308 Prof. M'Intosli on the 



inches long. In November of the following year he caught 

 some about six inches long, and larger forms in December. In 

 the early part of the next year (probably the end of February) 

 the young cod had reached a foot in length. He therefore con- 

 cluded that he had a fairly connected series under review, and 

 accordingly summarizes as follows : — When the young cod 

 are hatched in April and May the yolk-sac keeps them floating 

 on the surface of the water, tossed about by wind and waves. 

 After absorption of the yolk-sac they begin to lead a more 

 inde])endent life, though not strong enough to resist the 

 currents Towards the end of summer they are about an inch 

 in length and come nearer the shore, in company with 

 MedusiB or in the lines of floating sea-weeds. They, as a 

 rule, keep near the bottom. Those seen towards the end of 

 February about a foot in length are thus a year old. Finally, 

 as they get older they go out to sea. 



It is remarkable that no zoologist has repeated these inter- 

 esting and valuable observations. The obstacles are, how- 

 ever, considerable, the chief being the difiiculty of finding the 

 fishes on the same or neighbouring ground at the various 

 stages, or proving the continuity in age of the respective 

 groups on diff"i;rent grounds ; and, secondly, the absence of 

 due appliances in ships and boats in this country. How- 

 ever, thanks mainly to the enligliteued exertions of Lord 

 Dalliousie, we shall by-and-by be in a position to afford 

 further information on this and other food-fishes. 



In the trawling experiments of 1884 the young cod were 

 found in vast numbers near the surface of the sea on the great 

 banks frequented by the adult fishes, such as Smith Bank, off 

 the coast of Caithness, and the rich ground south-east of the 

 Island of May. These little cod (a few millim. in length) are 

 easily recognized by the peculiar arrangement of the black 

 pigment-specks * ; indeed there is no larval fish known to 

 me which at present can be confounded with them. This 

 statement, however, is not of much moment, since it must be 

 stated that no larval fish with which we are at present ac- 

 quainted can be confounded with another, so definite are the 

 characters of the pigment and other parts after a brief period 

 of freedom. On the east coast of Scotland the young cod 

 escape from the ova during the month of April, sometimes a 

 little earlier, sometimes a little later, according to the nature 

 of the winter. In the laboratory they could seldom be kept 



* These are well seen when the fishes are placed in sea-water in a 

 white porcelain vessel, and they have been caretuUy drawn by Mr. E. E. 

 Priuce. 



