10 A. K. IIKKFOHD. 



In the unpaired tins of the newly hatched larva there is no pigment, 

 but a four to five days' old larva shows two large chroniatophores on 

 the dorsal and anal tins. 



Holt {op. ciL, p. 11) examined several Serranoid eggs from the Gulf 

 of Marseilles and found among them unusual variability. The 

 diameter varied from 0"72 to t>89 mm. (for the most part lying 

 between 0'78 and 0'84 mm.), and the oil-globule from 014 to O'lG nun. 

 He found that the embryonic pigment, wliich lirst appeared before the 

 outgrowth of the caudal rudiment (the black generally, but not always, 

 preceding the yellow), showed considerable variation, while there 

 appeared to be no constant relation between the variations. As to 

 the nature of the yellow pigment (often greenish yellow by trans- 

 mitted light, and very pale by rellected light) Holt's records (as well 

 as l\aftaele's) agree with my observations. Both black and yellow 

 chroniatophores are shown as a rule over the oil-globule, but never 

 over the rest of the yolk-sac. In all Holt's observations of the newly 

 hatched larvae the oil-globule was anterior, the pre-anal part of the 

 body slightly longer than the post-anal, the multicolumnar notochord 

 had its vacuoles arranged fairly regularly in two series, dorsal and 

 ventral. I'igment was disposed along the whole length of the dorsum, 

 and was sometimes present on the sides and intestinal region. The 

 yellow chroniatophores followed the contour of the dorsum, and 

 post-anally there were only two spots, a dorsal and a ventral, generally 

 well detined, marking the centre of the post-anal region. Tiie pigment 

 on the head varied. There was always a spot at tlie angle formed by 

 the intestine and the dorso-posterior profile of the yolk-sac, and also 

 in the region of the urocyst, and sometimes others over the intestine. 

 It is to be noted that Holt never observed any pigment in the 

 embryonic tins of the newly hatched larva, but after three days black 

 pigment appears in the embryonic fin — a row of chroniatophores in 

 the dorsal and one chromatophore in the anal fin, while black pigment, 

 which increases with the growth of the larva, appears along the dorsal 

 contour of the intestine (op. cit., Figs. 36 and 37). My larva, on the 

 other hand, shows soon after hatching a row of ycUoic chroniatophores 

 in the dorsal fin. Otherwise it agrees with the youngest larval stages 

 which Holt represents in Figs. 33, 34, and 35, and refers to Scrranus 

 {hcpatiis!). It is possible that the early appearance of yellow pigment 

 in the dorsal fin is a characteristic of S. cahrilla, which tUstinguishes it 

 from iS". hcpatus, the species probably observe! by Holt. However, a 

 still later stage observed by him ("alovin age de quelques jours "), of 

 apparently the same species, does show large yellow chromatophores 

 associated with tlie relativelv diminutive black ones in the embryonic 



