96 Prof. M'Intosh's Notes from the 



millim., and the oil-globule measured '3810 millim. It thus 

 differs from the e,^g of the hake [Merluccius vulgaris) as given 

 by Raffaele in being considerably larger and in having a 

 larger oil-globule (-94 to I'OS millim., and oil-globule 

 •27 millim.). It is somewhat larger than that of the sail-fluke 

 (Arnoglossus megasioma) described in the Tenth Annual 

 Eeport of the Fishery Board * (l'14o0 millim., and oil-globule 

 •3048 millim.), to which it had a superficial resemblance. 

 The surface of the zona radiata, however, is marked with 

 minute translucent vesicles, so that it appears to be variolated, 

 thus differing from the rugose zona of the sail-fluke, which 

 agrees with the brill and lemon-dab in being everywhere 

 covered with raised lines or ridges. 



On arrival at tlie Marine Laboratory on the 2nd March the 

 embryo was about half round the yolk, with lenses and 

 numerous muscle-plates. Kupffer's vesicle was still present. 

 Shortly afterwards black chromatophores appeared over the 

 oil-globule and along the sides of the body. The perivitelline 

 space gradually increased in size from the diminution of the 

 yolk. One larva, apparently from an earlier tgg^ escaped on 

 the 3rd March. Its yolk-sac was minutely dotted with 

 vesicles connected by intervening lines, as in the larva of the 

 topknot, and the large oil-globule was situated posteriorly as in 

 Arnoglossus, and in lateral view it had a slightly flattened 

 outline. A small preanal portion of the marginal fin was 

 present. The notochord w^as multicolumnar. The heart was 

 visible on the left side. No pectoral expansion was yet present. 

 The black chromatophores were nearly uniformly distributed 

 over the body from the head to within a short distance of the 

 tip of the tail. None appeared on the anterior part of the head, 

 and none on the marginal fin, whereas in the larval sail-fluke 

 {Arnoglossus) they occurred towards the free edge of the 

 marginal fin dorsally and ventrally. Absolute reliance, how- 

 over, cannot be placed on a feature of this kind, since con- 

 siderable variation may exist. This larva floated passively 

 in the vessel till the 6th March, and the yolk-sac had con- 

 siderably diminished. 



Though the spawning-period of the sail-fluke was some- 

 what later, viz. towards the end of May in 1892, I should 

 have been disposed to connect this egg therewith were it not 

 for the structure of the zona and the difference in siife. 

 Further investigation, however, may clear up the relationships. 

 Nothing is said about the condition of the capsule of the egg 

 of the hake by Raffaele, and the present egg is also larger. 



* P 292, pi. xvi. figs. 1-10. 



