EGG-CASES OF SOME COMMON FISH 



By S. F. MAURICE DAUNCEY 

 With Photoaraphs by A. F. DAUNCEY 



MOST people are acquainted with the 

 eggs of the Cod — the Cod's roe — 

 as they are seen at the fishmonger's 

 during the early months of the year ; but 

 there are forms of fish eggs, or rather fish 

 egg-cases, to be found on the beach, which 

 perhaps the majority of seaside hohday- 

 makers hardly recognise. 



.Almost at any season of the year we 

 may pick up a hght yellowish mass 

 composed of small capsules which, at 

 first sight, may be taken for a piece of 

 coarse sponge. If it be found above high- 

 water mark it will most hkely be some- 

 what brittle ; but if it have onty just been 

 washed up it will be very sponge-hke to 

 the touch. These little capsules are the 

 egg-cases of the Whelk. 



The spawning season is during the 

 autumn, and each capsule, when extruded, 

 contains some five hundred to six hundred 

 eggs. As bunches of the capsules vary 

 in size from a small apple to a melon, 

 the number of eggs produced annually 

 by one fish will be seen to be enormous. 

 It probably runs into millions. 



About half a dozen or so of the eggs 

 in each capsule generally begin to develop 

 before the rest, and these " young bar- 

 barians " at once start feeding on their 

 less wideawake brothers and sisters. By 

 means of this food the young fish is 

 able to live within the egg-case, where it 

 was hatched, until its shell is formed, 

 and then during the spring it sallies forth 

 to fare for itself. 



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SKATES EGG-CASE. 



139 



WIII-.l.K b I. Li U CAM 



1097 



