332 THE FLOUNDER FAMILY. 



finely ramitied black pigment was evident in both. The mid- 

 dorsal patch now touched the edge of the body and it also 

 presented a few black chromatophores. The same brownish hue 

 tinted the marginal ridge over the head and snout. The black 

 pigment rendered both dorsal and ventral surfaces dark when 

 viewed on edge ; two long blackish bands occurring dorsally 

 separated by the brownish area in the mid-dorsal line. The 

 skin was finely dotted with minute vesicles. The eyes had a 

 greenish iridescent lustre. The marginal fin continued as a 

 prominent border over the head to the tip of the snout. 

 This fin was still proportionally broad, though the body had 

 lengthened to fully 3'-i6 mm. No fin-rays were yet visible in 

 the caudal expansion. Movements of the mandible and of 

 the hyoidean apparatus occurred occasionally. The pectoral 

 (breast) fins had considerably increased in size, and were used 

 in balancing. The clavicular bar was also evident. The oil- 

 globule was difficult to see, but, in some, it was found with the 

 remnant of yolk near the lower border of the abdomen. A 

 feature of moment in these larval turbot was their hardihood, 

 for alter exposure on a slide in a few drops of water for two 

 hours, they became active when transferred to their vessel. 



The yolk was entirely absorbed by the 3rd July, that is, 

 about the seventh day. The marginal fin over the head had 

 increased in depth, and the pigmentation had ramified outward 

 in all directions at its inner border. The tail showed faint 

 embryonic rays. Blood-vessels with pale blood were now ob- 

 served, e.g. the sub-intestinal coursing upward in front of the 

 rectum and passing towards the liver, the mandibular and the 

 sub-uotochordal trunk (aorta) which could be traced backward 

 to the inferior line of pigment behind the posterior brown bars. 



After the disappearance of the yolk, the turbot may be 

 considered as having attained their early post-larval condition, 

 and they swim through the water by rapid strokes of the 

 tail and vibrations of the pectorals. In still water they often 

 remain suspended with the head downwards, but there can be 

 little doubt that, like the plaice observed by H. Dannevig, 

 they would luxuriate with their heads directed to the current 

 in the constantly moving water either of the open sea or of 



