St. Aiiiln ics Marine Lahuriitury. lOl 



as both authors state in thrir descriptions. The teeth in the 

 inaudible and maxilliu form fine, abnost villous rows. None 

 could be niaile out on the head of the vomer. 



The dorsal fin beirius distinctly in front of the eye, and the 

 first few rays jiave no scales. Couch observes that it com- 

 mences barely in front of the upper eye. About four or five 

 of the terminal rays posteriorly ])ass to the rip^ht (lower) 

 surface, and Couch states that in this and the anal fin the 

 terminal rcj^ions cu the rii,'lit are " not so near the caudal as 

 in the other sjiecies." The ]jrocesses eertaiidy appear to be 

 smaller. The longest rays occur about the posterior one-sixth 

 of its course, a feature not shown in Dr. Giintlier's figure *. 

 The pelvic fins overlap, though they are quite separate from, 

 the commencement of the anal, the longest rays of which occur 

 opposite the longest rays of the dorsal. About the same 

 number of rays pass to the right (lower) side as in the case 

 of the dorsal. The right pectoral is considerably shorter than 

 the left. 



The colour of this example was remarkable, since a general 

 roseate hue pervaded the left side, and was visible after six 

 weeks' preservation in spirit. No mention is made of such a 

 hue in previous notices. The entire left side is also marbled 

 with touches of brown of varying shades, some being dark, 

 others light, and no regularity ajjpears to exist in their distri- 

 bution, except that there is a tendency to transverse bars 

 when the bocly is viewed obliquely. A marked black band 

 occurs at the base of the tail, with a dark spot beyond it, and 

 both dorsal and anal fins have a series of dark touches. The 

 same exist in the caudal, in which they iiave a somewhat 

 crescentic arrangement. Couch observes that " the upper 

 surface is yellowish brown, mottled with darker brown over 

 the head, body, and fins, with less tendency to defined spots 

 than in the other species.'^ Giinther, again, states that it is 

 " brownish, marbled with darker; a large blotch at the com- 

 mencement of the straight portion of the lateral line and a 

 transverse band on the tail behind the dorsal and anal fins 

 are the most conspicuous markings. The rays of the vertical 

 fins are irregularly annulated with blackish brosvn." 



'J'he ovarian eggs were small, ranging from 0*34 to 0'1j2 

 millim. and under, so that the spawning-period was j)robably 

 not nearer than July. This conjecture proves to have been 

 near the truth, since Mr. 11. C. Wilhamson on July Gth 

 procured in the ]\loray Firth another example, in which he 

 noticed more or less ripe transparent eggs. 



♦ Proc. lioy. Soc. Edinb. xv. pi. iv. \v^. C. 



