THE COD FAMILY. 271 



from I'lO to 1'IG mm. Three days later they exhibited a very 

 translucent embryo, devoid of pigment, and with no free caudal 

 region. He was unable to develop them further. 



Mr Duthie with difficulty procured a few fertilized ova 

 on the 2nd May, 1896, and forwarded them at once. Un- 

 fortunately they were delayed in transmission, probably by the 

 dense mist, and they only reached the laboratory about 5 p.m. 

 on the 6th, the majority having succumbed. They measured 

 ri430 mm., a size agreeing with that of the green cod and 

 with some that were sent in solution in 1893. The living 

 eggs were not quite normal, and the exterior of the capsule was 

 covered with debris in all. The blastopore had closed, and the 

 tail was just commencing to extend beyond the yolk (Plate III, 

 fig. 7). The optic vesicles were distinct, and the auditory 

 vesicles were indicated by a minute clear ovoid area. Kupffer's 

 vesicle was present. Moreover, a series of black chromatophores 

 occurred on the head and along the sides of the body to the 

 tail. The notochord appeared in the middle line, but the 

 muscle-plates were indistinct though probably present. The 

 yolk had considerably diminished. At the sides of the embryo 

 were groups of minute granules, the result in all probability of 

 the abnormal conditions. 



Next day, that is on the 7th May, the fifth day after 

 fertilization, the ova were unhealthy and the development 

 irregular. The lenses were now visible, and a prominence 

 indicated the heart. The otocysts had two otoliths. The 

 notochord was cellular, and the segmental ducts had formed. 

 Posteriorly several large vesicles were at the seat of Kupffer's, 

 and the tail seemed to be deformed. The black pigment-cor- 

 puscles were stellate in front of the otocysts. 



On the 8th May, one of the embryos had escaped from the 

 capsule, the latter apparently being somewhat delicate ; but 

 whether this was due to the abnormal conditions, viz., the long 

 journey and the great heat, is unknown. In this example the 

 heart pulsated, and an opercular aperture appeared behind 

 it. The otocysts had moved forward, the pectoral folds were 

 more distinct, and the muscle-plates more numerous. The 

 notochord was multicolumnar. Kupffer's vesicle had various 



