162 OVARIES OF FISHES. 
crop of ova begins before the preceding crop has been shed. In 
January large mature specimens had the ovary in an advanced con- 
dition, for instance, in one, 144 inches long, the right ovary was 6 
inches long and 3% inches from the posterior end of the ventral fin, 
while the greater number of the eggs were full of yolk and reached 
a maximum size of °8 mm. ‘lhen there were immature specimens 
in which the ovary was small, and the ova yolkless, the largest only 
‘17 mm. in diameter ; but in other rather small specimens, whose 
ovaries were in most respects immature, there were a small number 
of minute oily drops scattered in the body of some of the largest 
ova. The question to be decided is whether this condition represented 
the commencement of yolk-formation for the coming spawning 
season, or for the season following. I found in one specimen, besides 
ova in which these scattered droplets occurred, larger ova in which 
a larger number of globules were present, and evidently constituted 
the commencement of yolk formation. This specimen was 12% inches 
long and the ovary was only 3 inches long, 54 inches from the end 
of the ventral fin. As soles have for the most part finished spawn- 
ing in May it seemed improbable that this specimen was ripening 
for the approaching season, The condition of the ova is seen in 
fig. 4, 
Fia. 4. Fia. 5. 
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Fic. 4.—Ova from the ovary of a sole 123 in. long, examined January 27th. 
Low power. 
Fig. 5.—From a sole 12} in. long, examined February 3rd. 
In February specimens between 12 and 13 inches long were found 
in the condition described, as well as larger fish, which were almost 
ripe. ‘The condition of the ova in a specimen 12} inches opened on 
February 38rd is shown in Fig. 5. The same condition was found also 
in March, in which month many mature specimens were ripe. In 
April no soles were examined, but in May some specimens still pre- 
sented the condition described, while in large specimens diagnosed 
