THE SCALES IN SOME TELEOSTEAN FISH. ol 
20 per cent. hydrochloric acid, which dissolves away the 
greater part of the scalelets, leaving only their outline in 
organic material, which may easily be removed by scraping 
with a scalpel. The same result may be attained merely by 
scraping without the previous addition of acid, but more force 
is necessary and there is consequently a greater tendency to 
a tearing and disarrangement of the underlying fibrous 
lamellae. This sub-stratum consists of distinct lamelle of very 
delicate fibres, having the appearance of ordinary white 
fibrous tissue, though when torn the individual fibres tend 
to curl after the manner of the yellow elastic variety. ‘They 
are extremely resistant to the action of carmine or hemo- 
toxylin, but are readily stained with eosin or picro-nigrosin. 
The bundles of the superficial lamella are excentrically 
arranged, each bundle corresponding with a ring of the 
superposed scalelets. Subjacent to this is a layer the 
bundles of which interlace with each other at right angles, 
each running diagonally to the long axis of the scale. Between 
these two lamelle, and also underlying the latter, the 
fibres appear to form reticulate but much thinner strata. 
How far these last are to be regarded as definite layers, or 
merely the results of “ teasing out,” I have not been able 
satisfactorily to determine. The number of lamelle. present 
varies in different parts of the scale, being most numerous 
at the centre, while at the periphery the superficial excentric 
layer alone seems to be present. In the scales of a large 
common cod about 2} feet in length five layers are to be 
seen at the centre in transverse section. 
The fibrous strata were noted as long ago as 1839 by 
Mandl (14), and again by Baudelot (1), but seem to have 
escaped the notice of some recent writers. Mandl, though 
not describing the arrangement of the lamellw, appears from 
his accompanying illustration to have observed them correctly. 
Baudelot, on the other hand, describes the layers as being very 
much more complicated than I have detected. He says: 
“Le trajet de tous ces faisceaux ou plans fibreux est 
extrémement compliqué et des plus difficiles a 
