The Natural History of Ireland Author:William Thompson Purchase of this book includes free trial access to www.million-books.com where you can read more than a million books for free. This is an OCR edition with typos. Excerpt from book: FISHES OF IREl.AND. ORDER L—ACANTHOPTERYGIL Family PERCIDJE. The Perch, PercaJlui-iatilis, Linn., Is found from North to South of the island, but is no... more »t universally distributed through the lakes and rivers like some other species. It is stated to have been introduced into Ireland, but this I am disposed to doubt, as it is so very widely distributed. Great numbers are taken at Lough Neagh (in the Pollan nets), and also in the River Shannon. Three of my own friends, on one occasion, took sixteen dozen of these fishes in Ballydrain Lake, near Belfast, between breakfast and dinner hours. In August, 1844,I saw a perch which was obtained in Belfast Bay, a mile below the town. The water is there almost purely salt; but, as the River Lagan is plentifully stocked with this fish, and flows into the estuary, it is probable that the specimen alluded to may have been washed down during a flood: similar occurrences have been observed elsewhere. The perch is in little esteem here as an article of food. The Basse, Labrax Lupus, Cuv., Is a well-known fish on the coast; its numbers decreasing northwards. It is probably found around Ireland, but I can only give it positively as occurring from the coast of Londonderry round by the east line of the Island to Cork, inclusive. I have seen specimens in Belfast market, which were taken on the coasts of Derry, Antrim, and Down, from March to October—both months included—rarely more than one, two, or three at a time, and only a few throughout one season. The stomach of a specimen taken in a salmon net at Coleraine, in June, 1840, contained two fishes, from five to six inches long, and of the family Gadidt?. They were so deep for their length that they must have been either Gadtu lusciu, or G. minntus. Lug-worms (Lmnbricus marinus) a...« less