460 Holt — On the Eggs and Larvce of Teleosteans. 



The remarkable forward projection of the mid-brain in the larva seem to 

 separate it from any other known form. 



M'Intosh and Prince {op. cit., p. 851), call attention to a dorsal prominence of 

 the optic lobes, imparting a hooded aspect to the head of a larval sole fom- da3^s 

 old, and Raffaele's figure of the larva of Solea, sp. A, indicates a condition some- 

 what approaching that in our form. Sp. A also approaches ours in having a " lobo 

 cefalico rigonfio " of the doi'sal marginal fin, and the colour and cliaracter of its 

 pigment appear almost the same. But sp. A not only has a much smaller ovum, 

 but is much less elongated in its larval stage. M'Intosh and Prince (p. 850) 

 mention a vesicular process over the brain in one example of ;S'. vulgaris, but regard 

 it as abnormal. 



The spawning period of Raffaele's species A and B extends over autumn, 

 winter, and spring, and that of his species 1 from June to August. 



Cunningham gives March, April, and May as the spawning period of S. vulgaris, 

 an observation which presumably refers to southern waters. That the period may 

 be extended on the Scottish coasts is apparent, from the fact that a ripe female 

 was obtained by Professor M'Intosh on August 1, 1884. 



During the six weeks with which this report deals we obtained a considerable 

 number of soles from time to time, but they were all spent, males and females 

 alike. A specimen of S'olea variegata, obtained early in July, was also spent. Solea 

 lutea appeared to be ripe during this period, but I have no accurate observations 

 at present on its ova, as taken from the female, though I am inclined to regard a 

 much smaller sole-like eg^ (species II. of this series) as belonging to that form. 



The form before us may possibly be a monstrosity of Solea vulgaris, but it is 

 difficult to regard it in tliat light, as it differs at once from that species in so many 

 characters — characters which bring it nearer to the Mediterranean species A. 



Solea lascaris, the lemon sole, is regarded by Day as identical with S. impar, 

 one of the species examined by Raffaele (species A or B ? op. cit, p. 43). The 

 only other sole recorded from the west coast of Ireland is S. greenii,* a deep-water 

 form, of which Mr. G. C. Bourne obtained a ripe female in July, 1889. 



Species II. — Solea lutea (?) (Risso). 

 PI. XLVii., figs. 9 and 10. PI. lil, figs. 46-52. 



These small pelagic ova were obtained abundantly in the surface nets in 

 Blacksod, Inver, Donegal, and Clew Bays, from the 15th June to the 8th July. 



In appearance they exactly resemble Cunningham's figure of the pelagic egg, 

 which he attributes, doubtless correctly, to Solea variegata [op. cit., PI. in., fig. 15, 

 p. 23), but the dimensions are smaller. The diameter is from -775 to 'SSS mm. (that 



* Discovered by Mr. Green in the " Flying Fox " Expedition. 1889. 



