Observations. rivers, to direct the fry to the sea.See particulars under the article Fisheries. in Lough Neagh plentiful; the flesh very red; the weight sometimes 50lbs. called so, not from the colour of the flesh, which is red, but from the silvery hue of its scales; taken in the Bann and in small rivers in nets; a fine fish; but seldom weighs more than 3lbs. taken in salmon nets, in great plenty; a good fish for the table; sometimes 12lbs. weight. in rivulets; spotted with red; this and the following are the chief sport of anglers in our streams. the least of this genus; well known. dollaghan; I am not certain whether this is the lacustris of Gesner. It is not so white as the former trouts in the scales; its flesh is red; its appearance is, I believe, about August; it weighs from 3lbs. to 5lbs.; it will live in wells or ponds for several years, encreasing, in favourable places, to a much larger size. Whether we have the Alpinus, red char-trout, or buddagh, is, to me, not quite certain. lucius, pike; belone, horn-fish; saurus, skipper; not unfrequent in some rivers. I have seen it on muddy flats. it resembles an eel, with an horned nose; it sometimes shoals itself on muddy shores. taken chiefly at Culmore bay; and in the Roe; much valued by the ancient Romans. well known; seldom in great shoals close to our coast; often observed to pass westward, by the pursuit of the porpoise: it is taken sometimes at Port-rush; formerly abundant in Lough Foyle and Lough Swilly, but of late has deserted this coast. called rock-herring by the fishermen; it is taken singly, not in shoals, on the coast and in the Bann. Among the mammalia, we have the phoca vitulina, or seal. Several of the cete, or whales, have been thrown on our coast. The delphinus phocæna, or porpoise, is often seen wallowing after the herring shoals. The orca, or grampus, has been a visitor, and is sometimes entangled, by venturing too near. As to testaceous fish, it may be sufficient to mention, that our coast furnishes a good supply of lobsters, crabs, &c. Oysters abound on the coast of Myroe; these are accounted inferior to those from the shores near the island of Inch, the bottom being less clear. Respecting the Lepus antafera, commonly called barnacle's egg, which is a bivalve adhering to sea-wrack, there is a curious opinion, that the barnacle is the product of this shell-fish; in fact, there is a very odd resemblance to the feathers and feet of an embryo bird, in those parts of the fish, which appear without the shells. We have also a species of pearl muscle, found in the river Claudy, (mya margaritifera.) The common rock shell-fish are also to be found on this coast. FOUR-FOOTED BEASTS, HORSES, CATTLE, &c. Horses. The strains of horses distinguishable in this county are, 1st. the native garron, of the mountainous country; these are thinly made up, in general have crooked hams, seldom exceed 14 hands, are often much lower; the prevalent colours are bay or sorrel. These are almost indefatigable. This breed have, for the most part, a gentle head and aspect, with nice shanks. They are begotten promiscuously, and generally by some year-old, or two year-old sire, called clib, or, using the diminutive, clibock. The Scottish highlander is in great request; some are stout, and, after continuing one or two winters, in possession of a good keeper, swell to a considerable breadth. The same strain, crossed with the sinewy draft, is still more valuable. Both these breeds are in general use, in light and mountainous grounds. We have another race, more recently formed by cross with the blood-horse. In districts where the farmers have mares of large bone, this might be useful to confer metal and speed, but where the bone is scanty, this mixture ought to be deprecated. Myroe is famous for good horses. There is a sort of horse, purchased chiefly at Moneymore, but bred in Tirone, Cavan, &c. &c.; these are broad behind, low before, generally black, with some white in the face and legs, very hairy on the fetlock; they are slow, but easily kept, and not bad drudges. In other respects, they are, to my taste, a dull and worthless race. It may be truly said, that hitherto this county is far from any high repute for horse breeding; yet many of our gentlemen, and some better farmers, are beginning to take pains to introduce a valuable strain of this most generous animal. Illi ardua cervix "Argutumque caput; brevis alvus, obesaque terga." Asses. Next to the horse in utility, and nearest in alliance, we have to notice the humble fellow-drudge and patient fellow-sufferer of laborious poverty-the ass. Few indeed of these belong to the cultivators, but many are found in the occupation of vagrants, or toiling with ill-requited struggles, for the lowest of our carriers, especially in the city. Cattle. I observe two varieties of the native cows: the one is light in the bone, small in size, extremely active, bent in the ham, with a good eye and sharp nose, a nice thin neck, a crooked horn, frequently turned upward. This strain is generally black, reddish, or brindled, with some white. There is a coarse-boned, ill-shaped breed also: these have swollen bellies, heavy head, a dew-lap very pendant, a bull-like aspect "Cui turpu caput, cui plurima cervix "Et crurum tenus e mento palearia pendent, It has been matter of surprise to find skilful buyers prefer this. latter; but these buyers are stock-farmers, who sell their beef rather by weight, than quality. Among the cattle, not yet long enough introduced to be accounted ours, we have a few large well-shaped cows, chiefly from Fermanagh and Roscommon. Many of our drovers and some of our stock-farmers frequent those and other fairs, chiefly in the province of Connaught, to bring cattle, for fattening at home, or for exporting to England. The intermediate markets are chiefly Raphoe, Killigordon, Strabane, or Derry. It sometimes happens, that a cow, which springs too early, is turned to milk, and her calf reared; and it is mostly from such incidents, that an improved progeny may be found with some gentlemen; these, however, frequently degenerate for want of good bulls. To remedy these acknowledged defects, some gentlemen have taken a meritorious lead in the introduction of improved cattle for breed. The Bishop of Derry, Sir G. Hill, Henry Richardson, and David Babington, Esqrs. are in this and other rural benefactions, deserving of our best acknowledgments; nor is the author of this work forgetful of what his neighbourhood so much requires in this respect. Sheep. "Hoc satis armentis; superest pars altera curæ, "Lanigeros agitare greges, hirsutasque capellas." Generally speaking our best sheep are bought either in the fairs of the south-western counties, or else at Dervock, to which they are driven by jobbers. I need say nothing of them. Our own strain is of all shapes and qualities, horned, and polled, coarse wool, and fine; almost all are high-boned and restless. We get a considerable number from the mountains of Innishowen; these weigh from seven to ten pounds per quarter, fatten in one summer, and are, when fat, nice mutton. In addition to the gentlemen above named as benefactors, I should |