Early Life-history of the Herring. 371 



chromatophores on each side a little in front of and above the 

 vent. Stellate chromatophores are also developed above the 

 posterior end of the notochord, and more abundantly below it. 

 Still in mid water the young herrings appeared next on May 16, 

 1887, and May 22, 1889, about | incli long ; the embryonic 

 fin was now entirely lost. Tlien tiiey were lost sight of till 

 July 20 *, when the length was 1^ inch. Tlicy have now 

 something of the appearance of the adult. The gill-cover is 

 developed ; the caudal and dorsal fins are in the adult con- 

 dition, and pelvic and anal fins have appeared. The dorsal 

 fin is immediately anterior to the anus. The body is trans- 

 parent and scales are absent. The early pigmentation is 

 faint and additional black pigment is appearing at the bases 

 of the dorsal fin-rays, along the back behind the dorsal fin, 

 on the caudal fin, sparingly on the gill-cover, and in the pia 

 mater of the cerebellum. 



The herring now seems to desert the deep water for the 

 neighbourhood of the shore, being taken in August in the 

 seine-net on the sands in company with sprats and sand-eels 

 {Ammodytes tobianus). It also probably roves about the 

 bay in the same company, forming the " herring sile " known 

 to fishermen and offering great attractions to guillemots and 

 sea-gulls. It is now 1\ inch long ; the dorsal pigment ex- 

 tends forward to the head, the lateral line is pigmented, and 

 the pigment of the head and tail is more profuse. 



In September the young herring is still on the sands (fig. 3), 

 1^ to If inch long; the body is still transparent and scale- 



Fio-. 3. 



less, the silvery pigment of the peritoneum is visible. The 

 early pigmentation is almost lost ; pigment-dots mark the 

 divisions of the myomeres dorsal to the lateral line. The 

 sides of the body and operculnm gleam with a silvery green ; 

 the dorsal surface of the head is blotched with yellow, the 

 upper and lower jaws are black, and the pigmentation of the 

 pia mater forms two well-marked pyriform patches over the 

 cerebellum. 



In January the young herring is found again in midwater 



* Prof. M'liitosli and Mr. Priucc mention a lioirinji- It',; inch taken on 

 the Itit July {op. cit.). 



