THE ANGLESEA MORRIS. 
229 
river, should be affected by the cold, when one reflects that the depth of the 
river varies in some of these places from forty to sixty feet. The water here, 
though not quite so salt as the sea, is yet very salt.” 
The Anglesea Morris, Leptocephalus Morrisii, Penn., 
Has been obtained on the north-eastern, southern, and western coasts. 
It was first made known by me as an Irish sp. in the following commu- 
nication to the Zool. Soc. in 1835 (see Proc. p. 82) : — ■ 
“ Leptocephalus Morrisii. — By the kindness of scientific friends I am enabled 
to mention the occurrence of six specimens of L. Morrisii on the coast of Ire- 
land. Dr. Ball has thus written me respecting it. 4 The first I saw was at 
Cove, in 1809 I was at the capture of a second at Clonakilty, in 1811. 
I caught one myself at Youghal, in 1819, and procured another which was taken 
there. The fifth, the specimen which I have preserved, was taken in a shrimp- 
net at Youghal also, in 1829, the four others having been found under stones 
near low-water mark.’ I also got one from Dr. Allman, which he took on the 
coast of Cork. Dr. J. L. Drummond informs me that when in Bangor (Co. 
Down), in June, 1831, a specimen of the L. Morrisii about 4 inches in length 
was brought to him. It had been just taken from a pool left in the sand by the 
ebbing tide, and was almost perfectly transparent.” 
The following note was published by me in Chari. Mag. Nat. Hist., 
vol. ii. p. 20 : — 
“Anglesea Morris. Leptoceplialus Morrisii. Early in the summer of 1837, 
Capt. Fayrer captured a specimen of this singular fish in the harbour at Port- 
patrick. He remarks that ‘it appeared in an active state of health and vigour, 
sporting now and then on the surface, and as quickly descending.’ On account 
of its delicate organization, it was judiciously put in very weak preservative 
liquor, about one part only of common spirits to four of water; and was thus 
kept by me for four months, without being injured as a specimen. It was 
almost equally transparent as it had been in its native element. When put in 
stronger liquid, for permanent preservation, it of course became discoloured, and 
more opaque. It is so buoyant as to float on the surface like a cork, and on the 
phial being reversed as quickly attains this position. The specimen is 5| inches 
in length (the size of Dr. Ball’s specimen) ; and in the spotting differs from 
others described and figured. Distant 1| inch from the anterior extremity 
small black dots appear on the lateral line, and continue to the tail ; f inch from 
the same part a row of black dots — larger than those on the lateral line — com- 
mences, and extends on each side to within f inch of the end of the tail ; from 
where these terminate the black is taken up by the base of the anal fin ; every 
ray — and they are here close together — being spotted at the base. Not a spot 
appears on the dorsal ridge, nor anywhere but as here mentioned. The irides 
are bright silver. I have elsewhere recorded a Leptocephalus , which was taken 
on the opposite coast of Downshire (Zool. Proc. 1835, p. 82).” 
The Ordnance Collection contains a specimen labelled “ Cairnlough 
[Co. Antrim], 1837 ; ” and Mr. M‘Calla informed me in 1840 that he had 
obtained three fishes on the Galway coast which he believed to be of 
this species. One of them, which I saw in his possession at Roundstone, 
preserved in muddy spirits, seemed to be the Anglesea Morris. 
Dr. Harvey observes (in the Cork Fauna), — 
“ L. Morrisii , Penn., Anglesea Morris. — I watched for some time a number 
of fish in Cork Harbour, a few months since, which I have no hesitation in con- 
sidering as of this species. I was unable to procure a specimen. It had been 
found by Dr. Ball previously.” 
Dr. Ball’s specimen, labelled “Youghal, 1829,” measures 5 ^ inches in 
length. (It agrees with the generic description of Montagu, Wern. Mem., 
vol. ii. p. 438.) 
