118 NOTES ON THE REPKODUCTION OF TELEOSTEAN TISIIES 



of the yolk segments. Be this as it may, wliile the egg has but an 

 inconsiderable perivitelline space in its early stages, towards the time 

 of hatching the embryo has ample room within the confines of the 

 zona. A characteristic feature is the transverse elongation of the yolk 

 at this stage. Yellow and black pigment is present when the embryo 

 has acquired a short tail. A few pairs of large yellow patches occur 

 along the head and trunk, accompanied by irregular black chromato- 

 phores. Yellow and black pigment is present about the oil-globule. 



The early vitelligerous larva bears a close resemblance to that of 

 Tcmnodon saltator, but the oil-globule is always anterior instead of 

 posterior, a feature which also serves, inter alia, to distinguish the 

 scad larva from that attributed by Eaffaele to Corypha^na. At the 

 stage at which the larva seems to be usually liberated, the anus is 

 about median in position and therefore somewhat widely separated 

 from the hind end of the yolk. The marginal fins are rather wide, 

 but the dorsal does not extend in front of the head. Yellow pigment 

 occurs in variable quantity along the dorsal and ventral region, except 

 on the posterior half of the tail. Submarginal yellow patches, often 

 of conspicuous size, are or may be present on the dorsal and ventral 

 marginal tins, except on the posterior half of the tail. Yellow pigment 

 occurs also about the rectum, the oil-globule, and to a variable extent 

 over the general surface of the yolk. Black chromatophores, nowhere 

 numerous, and variable in number, coexist with the yellow, and extend 

 far back along the tail. The notochord is multicolumnar, the vacuoles 

 being arranged in about two series. Except for the rather reduced 

 condition of the yolk the larva cannot be said to be unusually far 

 advanced at the time of hatching. 



A larva, hatched at Marseilles from an egg which I did not measure, 

 was much less advanced than any other which I have seen. The yolk 

 was very large, the larva had only a very short tail, and the gut ended 

 indefinitely a little behind the yolk. A day later the larva had 

 acquired much the same size and conformation as those which hatched 

 at what appears to be the normal stage, but the marginal fins were 

 still devoid of pigment. This, however, judging from the analogy of 

 Temnodon, appears unimportant. 



A riymoutli larva, about fifteen hours after hatching, measures 

 3"03 mm. A Mediterranean specimen, at about the same stage, is 

 2'47 mm. long. The Mediterranean larva last referred to as 

 exceptional was only 171 mm. long when first observed, but had 

 reached a length of 2'63 mm. a day later. I have not succeeded in 

 keeping these larvaj alive for more than a few days. They are 

 exceedingly active, and rapidly injure themselves if confined in 

 small vessels. 



