
Pall., were taken at the surface of the sea about Larne (in September, 1836) and 
Drumnasole (in August, 1837), in the County of Antrim, by Mrs. Patterson of Bel- 
fast, who favoured me with them. In the month of July, a few years ago, Mr. 
Hyndman (Memb. Nat. Hist. Soc. of Belfast) took in Larne Lough several mi- 
nute specimens of a Cyclopterus under an inch in length, and which, like the 
Cycl. minutus of Pallas, were among masses of sea-weed floating on the surface 
of the water ; but the specimens having unfortunately been lost before they 
reached me, nothing further can be said of them. Those agreeing with the Gob . 
minutus were, as before-mentioned, captured in Strangford Lough,* County 
Down. In Kingstown harbour, near Dublin, an individual nearly as minute as 
any here described was taken by Dr. R. Ball and myself, in August, 1836, by 
dredging. A rare fish mentioned by a correspondent as occasionally taken at 
Wexford, and of which a figure was communicated to me, proved to be this 
species ; and at Youghal examples 18 inches in length have been procured by 
Dr. Ball — of a similar size is one from the northern coast preserved in the 
Belfast Museum. 
“ The following notes from my journal on the mature Cyclopterus Lumpus may 
not be unacceptable. 
“ March ( 15th i 1835. — A large lump fish, taken near Carrickfergus, was brought 
to me yesterday morning; but, not being purchased, was as a curiosity hawked 
about the streets of Belfast throughout the day, and by several persons my at- 
tention was directed to it as an extraordinary production ; its semi-transparent 
dull grey colour, much diversified, or apparently begrimed with black, certainly 
gave it somewhat of a hideous aspect. No purchaser being found here, it was 
taken this morning to the town of Lisburn, about seven miles distant, and was 
displayed as on the preceding day, but with more success, as it was there dis- 
posed of. This 1 learned in the afternoon, by the taxidermist to whom it was 
sent, calling to show it to me as a strange fish just received from the inland town 
of Lisburn, a locality considered to enhance its rarity. 
“ April 8 th, 1836. — To the middle of April, 1835, when I left home, but the 
one lump fish had been brought to Belfast market, and the first for the present 
season was brought hither to-day. It was taken in the bay along with mullet 
( Mugil Chelo ), and was alive when I saw it, although several hours out of the 
water. As in the specimen of last year, no bright colours were displayed, the 
general hue being blackish, intermixed with dirty white ; the under surface of 
the latter colour ; on close examination a little dull red was visible at the ex- 
treme tips of the caudal fin, and the pectorals presented an extremely faint 
orange tinge. On dissection it proved to be a female, and contained a vast 
quantity of ova, of a delicate rose colour. The ova alone weighed 25 oz. ; of 
this I had a drachm weighed and carefully reckoned the number of ova, 
each nearly a line in diameter, that it contained, and found the whole mass, 
if considered accordingly, would consist of the amazing number of 101,935 
ova — the produce of a fish about 15 inches in length. With such prolific 
powers we can readily imagine that this species should abound, as it is reported 
to do, in the northern seas, its chief abode. The stomach did not contain any 
food. 
“ On the 13th of this month another female specimen, of similar size and colour 
* The C. Lumpus has been described to me as entering this “ lough,” or arm 
of the sea, in spring, — the period of depositing its ova. 
At the island of Lambay, off the County of Dublin, I, early in the month of 
June last, captured a Cyclopterus which was equally minute with those obtained 
in Strangford Lough, but of a dark colour— it did not possess any tubercles. 
