DEVELOPMENT AND LIFE-HISTORIES OF TELEOSTEAN FISHES. 863 
being thus somewhat spindle-shaped. The snout is comparatively blunt, and the large 
size of the eye gives a resemblance to the condition in the Gadide, and to some extent 
also to that in the Pleuronectide. The auditory capsule is large, a prominent elevation 
of the outline occurring in the region. The jaws present the proportions in the groups just 
mentioned. The action of the heart is readily seen through the large opercular aperture. 
The body is elongate, about 7 mm. in length, the tapering extremity of the notochord 
being bounded by a somewhat lanceolate embryonic fin, in which the rays (embryonic) 
are developing next the base. The abdomen presents a marked incurvation in front of 
the rectum, and the anus is prominent. The pectorals are large and fan-shaped. 
The pigment is mainly of two kinds, viz., grass-green and black. The head shows 
black pigment over the otocysts, black and green in front of the eye, and on the branchial 
and mandibular regions. From the posterior margin of the opercular aperture to the base 
of the pectoral the same pigments occur. The pectorals have regular rays of similar pig- 
ment—tinged with pale greenish. The abdomen is covered with black and green pigments. 
The dorsal and ventral edges of the body have a series of black pigment-corpuscles, the 
former extending from behind the pectoral to the last vertical bars of the dorsal marginal 
fin, as shown in the sketch; while the latter extend from the vent to the narrow part of 
the tail. When viewed from the ventral aspect, a broad bar of pigment stretches between 
the pectorals, and a considerable quantity is scattered over the abdomen. In a smaller 
specimen the opercular fold is rendered distinct by the black pigment in front of it, and 
the pale region behind it. The deep parts of both dorsal and ventral areas of the mar- 
ginal fin have peculiar vertical streaks of greenish, and rows of black pigment-corpuscles. 
These touches are generally slightly curved, and appear to form two groups in each fin, 
a feature especially seen in the dorsal. The tail is faintly tinged with green. 
The gall-bladder is deep green; the oil-globule is colourless. 
Inthe mid-water net, on 9th April, a few miles from shore, the next stage, fully 6 mm. 
long, appeared. In spirit it presents a few black chromatophores on the cheeks, and the 
bases of the pectorals show the black pigment-rows present in the older stage (PI. XVIII. 
fic. 11). The sides of the body from the tip of the pectorals backward almost to the 
tail show a series of isolated black chromatophores arranged in a double row, toward the 
dorsal and ventral edge. <A group of similar pigment-corpuscles characterises the median 
or wide part of the marginal fin dorsally and ventrally. On the sides and ventral surface 
of the abdomen the same black chromatophores are scattered, and they run along the 
ventral surface to the base of the tail. 
The marginal fin has expanded dorsally and ventrally in the median line, but only 
embryonic fin-rays occur in it. A slight narrowing dorsally and ventrally is evident in 
front of the tail, which also shows embryonic rays. The anus is very prominent, and in 
front of it another projection of the edge occurs—a feature characteristic of the form. 
The large pectorals likewise show only embryonic rays, and the lines of black pigment 
spring from the distal edge of the basal process. The notochord is quite straight. 
The next stage observed was an example five-eighths of an inch in length, procured in 
