462 THE ZOOLOGIST. 
eggs in their mouth, and one example contained a young fry 
hatched, but with the yelk-bag still adherent. In none was there 
any trace of food in the intestines. Lastly, I will allude to the 
tufted-gilled fishes, represented by the pipe and horse-fishes of 
the British seas. In them also the males perform the function of 
hatching the eggs, which for that purpose are deposited up to the 
time of the evolution of the young between the ventral fins, as in 
the Solenostomus, in tail-pouches as in horse-fishes, or in pouches 
on the breast and abdomen, as in the pipe-fishes, Doryrhamphus, 
or merely in rows, in the same place as in Nerophis. 
One very interesting question respecting fish-eggs is whether 
their germination can be by any means retarded? Great difficulty 
was experienced some years since when attempting to transmit 
young fish from Europe to the Antipodes, and it was naturally 
argued that it would be far better if some means could be devised 
for transporting the eggs and hatching them subsequent to their 
arrival. This, it was evident, could not be effected unless their 
germination could be retarded, or the eggs would be hatched while 
at sea, where the young would most certainly perish. Count 
Goldstein in the middle, and Bloch at the end of the last century, 
made many experiments as to the feasibility of fish being hatched 
artificially; while the latter also investigated whether it were 
possible to convey the ova in safety for any considerable distance. 
He proposed placing the eggs of pond-fish in mud, similar to that 
existing in the locality from whence the eggs were procured, and 
he thought that when dry they could be removed without injury 
from one pond to another. His proposal was originally based on 
the theory that frequently on dried-up ponds being refilled with 
water young fish appear, and which could only be due to the eggs 
having been present in the mud, but with their germination 
suspended. Yarrell likewise supported this plan being attempted ; 
but, so far as I know, it does not appear to have been yet tried. 
In India, as ponds or tanks dry up, some of the fish contained 
therein descend into the mud, where they estivate until the rains 
of the succeeding year set in. As these commence and the mud 
softens, and subsequently liquefies, fish are perceived diverging in 
all directions up every watercourse, no matter how small, or how 
lately it may have been quite dry, while in a few days fry are 
distributed everywhere. Where the eggs do come from which have 
produced these fry is a very interesting subject of investigation. 
