ZOOLOGY AND BOTANY, MICROSCOPY, ETC. 1G7 



Young of Montagu's Blenny.* — L. W. Byrne Las notes on some 

 young forms of Blennius galerita, captured on the north coast of Corn- 

 wall. Emery's description seems the only previous one. They were 

 caught in sandy pools, surrounding or surrounded by rocks, in the shelter 

 of which they seemed to be fond of lying. When disturbed, they darted 

 with considerable rapidity from place to place, seemingly assisted by the 

 large pectoral fins which were carried nearly at right angles to the body 

 when at rest. There was a remarkable amount of individual variation. 

 The presence of the interorbital " helmet " (a single broadish leaf-like 

 tentacle, followed by several smaller ones), taken in conjunction with 

 their comparatively small size and radial formula, seems to be diagnostic 

 from a length of 15 '5 mm. (including caudal fin) upwards. 



As in B. pliolis and B. ocellaris, the size and. dark pigmentation of 

 the pectoral fins increase until a certain stage of growth is reached, after 

 which they gradually assume the form and coloration of the adult. It 

 may be that these large and darkly pigmented accessory organs serve to 

 divert the attacks of enemies from a defenceless but almost transparent 

 larval fish during the pelagic stage of its existence, and this theory is, 

 to a certain extent, borne out by the fact that the decrease in size and 

 loss of pigment would appear in Blennius to coincide to some extent with 

 the adoption of the habits and colours of the adult. 



Life-history and Young Stages of the "Fat-Fish" of Lake 

 Baikal, f — B. Dybowski gives an account of Comeplwrus baicalensis, 

 which is restricted to Lake Baikal. It is, according to the author, one 

 of the Cottidas — adapted to abyssal life. It is delicate, whitish, fatty, 

 translucent, with no pelvic fins, with protruding eyes, living at depths 

 of 700-1500 metres. The specimens found near the coast are all 

 females, and are either moribund or dead. From November onwards 

 the females seek the shores to liberate their young, but the males seem 

 to remain in the depths. 



It seems as if all the females died after reproducing, and Dybowski 

 thinks that this is a primitive peculiarity, seen also in Gasterosteus 

 chacliaha (Kamtschatka), Phoxinus perenurus Pall. var. jacuticus Dyb. 

 (Siberia), Phoxinus Isevis (East Galicia), eels, and lampreys. 



In some uterine ova the young forms were already apparent, twisted 

 in a spiral ; and the author was on one occasion fortunate enough to 

 come across a swarm of young swimming freely near the surface. The 

 members of the swarm measured 17-18 mm. ; they were reddish-white 

 and silvery, the eyes were black, the visceral region was short, the caudal 

 region was very long, and the pectorals were relatively smaller than in 

 the adults. 



b. Histology. 



So-called Germinative Cells in Medullary Canal of Man.J— Dr. E. 

 Giglio-Tos recalls the conclusion of His that two kinds of cells are 

 found in early stages in the wall of the medullary canal,— (a) epithelial 

 cells which are transformed into spongioblasts, and (b) the germinative 



* Journ. Mar. Biol. Ass., vi. (1902) pp. 383-6. 



t Kosmos (Lemberg), xxvi. (1901) pp. 112-41 (Polish). See Zool. Centralbl., 

 viii. (1901) pp. 683-6 (3 figs.). 



X Anat. Anzeig., xx. (1902) pp. 472-80 (6 figs.). 



