148 NOTES ON THE KErKODUCTlON OF TELEOSTEAN FISHES 



Atherina presbyter. Linn. Sand smelt. 



1 believe tbat tbe young stages of the sand smelt are for the first 

 time described and figured by myself in the Annalcs du Music de 

 Marseille, 1898. Agassiz, however, long ago figured the larvaj of the 

 American Athcrinichthys notata (Proc. Amcr. Acad., xvii., 1882, p. 

 277, Pis. X., XI.), which are very similar. The ova and larvre of the 

 ^Mediterranean A. hepsetus have been described by Piaffaele {Mitlheil. 

 Zool. Stat. Neap., ix., 1889, p. 306), and of this species a description, 

 with figures, of the egg and early larva has been given by Marion 

 {Ann. Mus. Mars., iv., 1891, Fasc. L, VIII., p. 93, PI. I.). Various 

 larval stages of A. Boyeri, which is said to have occurred in British 

 waters, are figured and described by myself in the paper alluded to. 



It is rather remarkable that the presumably conspicuous eggs of the 

 sand smelt have never come under the notice of naturalists. Such 

 Atherine ova as are known are of large size, and furnished with long 

 attachment filaments arising from all parts of the zona. In this 

 character they are indistinguishable from the ova of the Scombresocida'. 

 In both families, as far as one can judge from limited material, the 

 yolk appears to be translucent and practically homogeneous. One or 

 more species of Atherina exhibit a number of small oil-globules, while 

 in one species of Pelone there are none. It is impossible to say to 

 what extent the members of the respective families adhere to this dis- 

 tinction, which is, after all, of little importance. The fact remains that 

 in the general characters of the egg the Atherinidie and Scombresocida), 

 though not apparently very closely related, are practically identical. 



The larv£e of all Atherines seem to be very much alike. I found no 

 difliculty in identifying those of A. presbyter from their resemblance to 

 Agassiz's figures of A. notata. My specimens were found swimming 

 at the surface in rock pools at Penzance on the 22nd June, 1891, 

 They were in two shoals, each occupying about the space of the palm 

 of a hand, the individuals very closely packed and hardly visible but 

 for the large blue eyes and the black patch on the pia mater of the 

 mid-brain. Each shoal consisted, as I suppose, of the hatch of a 

 single clutch of eggs ; in any case, the individuals were all of about 

 the same size. A specimen from the younger shoal measured 9 mm., 

 one from the older shoal ITS mm. The figures of Agassiz, llaffaele, 

 Marion, and my own illustrate equally well the general conformation. 

 The main features are the rounded head, large eye, very short abdomen, 

 and very long tail. In the specimens of 9 mm. the pre-anal length 

 is only 2*09 mm. In those of ITS mm. the same region measures 

 3-15 mm. 



The smaller specimens, judging by Marion's figures of A. hepsetus, 



