124 THE SEA-SCORPION-FAMILY. 



fig. 5). It appears minutely punctured, under a high power, 

 the punctures having, as a rule, a more regular (linear) arrange- 

 ment than in the lump-sucker. Moreover, larger dots occur at 

 intervals all over the surface, resembling those seen in the 

 lump-suckers' eggs removed from the stomachs of young cod. 

 The yolk internally has several colourless oil-globules, from 

 three to nine, as mentioned by Mr Holt, and they vary in size 

 from '015 mm. downward. The yolk itself is tinted pale 

 brownish or faintly reddish-brown. Mr Holt, who carried on 

 special observations on the eggs of this species at St Andrews, 

 could not make out the passage of the oil-globules through the 

 yolk, as had been described by one of us in the gurnard ; but, 

 so far as observed in 1884, there was no reason to doubt 

 that the oil-globules followed the same movements as in other 

 forms. In the developing embryo the oil-globules coalesce, so 

 that but a single large globule remains. In the tanks of the 

 laboratory the eggs are readily eaten by other specimens of the 

 same species. 



The development of this form is somewhat slow, especially 

 in cold seasons, so that masses of eggs with advanced embryos 

 are often found in April and even in May. Mr Holt found the 

 larval fishes, on emerging from the egg, 7'5 mm. in length, and 

 this accords with our own experience. The yolk forms a com- 

 paratively small prominence ventrally, and the large oil-globule 

 lies at its front inferiorly. ' The head is large and broad ; the 

 profile of the snout abrupt ; the eyes large and fully pigmented ; 

 and the ear-capsules, of about the same size as the eyes, lie 

 close behind them. The mouth is open, but the lower jaw is 

 at first immovable.' The internal organs are well developed 

 (Plate V, fig. 7). The tail in May shows only embryonic rays. 

 The breast-fins are large and fan-shaped. The heart and 

 blood-vessels are in full activity, the returning blood streaming 

 over the yolk, and finally entering the heart. The oil-globule 

 is often on the right of the middle line. 



The coloration consists generally of an olive-green hue, 

 a series of distinct black chromatophores over the head, and 

 a few about the base of the breast-fin. They form a broad 

 band on each side of the abdomen over the yolk, and extend 



