CHAPTER II 



FISHES' EGGS 



THE empty egg-shells of the dog-fish, the skate and the 

 ray are frequently to be found thrown up on the 

 beach, and in our childhood's days we were told 

 that they were mermaid's purses. 



The newly laid egg of the dog-fish, however, has 

 a very different appearance from the opaque, almost 

 black, crinkled egg-shell of the shore, for it has a smooth, 

 glistening surface, and is light greenish-yellow in colour. 

 If held up to the light the oval yolk is seen surrounded 

 by the white of the egg as an opaque mass through the 

 translucent egg-case. At each angle of the quad- 

 rangular shell is a tendril comparatively thick at the 

 base, and tapering to a fine point. This tendril can be 

 stretched to about a yard in length, and when relaxed 

 curls up like the spring of a watch. Dog-fishes' eggs 

 take from seven to ten months to hatch, and if it 

 were not that they are safely secured during this 

 time, most, if not all of them, would be washed 

 on to the shore and perish. The egg is secured 

 by the female fish swimming round and round 

 some sea plant, and wrapping the tendrils on to the 



stem. 



An illustration is shown of a freshly deposited dog- 



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