ISO ANNALS OF SCOTTISH NATURAL HISTORY 



As regards the association between complete ambi- 

 coloration and arrested migration of the eye, little is known. 

 That the former depends directly on the latter is far from 

 obvious, although it is possible that both may be correlated 

 with a tendency in such forms to retain their vertical mode 

 of swimming for a longer time than usual. This combination 

 of characters may indicate a " throw-back " to some unknown 

 ancestral form, but such a supposition cannot fully explain 

 the phenomena, and it would seem more satisfactory to 

 adopt Bateson's view, 1 that, associated with the reversion, 

 is another phase of discontinuous variation, tending, by a 

 process of symmetrical repetition, to reproduce on the under 

 the characters of the upper surface. 



Since this note was written Mr. Cook has informed me 

 that a second ambicolored Turbot from the Berwick Bank, 

 and one forwarded from Aberdeen, have been exhibited at 

 the Newhaven Fish Market. Each of those, my informant 

 states, had completely pigmented under surfaces, associated 

 with a notched dorsal fin ; and in them, as in the example 

 I have described above, the dorsal eye had passed distinctly 

 over the ridge of the head and lay opposite an attached 

 portion of the fin. 



NATURAL HISTORY DEPARTMENT, 



THE ROYAL SCOTTISH MUSEUM. 



THE OAR-FISH, OR KING OF THE HERRINGS, 

 REGALECUS GLESNE (ASCAN.)-^. BANKSII 

 (CUV. AND VAL.), ON THE COAST OF EAST 

 LOTHIAN. 



By WILLIAM EVANS, F.R.S.E. 



THE occurrence of an Oar-fish in Scottish waters, or indeed 

 anywhere, is an ichthyological event of no ordinary 

 interest. It is therefore a real satisfaction to me to be 

 able to record the occurrence of one 13^ feet in length 



1 Bateson, W., I.e., p. 472. 



