470 



FISHES 



The eggs appear to be deposited on the sea-bottom in deep water, 

 but they are very rarely obtained. An egg-case dredged up off 

 the south-west coast of Ireland, at a depth of 315 fathoms, and 

 about 6-J- inches in length, is shown in Fig. 268. 1 It consisted 



FIG. 268. Egg-case of a species of Chimaera. a, Transverse section across the case 

 at x, showing the lateral valvular slits ; b, similar section across x', showing the 

 vertical ridges. (From Giinther.) 



of a broad, somewhat oval, flattened portion which contained the 

 egg, and terminated at one end in a truncated margin, while at 

 the other it was produced into a long tapering styliform process, 

 traversed by dorsal, ventral, and lateral ridges. The cavity of 



FIG. 269. Callorhynchvs antarcticus. Male. A, lateral view ; B, front view of the 

 mouth ; C, front view of nasal process, a.c, Anterior clasper ; b.a, external 

 branchial aperture ; f.c, frontal clasper ; p.c, posterior clasper. (From a specimen 

 in the Cambridge Museum.) 



the egg-case was open in front, and also along each side, where 

 linear, slit-like valvular apertures freely admitted sea-water into 

 the central cavity. A similar egg-case from Japan, measuring 

 9 inches in length, had its surface traversed by longitudinal and 



1 Gunther, Ann. May. Nat. Hist. (6) iv. 1889, p. 415. 



