On the very young Cod and other Food-Fishes. 307 



lahiosa. Palcemon varians and Philhydrus maritimus^ Solier, 

 are very abundant. Near the bank freshwater plants, Hcirpi 

 and rushes, are verj vigorous, and accommodate themselves 

 very well to an existence in the brackish water. 



The pool situated to the west of the Grand Havre is less 

 extensive than the preceding ; the sea-water penetrates into 

 it by infiltration. 1 have found numerous larvas of Diptera 

 belonging to at least four different species, as well as the 

 larvai of a Hemipteron belonging to the genus Corixa^ asso- 

 ciated with Philhydrus. Alelita palmata and Ja'ra Nordnianni 

 are very abundant, as well as Oammari, In tlie mud which 

 occurs near the margins I have found several specimens of 

 Nereis falsa, Quatref. 



[To be continued.] 



XXX. — Notes from the St. Andrews Marine Laboratory {under 

 the Fishery Board for Scotland). — No. VI. On the very 

 young Cod and other Food-Fishes. By Prof. M'IntOSH, 

 M.D., LL.D., F.H S., &c.* 



It is about twenty years (viz. 20th May, 1866) since Prof. 

 G. O. Sars found the larval cod 6-7 millira.t in length on the 

 surface of a sea teeming with ova off Loffoden j yet up to this 

 time there is no account of a connected series between 

 the larval fish as it issues from the ovum and the larger forms 

 mentioned by Sars and other authors. It is true JSars gives 

 various links in the chain : — Thus, on the 12th June, 1866, 

 he again observed the young cod at the surface, the largest 

 reaching 24 millim. in length, and he considers they had 

 attained this size in the interval (three weeks). Tbeir em- 

 bryonic fin-fold has now become divided into first and second 

 dorsals, and a small barbel is present. On tlie 5th July he 

 procured others an inch and a half in length under Medusai. His 

 observations were continued in the following year, for on the 5rd 

 August he met with young cod two inches and upwards, and 

 on the 23rd of the same month nearly three inches in length. 

 In the beginning of October again they were upwards of four 



* Commiuiicated by tbe Author, having been read at the Birmingham 

 Meeting of the British Association (Biological Section), Sept. 188G. 

 t This is larger than recently-hatched cod in this country. 



