NOTES ON TELEOSTEAN OVA AND LARVAE. 35 



pout type of post-larval pigment. It resembles G. merhingus, but the 

 small size seems to preclude that species. A larva of similar character 

 hatched from an egg of I'OO mm. diameter, taken from the same locality 

 on 25th February, measured ca. 275 mm. when more than a day old. 



The next noteworthy capture of Gadus eggs took place late in 

 August, an unusual time for the spawning of any members of the genus 

 in our area. On 26th August two eggs of 1"02 and 1"06 mm. diameter 

 were obtained in the young-fish trawl, but they died before hatching. 

 The following day six eggs were captured of diameter 1'03-1"05 mm. 

 In embryonic characters these resembled what I have above described 

 as G. luscus. An early larva from one of them had a length of ca. 2*5 

 mm. A second larva which had absorbed practically all its yolk was 

 3'32 mm. long, of which 1*22 mm. was pre-anal. At this stage the 

 anus was still apparently imperforate ; the eyes dark blue with con- 

 siderable black pigment, the mouth large with the relatively massive 

 lower jaw slightly protruding. There is well-marked indentation 

 behind the mid-brain and a typical large supra-cephalic ampuUation, 

 which extends as far back as the level of the anus. The pectoral fins 

 are large and fan-like. The type of pigmentation strongly suggests 

 G. luscus. Black chromatophores are distributed post-anally as very 

 distinct dorsal and ventral lines, which stop short at a distance of ca. 

 0*9 mm. from the posterior extremity, so that the last part of the tail 

 is quite unpigmented. The dorsal line arises in the occipital region 

 and the ventral at the base of the pectoral fin, whence it continues 

 backwards at the level of the dorsal edge of the gut. There is also 

 black pigment at the tip of the snout, at the end of the mandible, 

 below the throat, and a few lateral chromatophores on the trunk. In 

 this specimen the latter were adjacent to the dorsal series, but in 

 another they were mainly on the ventral half of the body posterior to 

 the anus. No yellow pigment at all was observed in the late larval 

 stages. The early larvae were very cursorily examined and I have no 

 notes as to the presence of this colour. In the embryonic development 

 a diffuse yellow tint was visible on the yolk-sac and about the contours 

 of the trunk. 



Gadus merlanfjus. 



Only three eggs in all were taken, which may with probability be 

 referred to this species. The first, taken at the western entrance 

 to the Sound on 25th February, was 1-16 mm. in diameter, but 

 was killed by the low temperature before hatching. The second was 

 obtained from a haul of the young-fish trawl in Cawsand Bay on 

 28th April. No record was made of the size of the egg, but the 

 newly hatched larva had a length of 3'44 mm. (pre-anal length, 1'42 mm.) 



