OBSERVATION AS AGAINST UNDUE GENERALIZATION. I069 



or the female that sings I am not able to decide, but I did observe that the young when 

 hatched out remained attached to their place of birth — a very remarkable phenomenon. 

 Instead of hatching and liberating themselves in the water, the young emerge and 

 remain still attached to the stones where the eggs have been attached through their 

 development; and not only are the young thus attached for a considerable time, but 

 they are "oriented;" their heads seem to be all turned the same way. These young, 

 like a little army, all point their heads the same way and point their wiggling tails the 

 other way, a very curious and quaint spectacle. 



I say we are doubly indebted to Doctor Gill for bringing his very important 

 observations in a condensed form before us at this time, and I think the congress is 

 with me heartily in saying this. 



Dr. Hugh M. Smith (Washington, D. C). I do not intend to attempt to express 

 my obligations to Doctor Gill for all the encouragement he has given to me and to 

 numerous others with whom I am acquainted, because it would take all the remainder 

 of the session to do that. I simply rise to confirm the statement that Doctor Gill made 

 in regard to oral incubation in certain little fishes, of which I have recently caught a 

 great many in the Philippines. Only a few months ago, while engaged in collecting 

 on a coral reef in the southern part of the Philippine Archipelago, we exploded half a 

 stick of dynamite, and as a result of that one discharge we actually collected 800 speci- 

 mens, representing nine species of the genus Apogon, or Amia, as it is now called; and, 

 as far as I was able to see at the time, in each of these species the male fishes had their 

 mouths crammed with eggs. [Applause.] 



Dr. Tarleton H. Bean (New York). Just a word with reference to the remarks 

 of Professor Prince concerning the toadfish of the west coast. Professor Prince doubt- 

 less is aware, and, I dare say, it has been brought out in this conference, that the reason 

 for the attachment of the young toadfish, Opsanus, or Porichthys, as the case may be, 

 is the presence of a ventral disk which is similar to the ventral disk of the lump-fishes, 

 but which disappears, in Opsamis at least, after the fish has reached the length of about 

 three-quarters of an inch. I have often collected the little fellows, and have been 

 extremely interested in observing how it was that they remained attached, not only to 

 their place of shelter, but to tiie place at which they derive their first supply of food. 

 [Applause.] 



The Acting Chairman (Doctor Gill). Are there any further remarks? If there are 

 no further remarks, I beg to thank the president and the gentlemen for their kindly 

 expressions. 



But a few words with reference to the subject at issue. I was very glad to hear 

 Professor Prince make his remarks about the toadfish of Pacific waters, for it tallies 

 very well with the habits of the species of our eastern coast (Opsanus). The soecies, 

 however different externally, are rather closely related; that is, they belong to the same 

 subfamily but to very different genera; and Professor Prince is the first one who has 

 given the details respecting the species of the west coast (Porichthys). The habits of 

 our eastern species have been long known. They were described more than a quarter 

 of a century ago by Doctor Ryder, who gave illustrations of the adhesion of the eggs to 

 blocks of wood, and also maintained that the young were attached in the same way 

 during the early condition of life. 



