MKACllVCItl IM 



iV..ni this reason, it scarcely <M>I proves as tame a* the nt. 



Hut I ha\e nft cn remarked th.it those specimens M-ldom exposed to \ie\\ 

 ;ir- wilder than those in-vt-r in eon.-. 



This i> .mi- of the must prolific ,.f the trihe. It breeds at various 

 season- of the \ear. Iii April ;iinl May. in particular, the female i- laden 

 with me. whii-h I have also seen in profusion late in November. 



No di-tin. -tion, whereof I am aware, either in form or colour, is pe- 

 eiiliar to either sex. unless the remarkalile dimensions of the fcm.de- 

 .-welling apron. S,, \\ i.-e a pro\i-ion of nature for protection of the young 

 is mauifotcd by the wonderful eaiv of ( )inuipotencc. Tlic apron wsome- 

 tiim- .-levated so much by this preparation for prcK-rvation of the 

 as to form n riirht angle with the under MII : 



These are most beautiful and wonderful arrangements, whether from 

 the symmetry, colour, or position of such enormous quant itic* of roe as 

 are brought to maturity. Now the animal appears somewhat di>torted. 

 until the restoration of its form ensues by dispersion of the spawn. 

 Plate XI. II. IL'. "J. 1-ark ; lig. 3, front. 



The profusion of roe in one, as well as its progressive increase, ! 



i-\tr.iordinary, insoiuueh that, although the apron was elevated pcrpendi- 

 eularly.and I am figuring the specimen revei-sed,I say that, although risini: 

 to form a ri^ht anu'le with the front on the 8th of Novemlxir, the mas.> still 

 continued enlarging, with the apron turned kick, nearly on a level with 

 the upper surface. It did not lose it- |ial"iiw, however ; and In-ill;.: in- 

 vested by a thin mouldy film, the specimen died on the liTth. 



This female was of a very dull colour, tending at last to brownish 

 of which I once saw another instance in April. Plate XI. VI 



I. 



n.-idenible time before maturity the spawn up | tears a fine yellow 

 or orange conglomerated mass of spherical ova ; but the colour fades with 

 its advances, and the component parts of the mass relax, when they re- 

 -einMo luxuriant clusters of fruit ; portions are represented in different 

 stages. Plate XI. II. figs. 4, ">. A cluster of 117 mature capsules, de- 

 lineated on May L'l>t. is -vn in li^'. 6. Thousands of young were dis- 

 charged in tlmv days from the ample ovarium allordiug this beautiful 



