18 A. E. IIEFFORD. 



May and June) were post-larvae obtained. There is one record only of 

 the occurrence of the egg of the dab in the Plymouth neighbourhood, 

 viz. on 14th April, 1902, south of the Mewstone (2, p. 613), but this, 

 again, is probably due to the dearth of samples from the off-shore areas. 



Solea vulgaris, Quensel. The Common Sole. 



The only remark to be made concerning the occurrence of this well- 

 known and easily recognized egg is as to its rareness in our samples, 

 only three specimens having come into our hands through the whole 

 season, viz. one in February at the eastern entrance to the Sound, one 

 in May in the Sound, and one in June in Cawsand Bay. This was 

 probably due to the fact that no samples were collected during practi- 

 cally the whole of March. This month, according to Cunningham 

 (4b, p. 117), represents the height of the spawning season, which 

 extends from the middle of February to the end of April. A further 

 cause is the fewness of our samples during this period from the deep 

 off-shore waters where the spawning fishes appear to occur in greater 

 numbers. Pelagic young fish have likewise been very few, less than 

 ten being taken throughout the season from April to the end of 

 August. 



Solea liitea, Bonaparte. Solenette. 



Holt (11a), pp. 460-4, Figs. 9, 10, 46-52. 



(llf), pp. 87-9. 

 Ehrenbaum (5a), pp. 312-17, Figs. 31-5. 



One specimen of the egg of this species was taken in a tow-net at a 

 depth of about 4 fathoms 1^ miles N. by W. of the Eddystone on 

 2nd July. It was not perfectly spherical, and measured 0'80 by 

 0"84 mm. The yolk contained 14 oil-globules of a pale amethyst 

 tint. On the day of capture the embryo had developed a short caudal 

 rudiment. Dull pale yellow pigment was present on the yolk-sac 

 and abundant on the body, and a few black chromatophores were also 

 visible on each. On being next examined, three days later, the larva 

 was found to have hatched out and almost absorbed the yolk. Its 

 total length was o'Ol mm., the distance from snout to anus being 

 1 03 mm. Dull yellow pigment in large dendritic chromatophores was 

 present on the body, head, snout, and along the margin of the unpaired 

 fins, with the characteristic large patch at the commencement of the 

 posterior half of the tail. There are two large patches and a smaller 

 anterior one on the anal fin. On each well- developed pectoral fin there 

 is a large patch of pigment, which does not appear to have been men- 

 tioned by previous observers. 



i 



