OBSERVATIONS ON SOME WEST-COAST FISHES. 103 



they came inshore to spawn, and hatched them out 

 in my ponds after a period of six months. The 

 purses are never deposited on sandy ground, but 

 may be driven there by the gales from their attach- 

 ment on the sea-ware. The egg-cases are by no 

 means such secure protection as one would suppose 

 from their tough texture, seeing that I have found 

 them in scores, as well as those of the nurse-hound, 

 all punctured by the well-drilled hole of a borer 

 that had thence emptied the contents. 



Gadus minutus, Flem. (Poicer-Cocl), and Gadus 

 luscus, Lin. (Bib or Whiting Pout) — If the former 

 is but the immature form of the latter, as has 

 been suggested, it is remarkable that I have taken 

 the minutus over a great extent of the West of 

 Scotland; but so local is the Whiting-Pout that I 

 have never once met with it myself. The extreme 

 prevalence of the one and rarity of the other seem 

 scarcely consistent with their being different stages 

 of the same fish. 



Gadus morrhua, Lin. — Lochbuie is during the month 

 of April largely frequented by spawning cod, a male 

 and female frequently coming up alongside in 

 the cod-nets, when they can be readily spawned 

 artificially in the boat. At this time their food 

 consists, to a large extent, of Norwegian Lobsters 

 (Nephrops norvegicus), and, in a minor degree, of 

 other Crustacea, such as Corystes cassivelaunus. The 

 cod does not throw all its ova at once, but from 

 time to time as they ripen, so that the same fish 

 may be for a considerable period in this condition, 

 getting steadily softer in the flesh and deteriorated 

 with the exhausting process of maturing and casting 

 free such a multitude of ova. 



Trachinus draco, Lin. (Greater Weever). — Professor 

 MTntosh seems to conclude that this is merely a 

 larger specimen of T % vipera, Cuv., or that T. vipera 

 is the young stage of the other. Having some 



