4 BULLETIN OF THE UNITED STATES FISH COMMISSION. 



must be abaiuloued, however, as there is already a species of that name, 

 and in the Revue Mycologique of January, 1885, 1 proposed to substi- 

 tute the name 0. morrlmcc. In the article of Saccardo and Berlese be- 

 fore mentioned, this species is said to occur in Algiers in company with 

 Glathrocystis and Sarcina, and they consider it a Torula rather than an 

 Oidium, adopting the name T. pulvmata. Patouillard also found on 

 salted pork a fungus which he thinks i^robably belongs to the same 

 s])ecies. As the specific description was originally given in the Revue 

 Mycologique the following translation may be of service to those who 

 do not have access to that journal: "Spores spherical, 3.5-5 jx in 

 diameter, fuscous, attached in chains (average 12-15), arising from 

 secundly fasciculate hyphfe, which are pulvinately compacted in scat- 

 tered spots." 



2.— PRETilMIIVAKY IVOTICE OF THE DEVEL,OI»ME]VT OF TIIE TOAD- 

 FISH, BATRACHUS TAU. 



By JOHN A. RYDER. 



The ova of this fish are large, and measure from 5 to 5J millime- 

 ters in diameter. They are dirty yellow, almost amber colored, and 

 adherent to the surfaces of submerged objects, especially the under 

 sides of bowlders, under which the parent fish seem to clear away the 

 mud and thus form a retreat in which they may spawn. The ova are 

 attached to the roof of the little retreat prepared by the adults, where 

 the eggs are found spread over an area about as large as one's hand in 

 a single layer, hardly in contact with each other, and to the number of 

 about 200. A discoidal area about 3 millimeters in diameter at the 

 upper surface of each egg glues the latter firmly to the supporting 

 surface (Fig. 4). 



Fertilization of the ova probably occurs at the time of their extrusion 

 by the female, which, like the female catfish, manifests no further in- 

 terest in her oftsxjring. The male at once assumes the care of the bjrood, 

 and seems to remain in the vicinity until the young fish are hatched 

 out and set free. 



The germinal disk is developed at the under or inferior pole of the 

 vitellus and opposite the point where the ovum is attached to the roof 

 of the retreat by its adhesive membrane (Fig. 4). There are no oil 

 globules in the yelk, the latter seeming to be remarkably homogeneous. 

 It is therefore not very clear what it is that determines the inferior and 

 inverted position of the blastodisk. 



Equally remarkable is the fact that as development proceeds the 

 young adherent embryos are found to have their heads directed towards 

 the opening of their retreat and their tails towards its blind and dark 

 extremity (Fig. 5). This appears to be invariably the case, and it 

 would seem that the direction from which light comes in this instance, 

 at least, has a great deal to do in determining the direction of the axis 



