DUBLIN NATUEAL HISTOEY SOCIETY. 
189 
never been satisfactorily proved that the temperature of this coast is due 
to any current, nor are we justified in attributing to it the occurrence of 
.the interesting plants and animals which have from time to time occurred 
here. 
A comparison of the geographical position of these coasts with the 
shores of Cornwall leads us to expect similar species of plants and ani¬ 
mals, while the mild and moist atmosphere caused by the prevalence of 
the westerly winds maintains a temperature which permits the growth 
throughout our western hills of plants peculiar to the sub-alpine districts 
of Spain and Portugal. The beautiful sea-pea (Z. maritimum ) is of far 
more luxuriant habits and robust growth at its only Irish habitat, Iios- 
begh, at the south-eastern extremity of Dingle Bay, than in the pebbly 
beaches of Lincolnshire and Suffolk, and in Shetland; and, according to 
the late Dr. Graham, of Edinburgh, is identical with the plant of the 
south of Europe. Many of the Lichens and Algae of these shores are 
identical with those of the south-west of England and of the Mediter¬ 
ranean. 
With regard to the fishes, many species found in Cornwall and the 
Mediterranean have been also met with on our south-western coasts, the 
announcers of their occurrence in too many cases recording them as 
“visitors.” In all branches of the fisheries which I have been able to 
investigate, I have ever found facts condemnatory of the erroneous idea 
of the migration of fishes; and wherever the captures already alluded 
to have been made, there was the established region of the fishes’ exis¬ 
tence. In the distribution of marine animals locality may often affect 
a species as regards its abundance, greater development in size, or per¬ 
fection in type; but wherever we have met with individual instances of 
the occurrence of rare species, we may rest assured that the locality is, 
to a certain extent, either greater or less favourable to their existence. 
Our observations must be, indeed, limited, such slender opportunities are 
and have been afforded to us of examining and exploring the haunts of 
the deep-water marine fishes ; and we can venture to put forward but 
imperfect views at present with regard to the investigation into the 
nature, habits, and extent of existence of such animals. 
In the collections made from time to time in trawling and other in¬ 
vestigations of the coasts, I have often proved how essentially important 
it is to note accurately the localities and habits of the various fish and 
other marine animals,—peculiar soundings affecting the habits, charac¬ 
ter, and quality of many species of fish. In colour and character of 
species many of the Triglse, or Gurnard family, obtained in Dingle and 
Ballinskellig Bays, are identical with, or approach more nearly to the 
same species from the Mediterranean than to specimens from the southern 
seas. It is many years since I called attention to the occurrence here 
of the supposed species Trigla JBlochii, and of a species in character 
identical with Triglapini (Bloch). 
Although we have some representatives on this coast of fish of the 
northern regions, such as Coitus Groenlandicus, Selastes Norvegicus, 
Morrhua min at a, and Raniceps trifur cat a, all supposed at present to be of 
vol. v. —peoc. soc. 2 c 
