HABITS AND LIFE HISTORY OK THE TOADFISH. 1081 



fresh from the ovary; B is the same after attachment. This attaching disk 

 persists not only while the eggshell is intact but throughout larval life, until 

 the yolk sac has been absorbed and until the little toad breaks away from the 

 nest, leaves the disk behind, and takes up a free and independent life. This, 

 however, will be referred to later. 



Number of eggs in a nest. — The number of eggs found in nests varies within 

 wide limits, these being from but few more than a score to several hundred, the 

 numbers generally varying toward the upper limit. The smallest number which 

 I have recorded is 22 in a Pinyia shell, while the larger and more typical numbers 

 are 181, 340, 361 in Pinna shells; 301 in another, 144 eggs on the right, 157 on 

 the left valve; 624 in another shell, 381 being attached to the right valve and 

 243 to the left; 373 in an empty can; while on a piece of board 5 by 11 inches 

 the amazing number of 723 was found. These are careful counts. On the 

 imder side of logs at the island elsewhere referred to two of us estimated that 

 there were 350, 500, and 700 eggs in three nests, respectively. Other numbers 

 might be given, but these are typical. 



Where such large numbers of eggs as noted above are found, there is always 

 more or less crowding. On a board, as elsewhere described, 723 eggs were 

 counted in a space 5 by 11 inches. These eggs were very much jammed, some 

 having the vertical diameter twice as great as the horizontal, and in some cases the 

 eggs were piled up on top of each other like large shot stacked up two deep, and 

 were adherent to each other instead of to the board. Figure 5, plate cix, is a 

 photograph of the board showing this crowding of the eggs. Here my observa- 

 tions are in direct contradiction to those of Ryder (1886 and 1887), who says 

 "the female attaches her ova in a single layer," and again, " the eggs are found 

 spread out over an area about as large as one's hand in a single layer, hardly in 

 contact with each other, and to the number of about 200." 



The fish polygamous. — By finding such large numbers of eggs and by noting 

 the comparatively small size of the ovary of the adult females, I am led to con- 

 clude that several females have taken part in the laying of such enormous num- 

 bers of eggs. Figure i, plate cvii, is a photograph (normal size) of the ovary of 

 a female ^% inches long. When we recall that the eggs average 5 millimeters ('/j 

 inch) in diameter, we arrive at the conclusion that one fish can at the most lay 

 hardly more than 100 eggs. It is well known that domestic fowls lay many 

 together in one common nest, and so it is with the toadfish. A fact that tends 

 to confirm the matter is that eggs in nests are frequently found in two or three 

 different stages of development, often rather near each other in time, but fre- 

 quently as much as two or three days apart. For example, in a Pinna shell 

 brought in on July 19, 1906, each valve had eggs in two stages. On the right 

 valve 50 and on the left 88 eggs had embryos with the outline of the head just 

 beginning to appear, while 183 eggs on the right and 60 on the left had embryos 



B. B. F. 190S— Pt 2—26 



