52 Prof. Mlntosii's Notes from the 



the perivitelline space — that is, the space within the trans- 

 parent capsule or zona in the early stages of the Q,g^. It 

 was mentioned in the report on trawling that these ova were 

 one third larger than the majority of the pelagic eggs, and 

 resembled hydropic ova. The latter condition, however, was 

 only apparent, and they were in all respects healthy, the 

 advanced embryo with its yolk-sac lying in the centre of the 

 transparent capsule. These eggs were widely distributed all 

 along the eastern coast from the south of St. Abb's Head to 

 the Moray Firth, so that they evidently belonged to a common 

 species. Though ripe long-rough dabs were seen in the dead 

 condition in March 1884, and the eggs observed to be pelagic, 

 yet, as this occurred during a violent storm, no opportunity 

 was available of doing more than noting their condition, 

 which, on issuing from the ovary, differs, as will by-and-by 

 be shown, from their subsequent state, and thus the connexion 

 between them and the foregoing was not made out. Every 

 season (viz. in March, April, and May) since that date these 

 eggs have been brought in greater or less numbers to the 

 Marine Laboratory and hatched. A figure of the same egg 

 was also shown me by Mr. J. T. Cunningham in 1885, but 

 he likewise had not ascertained the form to which it belonged, 

 for in 1887 * he observes that he had not been able to hatch 

 it and that no similar Q^g had been obtained from an adult 

 fish. Further remarks on the egg and newly-hatched larva 

 were made in the " Pelagic Fauna of St. Andrews Bay " f ; 

 the advanced embryo tending to the upper arch of the Qgg in 

 floating, and presenting along the sides minute yellowish 

 (chrome) and black chromatophores, which in most cases were 

 still unbranched after hatching. In the " Researches " % the 

 same ^gg was again alluded to, and the early post-larval fish 

 figured. It " presents three distinct yellowish bars behind 

 the vent, another at the latter, and a line along the dorsum of 

 the intestine, besides various touches of the same on the head 

 and elsewhere. Stellate black chromatophores occur along 

 with the yellow, and in the early condition are present on the 

 yolk. Ihe eyes soon assume a silvery aspect. The larval 

 fish is active and comparatively large, resembling in certain 

 respects the plaice. It is probably a pleuronectid." 



M'hen surveying the fishing-grounds ofi" the west coast of 

 Ireland with Mr. Green and Prof. Haddon in 1891, Mr. Holt 



* Trans. Roy. Soc. Edinb. vol. xxsiii. p. 105, pi. vii. fig. 2. 



t Seventh Ann. Report Fishery Board for Scotland, p. 270, pi. iii. 

 figs. 1-3 (1889). 



X Trans. Roy. Soc. Edinb. vol. xxxv. pt. iii. p. 853, pi. xviii. fig. 2 

 (Feb. 1890). 



