THE COD FAMILY. 281 



this gap is the more striking in that the young ling of about 

 3 inches in length 1 (see fig. 7, p. 32) presents a very marked 

 contrast in many ways to the post- larval form one inch long. 

 This is sufficiently seen by comparing the latter with figs. 6 

 and 7 on Plate XI. In the woodcut the little fish is boldly 

 striped longitudinally with an olive-brown band, continuous 

 from snout to tail, and above it is another lighter band of 

 opaline lustre which is tinged with an edge of dull orange. A 

 conspicuous black dot at the posterior end of each dorsal fin 

 completes the remarkable coloration. Amongst structural fea- 

 tures it is evident that the ventrals are greatly reduced in 

 size proportionally and that a long barbel is present. This 

 stage has been found in December and March represented by 

 stragglers at rare intervals from deep water tossed on shore 

 during storms ; and it is well to note the great contrast in 

 markings and colour which it presents to the young tesselated 

 cod of about the same age. The age of this 3-inch stage is 

 probably from 5^ to 11 months, the former limit being perhaps 

 under stated. In swimming in the tanks of the Laboratory it 

 often carried the long barbel in front of it like a tentacle. 



By the time the ling has grown to a length of 7 inches or 

 thereabout, its appearance has undergone another complete 

 transformation due to the fact that the longitudinal band has 

 given way to a number of brown blotches with a golden lustre 

 which run in dorsal and lateral rows more or less continuously 

 from head to tail, and invade the second dorsal fin (see fig. 8, 

 p. 33). The white streaks show here and there a bluish tinge 

 with dots of black pigment over them. A golden tinge 

 also occurs on the pectorals. The eyes (irides) are mottled 

 olive, and the pupil black. The dorsum is pale olive with 

 whitish streaks. The first and second dorsal fins are pale olive 

 with whitish streaks and the black spot posteriorly. The tail 

 has a russet-brown belt within the pale tip, which, like the 

 extreme margin of the two dorsals and the ventral fins, is 

 opaque white. 



The ventral fins are pale but the posterior half or a little 

 more has a brownish band with dark pigment at the tip. Three 



1 W. C. M. 3rd S.F.B. Report, p. 62. 



