Holt and Caldeewood — Report on the Rarer Fishes. 433 



point somewhat behind the middle of the first anal fin. In our largest example,- a 

 female taken in July, the left lobe of the liver is enormously developed, and 

 occupies the whole of the left side of tlie cavity. The ovaries, in this example, 

 are of comparatively small size, spawning having been probably accomplished 

 some considerable time previous to capture. It has already been noted by one of 

 us * that the female is mature at a length of about 4 inches, and it is possible that 

 maturity may be attained at even asmaller size, since Glinther speaks of the 

 Scotch specimenSjwhich were from 3^ to 7 inches long, as having the ovaries much 

 expanded. The ova, and probable larva, have already been described in these 

 Transactions. t The maximum size reached by the species is uncertain, but it is 

 evidently not considerable. The largest specimen observed by Collett measured 

 9^ inches (24 cm.). 



Locality and Distribution. — The Norway Pout appears to be entirely confined 

 to the waters of Northern Europe. On the coast of Scandinavia it appears to be 

 fairly plentiful, but local ; the recorded localities, according to Smitt, being the 

 Christiania, Trondhjem, Stromstad, Dynehil, and Sache fjords. Lutken has 

 reported it from the Faroe Islands. On the west coast of Scotland it was 

 recognised by Giinther in the collections made by Mr. Murray from Kilbrennan 

 Sound, Sanda, Lower Loch Fyne, the Sound of Mull, the Mull of Cantyre, Upper 

 Loch Nevis, Loch Sunart, and Loch Aber. During the Survey a number were 

 taken, J either in the nets or from the stomachs of larger fish, off the Kenmare 

 River, the Aran Islands, Clare Island, and Achill Head. 



The species is met with in Norway in deep water, but there appears to be no 

 exact record of the depth. The Scotch examples were taken between 26 and 80 

 fathoms, and the Irish between 38 and 50, with the exce^jtion of one, trawled at 

 144 fathoms. It had not previously been observed in Irish waters, nor exactly 

 recorded from below the 100-fathom line. Subsequent to the Survey, the species 

 has been reported by one of us from the Great Fisher Bank in the North Sea. 



Sub-genus Gadiculus. 



Jaws sub-equal, cleft of the mouth highly oblique ; head, in adult, deeply 

 sculptured with mucif erous cavities ; a scaleless fossa on the nape ; scales rather 

 large, deciduous. Teeth small, in a narrow band ; vomerine teeth present only 

 in young examples. 



* " Sci. Proc," vii., p. 399. f S. iii., v., p. 54. + Cf. " Sci. Proc," vii., p. 438. 



TEAUS. BOY. DITB. SOC, N.S. VOL. V., PAItT IX. 3 Q 



