COD-FISHERIES OF CAPE ANN. 713 



gradually maturing, and Tvould be deposited before the close of the sea- 

 son. 



The eggs contained in the ovaries are sei:)arated into little irregular 

 conical clusters, each connected with the general mass by a slender 

 thread that expands into a delicate membrane containing minute and 

 diffusely branched blood-vessels. This membrane incloses each of the 

 eggs, and the blood-vessels supply the nutrition so necessary to their 

 future growth and development. As the eggs mature they gradually 

 increase in size, until, when ripe, they become detached from the mem- 

 brane, and pass down through secondary channels into one main chan- 

 nel leading to the genital opening of the female. 



The first ripe female seen during the season of 1878-'79 was found in 

 a lot of fish landed from the shore-fish or ground-tenders September 2. 

 The eggs were noticed to be running from this fish as it lay upon the 

 floor of the fish-house. On opening it was found that it had just begun 

 spawning, for a few eggs only, perhaps five per cent, of the entire num- 

 ber, were transparent, and a small number of these had separated from 

 the membrane and fallen into the channels leading to the genital open- 

 ing, while the great bulk were far less mature and represented almost 

 every stage of development from green to ripe. 



From this date ripe fish, both males and females, were occasionally 

 taken, though they did not become abundant until the middle of Octo- 

 ber. Early in November, when the school-fish made their api')earance 

 on the south side of Cape Ann, the individuals varied greatly in their 

 spawning condition ; some were quite ripe and had already thrown a 

 portion of their eggs, while others were so green as to indicate that they 

 would not spawn for several months at least, though in nearly all the 

 eggs had begun to enlarge. By the 1st of December fully 50 per cent, 

 of the catch had commenced spawning, but when driven away, probably 

 by the unusually heavy storms, in January, a few were not quite ripe, 

 and the majority had not thrown all their eggs. 



About the 1st of February the fish in Ipswich Bay were found to aver- 

 age fully 90 per cent, males, with the spermaries mostly well developed. 

 At this time there was a great variation in the ovaries of the females ; of 

 these not more than one in ten had spawned, while fully GO per cent, 

 were still green. By the middle of the month the females numbered 

 about 40 per cent., though over half had not commenced to spawn. On 

 March 13, 300 fish from this school were opened, with the following re- 

 sults : 14 per cent, were spent males ; 53 per cent, were ripe males ; 6 per 

 cent, were spent females ; 14 per cent, were females in various stages of 

 spawning, and 11 per cent, were green females. May 10, fully half of the 

 females had not finished spa^uTiing, and an occasional green one was 

 noticed. Even in June, when the fish left the coast, a very few, though 

 ripe, had not finished throwing their eggs. 



The results of the above observation prove not only interesting, but 

 surprising, for we find the cod-fish spawning during nine consecutive 



