of the Fishery Board for Scotland. 60 



Genus Enchelyopus. 



Enchelyopus (Zoarces) viviparus, Linn. Viviparous Blenny. PI. iii. b., 

 fig. 37; pi. v., fig. 31. 



The viviparous blenny possesses earstones that somewhat resemble 

 those of the mackerel in size as well as in form, but they appear to be 

 rather larger in proportion to the size of the fish, and their upper margin 

 is rather more boldly arcuate. A fish measuring 12 inches possessed ear- 

 stones 4mm. in length by 2mm. in depth. They were thus about equal 

 to one seventy -sixth part of the length of the fish. 



Genus Lumpenus. 



Lumpenus lampretiformis, Walb. Sharp-tailed Lumpenus. PI. i. b., 

 figs. 51-63 ; pi. iv., figs. 22, 23, and 26, 27. 



The earstones of this species are small and oblong in shape. The upper 

 margin is obscuiely crenulated ; the anterior end is slightly notched, or 

 pointed, while the other is subtruncate or bluntly rounded. Those 

 represented by the figs. 57 and 58 are from two fishes 295mm. long, and 

 measure about 3mm. in extreme length by 2mm. in width. Another 

 fish 176mm. long had earstones measuring 2*5 by 1*3 mm. {see fig. 63, pi. 

 i. b., and fig. 27, pi. iv.). 



Fam. Atherinid^e. 



Genus Atherina. 



Atherina presbyter, Cuvier. Sand Smelt. PI. iii. b., figs. 34 and 35 ; pi. 

 v., figs. 22 and 26. 



The sand smelt has tolerably large earstones compared with the size of 

 the fish. The larger of the two specimens examined, which measured 

 about 5 inches in length, had earstones 4mm. long by 2-2mm. in depth, 

 while those of the smaller fish, which was 3J inches in length, measured 

 2'3mm. by l-5mm. The earstones of the larger fish were equal in length 

 to about the one thirty-second part of the entire length of the fish. 

 Both margins are even and arcuate, one end is bluntly rounded, but the 

 other, in the earstones of the larger fish, terminates in a sharp and slightly 

 hooked process, and in those of the smaller the same extremity is bluntly 

 pointed. 



Fam. Mugilid^e. 



Genus Muyil. 



Mugil chelo, Cuvier. The Thick-lipped Grey Mullet. PI. iii. b., fig. 48; 

 pi. v., fig. 12. 



The earstones of the grey mullet are distinctly incurved and somewhat 

 twisted, but this is not very clearly shown in the photograph. The lower 

 margin is slightly thickened and nearly parallel with, but rather shorter 

 than, the upper. The posterior end is abruptly truncated, the edge being 

 crenulated, and in some examples deeply incised; the anterior extremity 

 is obliquely truncated, the edge being thin and slightly irregular, while 

 the angle is produced into a short tooth. 



