36 
currence at Spitzbergen as stated by Ritter-Zåhony (se above). 
This may be due to different hydrographical conditions. 
Sagitta elegans is protandric but not to a strongly marked 
degree, as far as the ripening of the eggs begins, frequently, be- 
fore the sperm is evacuated. 
Before the ripening process commences in the testes, these are 
prolonged to the hind part of the tail; in specimens preserved in 
formalin they have an intensive amber colour. When the testes 
have reached this shape, the ovaries are still very small, 3—4 
mm, and all the eggs are small. As a rule the ovaries retain this 
appearance some time after the ripening of the sperm has com- 
menced, but before the sperm is evacuated the ovaries begin to 
develope. The length of the ovaries, when the ripening of the eggs 
begins, is very variable; as a rule they are 5—6 mm, but ovaries 
only containing small unripe eggs may be 8—10, even II mm 
long; in the material from stat. 124 (Disco Bay) I have found in 
several cases that ovaries, 3—4 mm long, contained a number of 
large eggs (see below). — While the eggs are developing, the 
sperm is evacuated. Individuals of the subsequent stage are very 
scarce in the material in hand. One might fancy individuals, sperm 
totally evacuated but ovaries not fully mature, or individuals with 
mature ovaries and with remains of sperm in the tail. No such 
individuals have been found. In the few specimens with fully mature 
ovaries the sperm has been totally evacuated. I have only seen 
four such specimens. The total length and the length of the ovaries 
in these four specimens were: 33 mm (ovar. 7 mm), 33 mm (ovar. 
11 mm), 35 mm (ovar. 9—10 mm), 36 mm (ovar. 12 mm). The 
ovaries may become still longer. It is not unrare to find ovaries, still 
containing unripe eggs, measuring 12—13 mm; in the material from 
stat. 196d there is a specimen, 38 mm long, with ovaries, not 
fully mature, of 13 and 16 mm. — Undoubtedly the animal dies, 
when the eggs have been spawned. I have only seen three indiv- 
iduals, in which both sperm and eggs have been evacuated; they 
were all from Umanak Fjord. 
We may arrange the individuals of this species into groups 
according to the state of maturity in the following manner: 
