l6 R. COLLETT. M-N. Kl. 



ln other specimens, the patches are almost entirely absent; these 

 are mostly of a uniform colour, dark greyish brown, over the whole 

 body. Young individuals of a total length of but 103 mm., may have 

 this colouring as well as those of the largest size. As a rule, these 

 uniformly coloured individuals are males (Fig. 3, and Fig. 7). 



A number of specimens exhibit a characteristic marking, as there 

 runs along the median line a more or less connected row of dark 

 greyish brown, and often somewhat strongly defined small spots (of the 

 size of the eye or less). These may be traced from the sides of the 

 head out to the very end of the tail. In many individuals these side 

 patches form the most distinct markings of the body (see Fig. 8 and Fig. 10). 



In most individuals two more or less intensely black spots will be 

 found at the commencement of the dorsal. These two spots occasionally 

 (but not always) form the front margin of the continuation of the two 

 body bands across the dorsal; but they often occur as separate spots 

 without any direct connection with the bands below it. These spots 

 are often retained even after the transverse bands have disappeared, and 

 they are usually darkest in the uniformly coloured variety. 



Occasionally there is but one such spot; occasionally both are but 

 slightly indicated, or absent altogether. 



In many individuals the dorsal has besides (especially its hinder 

 portion) darker patches, like traces of the vanished transverse bands 

 (se Fig. 6), but these are rarely very strongly marked, and most often 

 absent^. 



Mature Individuals (capable of breeding). Total length 142 to 

 178 mm. Several specimens examined (Christiania Fjord and Skagerak, 

 1897— 1898). 



Only quite occasionally do these specimens retain traces of the trans- 

 verse bands, mostly in the form of open and broken rings (see Fig. 9). 



The colouration on the whole, chiefly as in specimens of medium 



' A young individual which I had for some time in a living state, was of the almost 

 uniformly coloured variety, without distinct patches, and with the last faint traces of 

 bands (total length no mm). When living, the anal was whitish in front, but the 

 hinder portion was greyish brown, like the back; yet the whole of the outermost 

 fringe was colourless. 



The belly was whitish; the margins of the anus, blue. The iris was skyblue, the 

 surroundings of the eye somewhat lighter than the other portions of the upper part of 

 the head. 



The foremost black dorsal patch was most distinct, the other less so. Neither of 

 them appeared to have any connection with the stripes below. 



The specimen proved to be very tenacious of life, and lived, at last, in a little 

 flat saucer for about an hour in pure fresh water, before it died. 



