430 Prof. Mcintosh's Notes from the 



of deposition, the lengthened period being probably con- 

 nected with the low temperatures of the season. Thus it 

 would not appear that the statements made as to the injury or 4 

 disturbance of these ova by the sole or ground-rope of a trawl 

 require qualification. As a rule the eggs of fishes deposited 

 on the bottom, such as those of the herring, cottus, lump- 

 sucker, and Montagu's sucker, are by no means delicate. 

 Indeed, if nothing more befalls them than conveyance on 

 deck by the trawl and subsequent tossing overboard into the 

 sea, they will be little worse for the accident. It is by such 

 means that many of the y« c ung fishes have been procured for 

 observation. It would be well, however, for trawls to avoid 

 ground covered with herring-spawn, especially at the hatching 

 of the embryos, as these would be more liable to succumb to 

 pressure of any kind than the ova, though they are more 

 capable of getting out of its way. The young herring, on 

 its escape from the egg, is much less active and vigorous than 

 the young of other fishes with fixed eggs, such as Montagu's 

 sucker, for the former were unable to make much progress 

 above the bottom for some days, while the latter at once 

 disported themselves throughout the water, shooting here and 

 there like ephemera? in the air. 



Zoarces viviparus, L. Viviparous Blenny. 



Many of the viviparous blennies collected in November 

 and December were characterized by the great distention of 

 the abdomen, as, indeed, previous observations had shown. 

 The opinion of Willughby, therefore, that the species brings 

 forth young in the depth of winter, seems to be most in 

 accord with the condition on the Scottish shores, for the well- 

 developed young are found in the ovary in November, De- 

 cember, and January. 



In the fully developed female the embryos at this season 

 lie over each other in compact masses in the ovarian cavity 

 amidst a quantity of fluid. Moreover, so far as observed, the 

 size of the adult does not appear to be connected with that of 

 the young on extiusion, though the number may be. Dr. 

 Shaw, however, found in a very large female (15 in.) that 

 the young on extrusion measured nearly 5 inches. In a 

 large female in which the young were accidentally discharged 

 through a wound in the abdominal wall in November their 

 length was 41 millim., while those normally produced in 

 January from smaller specimens were 51 millim. in length. 

 The lateral regions in these young forms are mottled with 

 dark brownish touches on pale olive, the markings beneath 



