568 THE MYXINE. 



quence of this its destructive habit, is mortally hated by 

 the fishermen, aud with them probably originated the 

 opprobrious name of hag, by which it is known to us in 

 England. The quantity of glutinous matter that exudes 

 from the body of this fish is past belief. It is said that 

 if a myxine be placed in a vessel containing a cvibic foot of 

 Avater, tlie liquid will, in the course of tAvo or three hours, 

 become impregnated wdth so thick a slime that it can be 

 drawn out in tlireads, or lifted up at the end of a stick in 

 like manner as a rag. Even if this experiment be repeated 

 three to four times in succession, a similar result will 

 follow. " This slime, like all other slime," says Sundevall, 

 " is composed of fine globules, which, when the mass is 

 distended, may be drawn out into spiral tlireads : it would 

 appear to be tougher or more glutinous than any other 

 kind of slime." 



The myxine is oviparous. " One always finds in the 

 full-grow^n female," says Sundevall, " about twelve eggs 

 which are larger and altogether differently shaped from 

 the rest. They are oblong, and of three times greater 

 length than breadth, aud are quite opaque; and when 

 they arc deposited by her, twelve more of the smaller eggs 

 would seem to assume the oblong shape and commence 

 to increase in growth, &c. The Professor gives us many 

 other very interesting particulars respecting the breeding 

 habits of this fish, but they are too long for insertion in 

 these pages. Its spawning season seems unknown to 

 Northern ichthyologists ; but Kroyer is inclined to believe 

 it is not confined to any particular time of the year. 

 Keither Suudevall nor Kroyer, both of whom have care- 

 fully studied the habits of this fish, have been able to find 

 any individuals that they could with certainty assume to 

 be males. Kroyer considers the fact that the young fry 

 have never, in Danish waters, been found of a less length 

 than nine inches, to be an "enigmatical circumstance." 



