— 14 — 



Table V. No. of pectoral rays (right side) in Anguilla vulgaris, A. rostrata 



and A. japonica. 



counting. According to my experience, it would seem that fairly old elvers, or 

 especially young eels of 10 — 20 cm in length, are best suited to the purpose of 

 investigating the number of pectoral rays, and the present work has also, as far as 

 possible, been carried out with such stages. All the figures have been checked by 

 having the countings twice repeated. 



The result will be found in Table V, which is drawn up in the usual manner. 

 We see from this, 1) that A. vulgaris and A. rostrata differ in regard to the 

 number of pectoral rays, and 2) that no racial difference within either 

 of these two species has been discovered by means of this. feature. 

 This need not here be further discussed; all that could be said would be but a 

 repetition of what has been stated in considering the figures obtained for the 

 branchiostegal rays. 



The supposition advanced in Report 1, 1913, to the elfect that"the number of 

 pectoral rays would be valueless as a character for distinguishing between A. vulgaris 

 and A. rostrata is thus not found to hold good. 



The small amount of material (44 specimens) available for A. japonica is hardly 

 sufficient for a fairly accurate determination of the average number of rays for this 

 species, the more so as it consists of young elvers, the pectoral rays of which did 

 not take the stain very well. We find, however, that A. japonica occupies an inter- 

 mediate position between A. vulgaris and A. rostrata. As to how far its P. F. A. 



