RATE OF GROWTH OF SOME SEA FISHES. 225 



(1) 24-8 cm., 9-7 in. (8) 17-3 cm. (15) 14-0 cm. 



(2) 20-8 „ (9) 17-2 „ (16) 13-7 „ 



(3) 20-0 „ (10) 16-7 „ (17) 13-4 „ 



(4) 19-7 „ (11) 16-4 ., (18) 12-5 „ 



(5) 19-2 „ (12) 157 „ (19) 12-2 „ 



(6) ISO „ (13) 14-5 ,, (20) 10-5 „ 4-1 in. 



(7) 18-0 „ (14) 14-2 „ 



I separated the three ripe males and the ripening female, placing 

 them in another tank, and returned the rest alive to the tank they 

 Avere taken from. 



On March 21st I examined the unripe specimens again, to see if 

 any had become ripe in the interval, but could find no signs of 

 sexual maturity in any of them. Two of them had died in con- 

 sequence of the handling they underwent on the first occasion. I 

 now took one specimen, the third on the above list, killed it and 

 dissected it. I found it was a female ; the ovary was quite small, 

 and showed no signs of reproductive activity. The organ extended 

 only about 1"5 cm. beyond the posterior boundary of the abdominal 

 cavity, and the ova were not separately visible to the eye. It 

 seemed evident that this specimen would not have spawned during 

 the present season. 



The other specimens of the same age had been living in a large 

 tank 18 feet by 3^ feet in area, and 2 feet in depth. I emptied 

 this tank on February 24th, and found in it sixty-five flounders. Of 

 these nine were males in a perfectly ripe condition, whose lengths 

 were — 



(1) 23-4 cm., 9-2 in. (4) 21-0 cm., 8-3 in. (7) 19-8 cm., 7-8 in. 



(2) 23-1 „ 9-1 „ (5) 20-8 „ 8-2 „ (8) 17-4 „ 6-9 „ 



(3) 22-1 „ 8-7 „ (6) 20-0 „ 7'9 „ (9) 16-2 „ 6-4 „ 



Three were females with large swollen ovaries, not perfectly ripe, 

 but evidently preparing to spawn this season ; their lengths were — 



(1) 267 cm., 105 in. (2) 24-8 cm., 9-8 in. (3) 23-0 cm., 9-0 in. 



The rest were unripe ; they varied in length from 23*2 cm. or 

 9'15 inches down to 7*2 cm. or 2'8 inches. 



I placed the ripe males and ripening females in a separate tank, 

 and returned the unripe specimens to the tank they came from. 



On March 24th I emptied the tank and examined the unripe 

 specimens again. I found one more ripe male, but this was 

 apparently one that had escaped capture on the previous occasion, 

 as it was injured by the net. It was 21 "3 cm. long. 



Among the specimens in the small tank, two were left-sided or 

 reversed, that is, having the eyes on the left side instead of on the 

 right. Of the sixty-six specimens in the large tank four were 



