— 126 — 
general rule that there are approximately three cross rows to each myomer, (the salmon 
species have two), a coalfish with 54 myomers having 167 scales longitudinally, and a 
cod with 53 myomers having 173. 
“The scales are found to overlap, the greater part being embedded in the 
skin, only the hindmost edge reaching out to the chromatophorous epidermis. The 
scales within limited areas of the surface of the body are of more or less identical 
size and shape. Apart from these “normal” scales however, we find here and there 
—— U 
—d— 
— 3 — 
ee 5 — > 
Fig. 84. Method of measuring scale dimensions (vide text). 
quite small scales entirely embedded in the skin, and presumably representing super- 
numerary formations. These scales are quite useless for purposes of investigation, often 
exhibiting a different number of annual rings to that of the normal scales; it is there- 
fore to be presumed that they are formed at very different periods in the life of the fish. 
They are, however, easily distinguished from the normal scales by their size and lack of 
pigmentation, and can therefore hardly have any misleading effect on the calculations. 
“The normal scales are first formed, according to Damas, along the lateral line; be- 
fore the first period of growth has expired, however, the scale covering is distributed 
over the whole of the body. 
‘As regards thesize of the scales, both in the case of the cod and coalfish the rule 
