398 SMITHSONIAN MISCELLANEOUS COLLECTIONS [vor. 48 
surface of each egg, glues the latter firmly to the supporting surface.” 
Preference is manifested for the undersides of boulders,’ when such 
are present, and under them “the parent fish seem to clear away the 
mud and thus form a retreat in which they may spawn.” (Where 
stones are absent the insides of oyster or other bivalve shells are 
selected.) The eggs may be “attached to the roof of the little 
retreat prepared by the adults, where the eggs are found spread 
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.” 
Fertilization of the eggs “probably occurs at the time of their 
extrusion by the female,’ after which she retires, manifesting no 
further interest in the deposit. ‘‘ The male at once assumes the care 
of the brood and seems to remain in the vicinity until the young 
fish are hatched and set free.” 
According to Ryder,’ “ remarkable is the fact that as development 
proceeds the young adherent embryos are found to have their 
heads directed towards the opening of their retreat and their tails 
Fic. 111.—Common toadfish’s newly hatched larve on Pinna shell. After photo- 
graph by E. W. Gudger. 
towards its blind and dark extremity. This appears to be invariably 
the case, and it would seem that the direction from which light 
* Bull. U. S. Fish Com., vi, 1886, 77-80; Am. Nat., xx, 77-80. 
