of the Fishery Board for Scotland. 61 
The fish from which the otoliths were obtained measured 153 inches in 
leugth, and its earstones are 9mm. by 4°5mm.—they are thus equal in 
length to about the one forty-fourth part of the length of the fish. 
Fam. LABRID®. 
Genus Labrus. 
Labrus bergylta, Ascan. The Ballan Wrasse. PI. ii. B, fig. 12-14; 
pl. v., fig. 8. 
Three specimens of this Labrus have their earstones represented on 
pl. ii. B. ‘They measured about 387mm., 330mm., and 254mm. respec- 
tively. The earstones are comparatively small—those of the larger fish 
(fig. 12) are about 5°4mm. in length by about 3mm. indepth. ‘The length 
of these earstones is thus equal to about the one-seventieth part of the 
entire length of the fish, The specimen next in size had earstones 
slightly smaller (fig. 14), while the earstones of the third specimen (fig. 
13) are a little over 4mm. long. The lower margin of the larger ear- 
stones is slightly arcuate and crenulated, especially the proximal half of it. 
The upper margin slopes upward in a nearly straight line from each end, 
so as to ferm an obtuse angle near the middle. The front end is deeply 
bifureate, but the other terminates in a blunt point (see pl. v., fig. 8, 
which shows the otoliths greatly enlarged). The other earstones do not 
differ much from those described, except that the upper margin is not so 
distinctly angular, 
Labrus miatus, Linn. The Striped Wrasse. PI. ii. B., fig. 15. 
The earstones of this Labrus have a close resemblance to those of the 
ballan wrasse, and could scarcely be distinguished from them. ‘Those 
represented by fig 15 were obtained from a fish 11} inches in-length, and 
measure fully 5mm. each. 
Labrus (Ctenolabrus) rupestris, Linn, Jago’s Goldsinny. PI. ii. B., 
fig. 16. 
This is a smaller species of Zabrus than the others, and the earstones 
are proportionally small. The fish which is here represented by its ear- 
stones measured about 44 inches in length (108mm.), and the size of its 
earstones is 3°2 by 1‘6mm. They resemble those of the other species in 
their general character. 
Fam. GADID#. 
Genus Gadus. 
Gadus callarias, Linn. (syn, Gadus morhua, Linn.). The Codfish. PI. 
i, A., figs. 1-10. 
The otoliths of nearly all the species of Gadus, especially in those of 
adult size, are usually large, and massive in structure.. One side is 
slightly concave and the other convex. The concave or exterior side is 
usually ornamented with ridges and furrows which are more regular and 
distinct in the otoliths of fishes that are young, or half-grown fishes. 
Those otoliths from codfish, particularly from examples 20 inches 
