CLASS 3.-REPTILIA.

Order SQUAMATA, (SAURIA.)

Family LACERTAD.E.

Genus LACERTA.

LACERTA AGILIS. Sand Lizard.

On the sand hills from West Kirby to New Brighton. At Seaforth, Crosby, and elsewhere.

Genus ZOOTOCA.

ZOOTOCA VIVIPARA. Viviparous Lizard. Common Lizard.

Bidston hill. Probably general.

Order SQUAMATA, (SAUROPHIDE.)

Family ANGUIDE.

Genus ANGUIS.

ANGUIS FRAGILIS. Blind Worm. Slow Worm.
At Bidston Hill, and most likely not rare in the district.
Order SQUAMATA, (OPHIDIA.)

Family COLUBRIDE.
Genus NATRIX.

NATRIX TORQUATA. Ringed Snake. Common Snake.
Not uncommon, though less frequent in Wirral now than formerly.

Family VIPERADE.

Genus PELIAS.
Adder.

PELIAS BERUS. Common Viper.

One killed at Leasowe a few years ago.-Mrs. Longueville. At Kirby Moss. -Mr. Cameron.

RANA TEMPORARIA.
Very common.

BUFO VULGARIS.

AMPHIBIA.

Order ANOURA.

Family RANADÆ.

Genus RANA.

Common Frog.

Family BUFONIDÆ.

Genus BUFO.

Common Toad. Paddock.

Everywhere common.

BUFO CALAMITA. Natter-jack Toad.

Bootle. Common. One taken at Oxton Hill, by Mr. Price, 1851, and another between Egremont and New Brighton, this year. In ditches about Leasowe. At Southport, Mr. Cameron informs me, it is more common than the ordinary Toad.

TRITON CRISTATUS.

Order URODELA.

Family SALAMANDRADE.

Genus TRITON.

Common Warty Newt.

Great Water Newt.

Frequently found in the roads after rain. In ponds, ditches, and under stones.

Genus LISSOTRITON.

LISSOTRITON PUNCTATUS. Common Smooth Newt. Small Newt. Eft, or Evet.

In ponds and ditches; often abundant.

LISSOTRITON PALMIPES. Palmated Smooth Newt.

Three fine specimens of this rare reptile, caught by my children in a clear shallow stream at Upton, in 1851, lived for three months in a glass jar, amongst "Vallisneria Spiralis."

The Ruffe, or Pope.

Caught in the Dee above Chester.-Mr. Brockholes. Streams in Lancashire which run into the Mersey.-Mr. N. Cooke.

Genus TRACHINUS.

TRACHINUS DRACO. Great Weever. Sting-bull.

I have seen a dried specimen hanging in a cottage at Hoylake, but it is not certain that it was taken within our district.

TRACHINUS VIPERA. Lesser Weever. Otter Pike.

Sting-fish.

This fish is noted for the mischievous effects to the fishermen which follow punctures inflicted by spines which arise from their dorsal fins and opercula. In volume V. of the Proceedings of the Literary and Philosophical Society, I have endeavoured to describe a true poison apparatus which is lodged in grooves of the spines. Severe pain, often continued for three or four hours, always follows wounds, and in some instances deep seated suppuration takes place, leaving the hand or fingers permanently crippled. Having urged upon the fishermen the practice of tying a tight ligature above the seat of punctures and sucking the wounds, which is now generally followed, the usual serious effects are less frequently seen.

With Hard Cheeks.

Genus TRIGLA.

TRIGLA CUCULUS. The Red Gurnard. Cuckoo Gurnard.
The least frequent of the three Gurnards taken round our shores.
TRIGLA HIRUNDO. The Sapphirine Gurnard.

Very common.

TRIGLA GURNARDUS. The Grey Gurnard.

About equally common.

Genus COTTUS.

COTTUS GOBIO. River Bullhead. Miller's Thumb.

Mr. Webster has caught them in the Dee, above Chester. Probably in other fresh water streams.

COTTUS BUBALIS. Father Lasher. Long-spined Cottus.

Caught occasionally in the Dee, and at the north of Wirral.

Genus ASPIDOPHORUS.

ASPIDOPHORUS EUROPEUS. Armed Bullhead. Pogge.
Constantly to be seen amongst the shrimpers' captures.

Genus SEBASTES.

SEBASTES NORVEGICUS. The Bergylt. Norway Haddock.

One given to me in 1851. The Hoylake fishermen had not seen the species before.

Genus GASTEROSTEUS.

GASTEROSTEUS TRACHURUS. The Rough-tailed Stickleback. Waters in the Warrington district.-Mr. N. Cooke. In Wallasey Pool, where the water is more than brackish. The specimens from this locality seem to be little inconvenienced by being transposed from salt to fresh water or vice versa several times.

GASTEROSTEUS LEIURUS. Smooth-tailed Stickleback.

In ponds, streams, and ditches.

GASTEROSTEUS PUNGITIUS. Ten-spined Stickleback.

Common in ponds and ditches.

GASTEROSTEUS SPINACHIA. Fifteen-spined Stickleback.

Pools amongst rocks at Hilbre. At Caldy Blacks, and round the shores.

Family SPARIDE.

PAGELLUS CENTRODONTUS.

Genus PAGELLUS.

