«2 



THETIS SCIENTIFIC RESULTS. 



which the parent was placed, and killed in formol. Reaching 

 Sydney a few days later it was found that all the ova had become 

 detached, the form and condition of the pseudo-marsupium (if I 

 may so term it) was, however, perfectly preserved. I am now 

 able to add to my previous note ; I there remarked that during 

 the bi'eeding season this ova-bearing space becomes flaccid and 

 thrown into ridges, forming shallow pits. These pits are, however, 

 not so shallow as I had imagined, and embrace rather more than 

 one-half of the ovum. Anteriorly the pits are arranged in six 

 transverse series, while posteriorly the series is four ; sixteen body 

 scutes are involved, and altogether about eighty cells are developed. 

 The appearance produced is quite that of the honeycomb ; the 

 cells are about the size of a worker-bee cell, but not so deep. 

 When charged with ova the surface was tolerably even, and the 

 upper edge of each ovum, projecting from the cell, was glued to its 

 fellows. 



Each ovum in its rijDe condition is of ovoid shape, and measures 

 6 mm. X 4 mm. : the enclosing membrane is quite transparent, and 

 the young is seen to be coiled around the yolk sac, while the dark 

 markings on the body form a conspicuous feature (Fig. 5b). When 

 alive the young ones frequently changed their position within the 

 egg; one which ruptured the membrane and became free may now 

 be examined. It measures 35 mm. in length, and the head is fixed 

 at right angles to the long and slender body. This with the short 

 snout at once recalls the condition in Hii^j^ocampiis. 



The snout is not longer than the dia- 

 meter of the eye. The bony plates are 

 already developed, but do not yet bear spines. 

 The yoke sac is attached, but 3 mm. behind 

 the head ; the seven bars so noticeable in 

 the adult are quite distinct, while on the 

 sides and the lower surface other markings 

 exist, of which one only — that in the preanal 

 region — persists in after life (Fig. 5a). 



The examjDle previously referred to as 

 having been obtained at Maroubra Bay was 

 taken on March 4th, 1894. Our specimen 

 was trawled on March 22nd, 1S98, off Botany 

 Bay, and supports the opinion there expressed 

 that autunm is the breeding season. 



The fish taken at Station 42 was of the 

 slender form I had thought characteristic of 

 S. J'asciatns, and I so named it in the Preli- 

 minary Report. A closer inspection, more 

 esjjecially as to the nature of the spines, sIkjws 

 that it is none other than the commoner S. xpinosissimuK. 



