48 rUKLIMINAKY NOTES ON THE KErUODUCTION OF TELEOSTEAN 



I have long ago pointed out the resemblance between Species F (my 

 Species xii., Trains, li. Dul. Soc, loc. cit.) and the series of metamorphosing 

 larvai which I described and figured (op. cit., p. 104, pi. xi.) under the 

 title of Species xiii., and, in discussing the probable afiinities of the latter, 

 I was led to the belief that they were the young of P. unimaculatus. 

 Whether or no they are identical with all specimens which have been 

 included in Species F, I do not feel qualified to decide, but a comparison 

 with the actual larva of P. unimacvlatus inclines me strongly to the 

 opinion that this species is the parent of the metamorphosing series 

 comprised in Species xiii. Without the assistance of figures it is idle to 

 discuss the matter farther, but I hope soon to have an opportunity 

 of enforcing my own opinion by the illustration of my material. 



Arnoglossus laterna. — Gilnther. 



It is only quite recently that the developing ova and larva? of the 

 scaldfish have come under the notice of naturalists. Raffaele certainly 

 observed the ovarian eggs of several species of Arnoglossus, of which 

 A. conspersus was presumably one. The latter, if not identical with, 

 is at least very closely allied to the common Atlantic species ; but in 

 any case, llaffaele failed to secure the embryo or larva, either by 

 artificial impregnation or by the use of tow-nets. 



During the summer of 1895 I was led to the conclusion that certain 

 tow-net eggs from the Gulf of Marseilles must belong to A. conspersus, 

 but the publication of my results has been anticipated by Dr. Ehren- 

 baum, who has recently {op. cit, p. 298), described the earliest stages 

 of A. laterna from Heligoland. Petersen {Rep. Dan. Biol. St., 1894, 

 p. 44) had already obtained the ripe ovarian ova, but was fain to 

 content himself with a naked eye observation thereof, while Ehren- 

 baum was obliged to rely on tow-net material. There is, nevertheless, 

 no doubt as to the correctness of his diagnosis. 



In British waters the spawn of this fish has hitherto entirely escaped 

 attention. During the Irish survey, though I obtained many specimens, 

 I never saw a ripe female, and on this coast, where the species is even 

 more abundant, there is no record of any observation of its reproduc- 

 tion. Moreover, of the many undetermined species of eggs which have 

 from time to time been described by liritish writers, none can possibly 

 be assigned to the scaldfish. 



So far as concerns the observation of fish in the process of reproduc- 

 tion, I am now able to supply the deficiency, but have never been able 

 to hatch artificially fertilized eggs. 



On the 1st and 2nd June, in Teigiimouth and Tor Bays, we trawled 

 a number of ripe examples of both sexes of the undifferentiated form 

 originally defined by Gilnther as A. laterna. 



