﻿gill] the sculpin and lts hai'.i; 355 



Stage of development. An examination of several individuals gave a similar 

 result. In all were found sonic eggs in the ovaries bigger than the others, 

 and paler in color (a few were as clear as water) and containing a distinct 

 embi"3'o which was not, however, in everj case as fully developed as in the 

 first mentioned eggs. 



" Mere then, for the first time, was certain evidence that in the Sea- 

 Scorpions the spawn becomes fecundated while yet in the ovary, a condition 

 known to exist only in a few exceptional cases in the class of fishes, as in 

 the Sharks, the EmbiotocidcB of the Pacific Ocean, several ScorpoenidcB and 

 some Blenniida, among others Zoarces viviparus, which also occurs on our 

 coasts." 



Viviparity is much more common among fishes than Nordquist 

 was aware of. His observation, however, was of great interest. 

 The facts in the case would at first seem to imply that internal fer- 

 tilization takes place, but is speedily followed by oviposition and 

 the subsequent assumption of care of the eggs by the male. But 

 soon afterward, Nordquist's conclusion was called in question. E. 

 Ehrenbaum, in the Wissenschaftliche Meeresuntersuchungen ( Neue 

 Folge, vi. Heft 2, Apr. 15, 1904, pp. 133-134) published the results 

 of new studies of the same subject and his remarks are here trans- 

 lated : 



" The conspicuous enlargement of the anal papilla in Cottus scorpius dur- 

 ing the spaw^ning-time suggests the question as to the occurrence of internal 

 fecundation in that species. Nordquist (Mcddel. Societ. Fauna et Flora 

 fen 11., p. 26, 1900), confirming an earlier observation made by Ekstrom (Die 

 Fisclie in den Scheeren von Mork'6, p. 176, 1835), did indeed find far advanced 

 embryos with distinctly visible dark eyes in the ovary of mature females, so 

 that consequently copulation must have taken place previously. In opposi- 

 tion to this Mcintosh (Fourteenth Ann. Rept. Fish. Board f. Scotld., pt. in, 

 p. 181) has positively denied that such a condition could be admitted for the 

 Cottus of the British coasts ; and also in the German North-Sea I have found 

 no support whatever for the assumption of internal fecundation. I have 

 never found embryonate eggs in the ovary and have on the other hand in 

 nature found recently deposited eggs at very early stages of development. I 

 have also noted that the eggs deposited in the aquarium, which continued to 

 develop normally and emitted larvae subsequently, were completely undevel- 

 oped when dropped, and presented after twenty-four hours early stages of 

 furrowing. Internal fecundation with following embryonic development 

 within the maternal organism can therefore not be considered the rule. 

 Agreeing with this, Nordquist has lately communicated to me, by letter, that 

 he has also changed his view in the meantime ; that internal fecundation does 

 occur in Cottus scorpius (and quadricornis), but only as an exception, and 

 that the isolated fecundated eggs in the ovary generally develop abnormally 

 and probably die in the ovary. But the occurrence of internal fecundation 

 even as an abnormality must be considered for the present as restricted to 

 the extreme northeastern Baltic. But this very circumstance increases the 

 interest of Nordquist's observation, as accordingly the northern Cottus ap- 

 pears as a transitional link with his Arctic relatives, such as Gyinnocanthus 



