190 Prof. M'lntosh's Notes from the 



Naples over 3 millim. in diameter, though Wenckebach sub- 

 sequently found one of 4 millim. 



Immediately afterwards Dr. Fulton procured ripe eggs by 

 the aid of Mr. R. Mackie, Assistant Fishery Officer, Peter- 

 head, who removed them on the 27th April, 1892, from a fish 

 which had been three days in a boat, which had been fishing 

 on Bergen Bank, about 60 miles off the Fair Isle, and 150 

 miles E.N.E. from Peterhead. The specimen from which the 

 ova were obtained weighed about 140 lbs., and the ovaries 

 from 18 to 20 lbs. In other examples these organs have 

 reached the weight of 28 lbs. The eggs had been preserved 

 in a strong solution of picric acid, and had shrunk consider- 

 ably, and the apparently mature were mingled with unripe 

 eggs. The perfectly ri]je eggs appeared to be nearly circular, 

 and had a diameter of about 3*3 millim. Those less advanced, 

 though fully 3 millim. in diameter, were more or less ovoid, 

 as usual in unripe eggs ; so far as could be ascertained, the 

 comparatively thin zona radiata had the same structure as in 

 other pelagic forms, and the external surface is marked by a 

 series of fine creases or folds *. Many of the unripe eggs 

 had a nearly uniform diameter of 1'9050 to 2'0574 millim. 

 Other specimens were received from Dr. Fulton subsequently, 

 and these had a diameter ranging from 3"4290 to 3-7619 

 millim., and before being immersed in sea-water resembled a 

 slightly milky mass of young Salpse, or boiled sago. 



Mr. R. Duthie, Assistant Fishery Officer, Lerwick, whose 

 zeal in such work deserves commendation, procured a fine 

 series of perfectly ripe eggs on the 5th May, 1893, from a 

 specimen 22 lbs. in weight and about 4 feet long, also cap- 

 tured on Bergen Bank. About half a gallon of ripe eggs 

 was obtained from this fish. These fresh examples demon- 

 strated that the zona radiata is of considerable toughness, as 

 Capt. Dannevig also found in the Norwegian examples. 

 Their diameter ranged from 3'0861 to 3'8 millim. 



The ripe females of this species, therefore, have chiefly 

 been met with towards the end of April or beginning of May. 

 As in other forms the ripe males are often considerably 

 smaller, some weighing less than 14 lbs., and they arrive at 

 maturity somewhat earlier in the season than the females. 

 It is probable that most of the eggs, which in a given season 

 are ripened and shed in this and allied forms, grow to a size 

 more or less uniform, but considerably less than the diameter 

 of the mature egg^ ; and that the subsequent increase to the 



* The usual minute punctures occur all over the surface. The micropyle 

 formed a simple orifice, of a slightly pinkish hue from refraction. No 

 special arraufremeut of lina? or pores sun'oimded it. 



