50 



most brackish parts and probably especially where the bottom 

 is sandy. The smallest larvae were taken with the surface-net 

 to the west of Schokland, at a distance of about 2000 meters 

 from the islaud. This was on 23 May '88. 1 figured one of the 

 larvae taken on that occasion (PI. III. fig. 2); it was 5.2 m.m. long 

 and it bore still a part of the nutritive yolk at a little distance 

 behind the head, showing that it only of late came out of the 

 egg. They were taken together with a large quantity of herring- 

 larvae ; they could be easily distinguished from these latter by 

 their dimensions, by the place the nutritive yolk occupied, by 

 the position of the anal aperture, and by the preseuce of pigment- 

 spots especially along the ventral side of the body. With the excep- 

 tion of the embryonic pectoral fins in this condition no appendages 

 are present aud the unpaired fins are also wanting. 



Duriug June small smelts were taken repeatedly amidst the young 

 herrings; the latter ones, however, were always still by far the 

 most numerous. Only towards the end of the month was a 

 good catch of sraelt-larvae made : this happened on June 29 to 

 the west of Elburg about 4000 Meter from the shore. The sur- 

 face-nets stayed in the water only one quarter of an hour ; yet 

 this time proved quite sufficiënt to catch a whole bottle-full of smelt 

 larvae. The surface-net was small, and had a circular opening of 

 60 centimeters diameter only. Thousands and thousands of fishes 

 were taken having a leugth of from 15 to 33 millim. Afterwards 

 nearly on every occasion, wheu the surface-net was used, larvae of 

 the smelt were collected. An exceedingly rich catch was again made 

 on July 12 uot far from the entrauce-buoy of the Ketel. The 

 length of the larvae was then between 19 and 36 millim. On 

 July 18 the first young smelt of the season was met with in one 

 of the kuilnets. It was a little fish of about 41 m.m. 



In the report on the »Ankerkuil"-Fishery I published in coopera- 

 tion with Mr. Bottemanne I have given an ample description of the 

 larvae and young fishes of this species, of the herring and some other 

 fishes. So I do not intend to publish particulars about the same ani- 

 mals here. The smallest smelt-larvae which I collected at the Hol- 