Common Sea-beam.

This species, caught about our shores, is occasionally seen in the market.

Family SCOMBERIDE.

Genus SCOMBER.

SCOMBER SCOMBER. The Mackarel.

At times in considerable numbers.

Genus ZEUS.

ZEUS FABER. The Dory, or Doree.

Not rare.

Genus LAMPRIS.

LAMPRIS GUTTATUS. The Opah, or King-fish.

A specimen caught in the Dee in 1839, by a Hoylake fisherman. Mr. Mather informs me that another has been taken.

Family MUGILIDÆ.

Genus MUGIL.

MUGIL CAPITO. The Grey Mullet.

Caught in the Dee, at the north of Wirral, and elsewhere.

Family GOBIADE.

Genus MURÆNOIDES.

MURENOIDES GUTTATA. The Spotted Gunnell. Butter Fish.
Common in pools at low water, frequently caught in shrimp nets.
Genus GOBIUS.

GOBIUS NIGER. The Black Goby. Rock Goby, or Rock Fish.

I took a specimen in a pool at low ebb at Hilbre Island, 1851. Occasional, but

by no means common.

GOBIUS MINUTUS. The Freckled, or Spotted Goby.

Constantly caught in shrimp nets. Plentiful in pools at the sea side.

Genus CALLIONYMUS.

CALLIONYMUS LYRA. The Gemmeous Dragonet.

This very beautiful fish is frequently brought in by the shrimpers of the coast. Pectoral Fins Feet-Like.

Genus LOPHIUS.

LOPHIUS PISCATORIUS. Fishing Frog. Angler.

Sea Devil.

Not uncommon. One of great size caught in the George's Dock in 1852. A specimen of the red-throated Diver was given to me by a fisherman, who saw it swimming upon the surface of the water and suddenly disappear; immediately afterwards he hooked a "Sea Devil," and found the bird alive in his stomach.

Family LABRIDE.

Genus CRENILABRUS.

CRENILABRUS MELOPS. The Gilt Head. Connor. Golden Maid. have a specimen caught off Hoylake, 1850.

Rare.

Genus SCIENA.

SCLENA RUPESTRIS. Jago's Goldsinny.

One caught near Hoylake this year.

Order MALACOPTERYGII.

(ABDOMINALES.)

Family CYPRINIDÆ.

CYPRINUS CARPIO. The Common Carp.

In ponds generally, and in the various streams of the district. CYPRINUS AURATUS. The Gold Carp.

In the ponds of pleasure grounds, &c.

Genus GOBIO.

GOBIO FLUVIATILIS. The Gudgeon.

In the Alt river.-Mr. Parke. In the Leeds canal.—Mr. Brockholes. Streams in Lancashire which join the Mersey.-Mr. N. Cooke.

TINCA VULGARIS.

Common in ponds.

Genus TINCA.

The Tench.

In the Alt and Weaver rivers.

Genus ABRAMIS.

ABRAMIS BRAMA. The Bream. The Carp Bream.

In the rivers Weaver, Dee, and Alt. Also in ponds in Lancashire. ABRAMIS BLICCA. The White Bream, or Bream Flat. Taken in the river Weaver.-Mr. N. Cooke.

The common fish of our ponds, and of most streams in Lancashire and Wirral. LEUCISCUS VULGARIS. The Dace, Dare, or Dart.

Ponds about Whitby, Cheshire. River Dee. Rare in the Weaver. Mr. E. Parke kindly supplied me with specimens from the river Alt, near Sephton, where they are called "Graining;" they were sent to Mr. Yarrell, who at once agreed that they were Dace. LEUCISCUS LANCASTRIENSIS.

The Graining.

Mr. Yarrell, quoting from Pennant (British Fishes, Vol. 1st, page 406,) gives "the Mersey near Warrington, and the river Alt which runs by Sephton," as the localities for this fish. Mr. Y. also remarks that "several streams in Burton Wood and Sankey which flow into the Mersey near Warrington, and others in or near the township of Knowsley which also form the Alt, produce the Graining in great numbers." By the kindness of Mr. N. Cooke, I have been put in possession of specimens of the true Graining from the Weaver, which differ much from the Dace (locally Graining) of the Alt, both in size and general appearance, together with other peculiarities which are well laid down in Mr. Yarrell's work. They are abundant in the streams about Warrington, whilst the Dace are extremely scarce there. Whether the Graining exists in the streamlets which go to form the Alt or not, I have not determined, but it is unlikely that they would be in the tributaries and not in the river itself. So far as I am able to decide, the Dace is common in the Alt but not in the Weaver, and the Graining is equally abundant in the Weaver though not in the Alt.

LEUCISCUS CEPHALUS. The Chub.

Taken in the Weaver.-Mr. N. Cooke.

LEUCISCUS ERYTHROPTHALMUS. The Red-eye. Rudd.

Pits at West Derby, from which locality Mr. N. Cooke has stored reservoirs in the Warrington district.

LEUCISCUS CERULEUS. The Azurine. Blue Roach.

:

I have had two of this species kindly supplied me by Mr. Parke from a pit at Croxteth they appear to tally more with our Roach (colour excepted) than with the Rudd, which last is a deeper fish in shape, and altogether more stunted and massive.