THE COD FAMIL Y AND THE SAND-EELS 269 



grows to a length of only 6 or 7 in., is brown in colour, 

 lacks the horny teeth of the launce, and has the lower jaw pro- 

 jecting, but shallow and pointed, not grooved like that of the 

 launce. Day alludes to a row of teeth at the base of the tongue, 

 but the writer has sought these in vain in many examples. 



The sand-eel is commonly described as residing closer 

 inshore than the launce, but at most places within the writer's 

 knowledge they occur in company. The sand-eel appears the 

 commoner, however, on the east coast of Scotland. 



In that part of our seas it is said to spawn in the beginning 

 of the year, but Mcintosh and Masterman are of opinion that 

 it spawns twice, in deep water in December or January, and 

 in shallow water again in May. The number of eggs in the 

 sand-eel has been estimated at from ten to thirty thousand. 

 The ripe egg has not yet been described, but the newly 

 hatched larva is well known, and measures rather less than 

 ^ in. It has been surmised, though on no certain evidence, 

 that the early metamorphoses of the sand-eel are gone through 

 while the fish lies securely buried in the sand, though at a later 

 stage, and before finally settling down to its underground 

 haunts, it has a free-swimming stage at the surface, millions 

 occurring in the tow-nets in May. Masterman compares 

 these wanderings with those of infant plaice. The ordering 

 is, however, different. The sand-eel starts on its career 

 in moderately deep water and in an asylum of sand, subse- 

 quently finding its way up into the genial influence of the 

 sun's light and heat, growing rapidly at the surface, then 

 returning to the depths, but not until its ranks have been sadly 

 thinned by the attacks of birds and other fishes. The little 

 plaice first sees light at the surface, and goes through the 

 remarkable structural changes, that have already been de- 

 scribed, near the top of the water. Then, having assumed 

 its final shape, it gradually drifts inshore and finally takes 

 up its abode, after a very different series of experiences, 

 close to the adult sand-eels. 



