Gudget — Notes on Sovie Beaufort, N. C, Fishes. 145 



variably came to rest with their ventral surfaces uppermost. One, how- 

 ever, when placed in the normal position on the bottom of the aquarium, 

 showed, in the lifting of the body and in the motion of the hinder edges 

 of the pectorals, the characteristic breathing movements of the adult. 



In this connection it may be interesting to note that Waite (1901) 

 writes that 7 young, removed by a Caesarian operation from a female 

 Hemiscillium modestum Gthr. when put in a pool of water swam about 

 freely, so also did 23 young excised from Orectolobus barbatus. Later, 



11) , lie quotes a writer in the "Sydney Mail" that the young of 



Carcharias brachyurus Gthr. when cut out and thrown into water swim 

 about even with the yolk sac still attached. So Alcock (1890) states for 

 the young of Carcharias dussumieri. 



On June 17, 1910, two female Dasyatis say were taken in the same 

 haul. One was 25 inches wide over the pectorals, and 25 inches long to 

 the end of the ventrals; the width between eyes (outside edges) was 5^ 

 inches, between spiracles ( inside measurement) \% inches, mouth (trans- 

 verse ) 2 X 4 inches. This ray gave birth to 4 young, 3 males and 1 female, 

 all of a light brown color. Two were 12 inches long, one 12^ and the 

 other 12%. All four were 5 inches wide. The three males had tails 1% 

 inches long. The female, which was also the longest bodied, had a tail 

 measuring 7}^ inches. One had the yolk sac and umbilical cord gone 

 leaving a slight navel. Two had these reduced to mere warts, while those 

 of the fourth were slightly larger. 



-The second ray measured 30 inches wide by 35 long, and was 62 inches 

 from snout to end of tail. The outside measurement between eyes was 

 7 inches, the spiracles were 5% inches apart, and the mouth was 3 inches 

 wide. This very powerful fish, on being speared while in the bunt of the 

 net, lashed out with her tail and drove the spine into the side of the boat 

 where it was broken off. 



Two young were obtained, but being absolute twins only one was 

 brought in and measured. This w 7 as 14% inches long, 5% wide, with a 

 \\% inch tail. While considerably larger than the young of the first 

 specimen, it was much younger, being practically devoid of color and 

 having attached by an umbilical cord a yolk bag nearly an inch long. It 

 would seem that the larger the mother the larger the young to which she 

 gives birth. 



The embryos taken were, except in one case, found bathed in a sub- 

 stance of the color and consistency of rich yellow Jersey cream. The 

 exceptional case had the uterus filled with a clear yellowish watery fluid. 



The older embryos had the large intestine filled with a chlorine-yellow 

 substance, evidently the milk-like food secreted by the villi and taken 

 in probably through the spiracles. Notwithstanding the fact that the 

 umbilical cord entered the alimentary tract at the junction of the small 

 with the large intestine, and that the material in the anterior part of the 

 large intestine was lighter in color than that in the middle and hinder 

 regions, it is reasonably sure that it was not yolk. In an embryo 12 

 inches long and 5 wide it equaled about <>0 per cent of the volume of the 

 yolk when the egg was in segmentation. Examined microscopically it 



