Gatty Marine Lahoratory^ St. Andrews. 171 



2. On the Yoiuuj of the Ling (Molva molva, L.). 



J. Sclimidt *, as tlie result of the recent unequalled inter- 

 natioiiiil oj)j)ortunities for obtaining the early stages of the 

 food-tisiies, gives an account of the pelagic postlarval stages 

 of the ling. Yet he has oidy ])rocured a single example 

 5 mm. longer than that described and figured in the 

 * Researches ' f, and which really adds little to our knowledge, 

 since the pigment forming the commencement of the longitu- 

 dinal band characteristic of the later stage of 3^ inches is 

 already indicated in the memoir cited. The 3^-inch stage 

 has not been procured by the Danish author, his tigure having 

 been taken from the 'Researches.' He seems to be in doubt 

 as to the passage of this longitudinally striped form into the 

 transversely barred one found at the rocks near the pier at 

 St. Andrews, since this coloration is diagnostic of the post- 

 larval stages of the blue ling [Molva byrkdange, VValb.), a 

 deep-sea form. Now only one S[)ecies of ling frequents the 

 eastern shores of Scotland, the eggs and young of which 

 were long ago described at St. Andrews. Moreover, there i^ 

 little doubt that the longitudinally striped stage of 3^ inches 

 by-and-by changes into a transversely barred one with 

 blotches along tiie sides. Moreover, at 13^ inches the 

 coloration remains very much as at the 9-inch stage described 

 in the ' Researches.' The golden colour of the pectorals and 

 the pallor of the ventrals are the same, the median division 

 of the tip of the latter, however, being larger and broader. 

 The barbel has additional black pigment. Perhaps the 

 pigment-bars on the tail are less bold, though the margin is 

 still white. In general outline the chief change, in com- 

 ])arison with the U-inch stage, is the elongation of the snout 

 in front of the eyes, the spaces between the eyes and the 

 nostril and between the latter and the tip of the snout having 

 increased. This example was procured in May, and is 

 probably about six months older than the 9-inch stage; and 

 as the barred condition is assumed in all probability in its 

 second year, the rate of growth given in the ' British Food- 

 Fishes ' X >i>'>y be too rapid. 



Schmidt's hesitation in believing that a longitudinally 

 striped young ling of 3i inches subsequently becomes trans- 

 formed into a fish with bold transverse bars is natural. 



* Meddel. fra Komni. for liavunder. Serie Fiskeri, Bd. ii. no. 3 

 (1900). 



t Tnins. K. .S. Kdiii. vol. xxxv. p. 830, pi. xvii. fi^r. t. 

 t Mintosh (S: Masterman, p. 2^3. 



12* 



