JUNE, 1 88 1. 



the backs of another, and the young of the other return- 

 ing the compliment all in the most indiscriminate man- 

 ner. Great masses of ascidians constantly appear in the 

 dredge, as well as the eggs of cuttle fish in groups. Amid 

 a mass of tangle attachments we found an egg of the 

 Rough Hound, which we tossed into the " live " bucket, 

 thinking to keep it and bring it out. On re-examining it 

 we found several young shells on the back of the egg, of 

 an interesting character, and to obtain these we resolved 

 to destroy the egg. Carefully cutting it open, the 

 occupant was found to be fully formed, and placed in 

 water it immediately uncoiled, and showed signs of life. 

 The eyes were shut like a young puppy's, and it con- 

 tinued breathing through its mouth steadily, as if its gills 

 were not sufficient to supply it. Its vitality was low,, 

 apparently, so we determined to keep it " in good 

 sperrits," like the Polar potentate, and removed it from 

 the water with this object. It now displayed great 

 energy, and struggled most desperately against the pro- 

 posed change. The little fish was the picture of the full- 

 grown dog-fish, and the title of Roussette was even more 

 strongly applicable to the prettily-spotted youngster thaa 

 to the various full-grown specimens we have captured. 



This week we dissected a number of skate, speared on 

 their spawning ground near at hand. Two of them had 

 just been on the point of depositing their handbarrow- 

 like eggs, whose horns were protruding. Another had 

 an egg in process, the tough coating having been already 

 formed, while all had masses of eggs on each side, 

 scarcely discernible from those of hens ere the shells are 

 formed. It would be interesting to ascertain whether 

 they lay an egg daily, as in the case of fowls, and over 

 what period their spawning time extends ? The resem- 



