S.MOdTII SAND-LAUNCE. 



573 



(listiiu'th- l)raiiclu'(l at tlie extrciiK' tip, tlie otlici's are 

 (loul)l\- liraiiclicd. anil the tifili (4 — 0) is tiu^ l()ii;;-est. 

 — Tliu ventral tins are wantinii'. 



The small scales c()\'er the entire liu(l\-, hnt not the 

 head. On the back and belly they are set more closely 

 and irregularly, on the sides of the liodj^ they lie ar- 

 ranged in the regular, oblique, simple rows described 

 abo\c. Tiiese i-o\\s run t'rum the lateral line on the 

 back, ()bli(|uely l)ack\vards. down to the lateral yentral 

 carina'. Their number varies considerably: in a large 

 nuile SuNDEVALL found oidy 172; in another large spe- 

 cimen we found 17(i, in a middle-sized one 183; Kruyer 

 has found as many as 19.i. The usual number is pro- 

 bably about 180. The tirst ones, about 5, above the 

 gill-cover, and tlie last tJ or 7, at the caudal tin, are 

 shoi't and int'omplete. Furthermore, on the front and 

 middle parts of the body these rows are a little way 

 apart from each other, while on the tail they are set 

 close together. In each row the scales are set so den- 

 sely that tiiey overlap each other to a small extent of 

 their surface. At the middle of the body each row 

 contains about 46 scales, 18 or lU of which lie lietween 

 the lateral line and the median line, the other 27 or 

 28 between the median line and the lateral carina on 

 the belh-. In the largest specimens (about 3 dm. long) 

 7 scales in one of these rows occup}- a space 5 nun. 

 Ion"-. 



The coloration is greenish on the back and white 

 on tlie rest of tlie body, shifting into all the C(j]ours of 

 the rainbow; hut in the living lish the whole body is 

 somewhat trans|)arent. All the lins are pale. A large 

 blackish spot occurs on the sides of the snout, half-way 

 between the ti]) of the snout and the eye. 



No distinct external difference between the sexes 

 has been disco\ered. 



With regard to the internal organs we merely re- 

 mark that the peritoneum is white with a silvery lustre, 

 the stomach rather small, firm, and wide, with a long, 

 narrow continuation in a backward direction, which 

 when empty resembles a narrow, cylindrical aj)pendage, 

 but when full of food becomes rather large and extends 

 back to the anal region. The liver is small and white, and 

 lies in front of the stomach, round the a'sophagus. The 

 intestine is narrow, with a sharp bend. Only one short, 

 conical appendage occurs at the pylorus. The ovaries 

 are separate in front, but towards the vent completel}' 

 united into one mass. The eggs are flame-yellow, fairly 

 numerous, and tine: their diameter is only slightly more 

 than ' 2 mm., 7 ripe eggs occupying a space 4 mm. long. 



As all the Sand-Eels, so far as is known, live in 

 the same manner, and as the two species that occur in 

 any abundance in Sweden, are found in company with 

 each other, we shall shortly return to the habits and 

 development of the Sand-Eel. 



THE SMOOTH SAND-LAUNGE (sw. slattobisen"). 

 AMMODYTES CICERELUS. 



Upper jatc profnisiI<\ recforaJ /«.s shart. as in the preceding species. Head of the vomer toothless. Dorsal and 

 anal lins with andulatinn margin. Xo regular transverse folds across the sides of the hodij. 



Fig. 130. A>iiiiiO(li/tes cicerelus, natural size. TaliL'n .it a ilepth of 30 fathoms ofE Grip (Norway), by Lilljeborg. 

 Specimen in the possession of the Zoological Mnsenni of Upsnla University. 



y?. //;•. 7; D. 53—50: .1. 28—30; P. 13—14''; V. 0; 

 0. .r+1 + 13 + l+.r; Vert. 68^ 



■S'^H. Cicirellus Messanensis, Boccoxe, Rech., Observ. Xat., .\msfer- 

 dam 1674, p. 294, fig. in tab. ad p. 287. 



" Lilljeborg, 1. c. 



' .Vccording to Day, JIore.av, and Lilljeborg. 



15 according to Costa. 



16 ,, ,, SWAINSOX. 



*■ According to Costa. 



Ainiiiodjjtes cicerelus, Rafin., Caralt, d. ale. n. gen., p. 21, 

 tab. IX, tig. 4 ; MOR., Hist. I\"^at. Poiss., Fr., torn. Ill, ]>. 

 219; Dav, Fish. Gt. Brit., Irel., vol. I, p. 333, fab. XCII, 

 fig. 3; Ln-LJ., Sc, Norg. Fish., vol. 2, p. 228. 



