THE SEA-SCORPION FAMILY. 129 



occurs on the gill-cover (operculum). The upper spine on the 

 gill-cover (pre -operculum) is largest. The first dorsal fin has 

 9 rays, the second 15, the variegated pectoral 16, the ventral 

 3, and the anal fin 13. The caudal has 12 long rays besides 

 four or five shorter at each edge. The chief difference, there- 

 fore, between this and the adult is the increase in the caudal 

 rays, but the short basal ones probably disappear during growth. 

 One specimen in July reached 2 inches. 



In June they reach 23 to 24 mm., and in July 38 mm., 

 (1^ inch) with adult characters, the first dorsal having 9 rays, 

 the second 16 rays, and the anal still constant at 13. 



In the same month one of 88 mm., also in its second year, 

 was captured in Guernsey. 



In September specimens .54, 65, and 85 mm. (nearly 3J in.) 

 occur, the first being considered by Mr Tosh as the young of the 

 season at oi months. It would be difficult to separate that at 

 65 mm. from the same series, but that at 85 is considerably 

 older, probably by a year (or, as Mr Tosh puts it, 1 year and 

 3 months). The usual arrangement of the spines on the 

 gill-cover in such forms is as follows: — A spine points down- 

 wards at the ventral edge of the pre-operculum, two short spines 

 occur above, then the upper long spine, above which is the 

 opercular spine. Two short spines appear on the sub-operculum. 



Those of 57 (2^ in.) and 74 mm. (3 in.) in February repre- 

 sent specimens about a year old, while those of 98 mm. are in 

 their second year or approaching it. One of these (98 mm.) had 

 almost ripe eggs, so that the remark in the new edition of the 

 Scandinavian Fishes, that it does not propagate its species 

 until about 150 mm. (nearly 6 in.) long, is not applicable to 

 our country. 



LoNG-spiNED Sea-Scorpion. {Cottus bubalis, Euphras.) 



The eggs of this form (Plate I, fig. 4) were alluded to and 

 figured in the Researches, and they have been frequently 

 observed since. Moreover, Mr Holt had an opportunity subse- 

 quently of studying them at St Andrews Marine Laboratory, 

 and his careful observations and those of Mr Cunningham have 



M. F. 9 



