89 



Very small Harders and Streepjes are not commonly cap- 

 tured, and the other fish are, as a rule, not sufficiently abundant 

 to justify any restrictions as to size. 



An examination of the fish did not afford any evidence that 

 any were actually in spawn at the time, but a series of tow- 

 nettings proved that eggs and young of different kinds were 

 fairly common in the water. 



The most abundant were eggs of a diameter of 71 to 72 mm. 

 with a large peri vitelline space of about -08 mm. No oil 

 globules were seen in the yolk. Embryos of various stages, all 

 showing a well-developed tail, free from the yolk, were con- 

 tained in the eggs. 



Along with these eggs, larvse were procured, which seemed 

 to belong to the same species of fish. They measured i -5 to 

 I -8 mm. in total length. The rectum was close to the end of 

 the elongated tail. The anterior end of the yolk sac was 

 slightly behind that of the head. The length of the yolk is 

 contained 2 7 times in total length, and much less than its 

 distance from the end of the tail,which was i 7 in total length. 

 The distance between the rectum and the end of the tail was 

 eight times in the total, so that the former w^as decidedly 

 posterior. No oil globules were present, and the yolk showed 

 shght traces of vesiculation. A few scattered black pigment 

 spots occurred along the tail. 



The nearest approach to this in size is species No. 28 {vide 

 Mar. Inv. S. Africa, Vol. Ill, p. 140), which was the smallest 

 egg found up to that date, being 72 to 76 mm. in diameter. 

 It differs, however, from this egg in having a large perivitelline 

 space. The larva of species 28 also has an anterior rectum. 

 It differs from other known South African fish-eggs with a 

 large perivitelline spawn, such as species 3, which has a 

 diameter of i -2 mm. and a single oil globule of -2 mm. and 

 species 10, which is 2 -97 to 2 -64 in diameter. As it seems to 

 be well characterised it may be designated species 22 in con- 

 tinuation of the list of South African fish-eggs, the adults of 

 which are unknown. 



fr An egg I -02 mm. in diameter with an oil globule of -25 mm. 

 approaches nearest to that of the Panga {Pagrus laniarms), 

 which is recorded as from i -i to -93 mm., oil globule -2 to -19. 

 f- Others, -82 mm. in diameter, with 9 to 12 small oil globules, 

 resemble most closely that of the Sole {Synaptura pectoralis). 

 as^ also do others measuring respectively 76 mm. with 9 

 oil globules from -16 to -04 mm., and 76 with one oil globule 

 •17 mm. in diameter. 



[C.P. 6-'i4.] 



