THE SEA FISHERIES OF EASTERN NORTH AMERICA. 83 



Iii the investigations before the British Fishery Commission as to the 

 Lpiurious effects of the beam trawl-net, much stress was laid upon its 

 abstractiveness to the spawn offish, notably that of the cod, mackerel, 

 plaice, turbot, and other species. Ample evidence, however, was ad- 

 duced, both within the knowledge of Professor Huxley and from relia- 

 ble investigations by Sars and others, that the ova of most of the im- 

 portant sea fishes are discharged in the open sea and float in it until 

 the young fish escapes from the shell. Sars found this to be the case 

 when visiting the Lofoden Islands for the purpose of this investiga- 

 tion, a conclusion absolutely contrary to his previous opinions. Nothing 

 struck him with greater astonishment than the immense number of 

 eggs, either containing embryos or emptied of them, which were to be 

 met with in every direction, these being thickly scattered in the waters 

 over many square miles. 



following list of -what ho calls pelagic spawners, or those the eggs of which are found 



floating freely ia the sea : 



The common Sea Perch. The Mackerel. 



The Tautog. The Striped Bass. 



Five or six species of Flounders. One species of Coitus. 



The Silverside or Atherina. The Goosefish or Lophius. 



The Butterfish. The Cod. 



The Menhaden. The Hake or Phycis. 



Most of these were observed by him in the vicinity of Nantucket and a few at New- 

 port. The time of the spawning of these fish, as noted by him, was as follows : 



The Flounders, from June to early September. 



The Perch and Tautog, the last of June and early in July. 



The Cod, in August. 



The Hake (Phycis), from June to Se'ptember ; the young of all stages swimming on 

 the surface. 



The Sea Bass, recently hatched young seen from July to September. 



Menhaden, August and September. 



Atherina, June and July. 



Cottus, July to September. 



Butterfish, July to September. 



Lophius, June and early July. 



The eggs of these several species vary in size from the .06 to tho .03 of an inch in 

 diameter. He finds tho young are easily identified by the pigment cells, the oil bub- 

 bles in the egg, the position of tho yolk-bag, the extent of tho development of the 

 eyes, and the character of the fins. Tho only sea fishes whose eggs ho knows are de~ 

 posited on the ground are the Batrachus tail, or Toadfish, and some of the Cottoids. 



As the result of his extended inquiries on the subject, as secretary of the British 

 commission, Holdsworthy thinks that, tho herring comes shoreward to spawn, but 

 that tho eggs may be emitted at a considerable distance from the coast. The eggs 

 are discharged near the bottom and cover the gravel or sea-weed with a kind of cake, 

 which is then immediately milted by the male. 



According to observers on our own coast, herring, when spawning, are sometimes 

 in pairs; at others, a large number of both sexes appear to join together, the females 

 discharging their eggs almost simultaneously and the males their milt, in such quan- 

 tity as to whiten the water. 



The Pilchard, a clupeoid fish, second in importance in England according to Holds- 

 worthy, certainly spawns in deep water, and then both the adults and the young ap- 

 proach the shore. 



