170 THE GOBY FAMILY. 



in the bottom-nets. This variation is in all probability due to 

 the prolonged period during which spawning of the various 

 individuals takes place, and also to the differences in species. 



Gobies become common in the nets in July and they vary 

 from 3'5 to 17 mm., and the same may be said of August, when 

 many reach 18 mm. 



In September they are likewise abundant in the bottom- 

 nets, and range from 7 to 30 mm., but they do not uniformly 

 increase in size as the month advances, since many towards the 

 end of it are only from 8 to 10 mm. Groups of larger forms 

 from 17 to 25 mm. (1 inch), however, are more common. 



In October, gobies of 4'.") to 14 mm. still occur in con- 

 siderable numbers, both in-shore and off-shore, the average 

 size of the groups being larger than in the earlier months. 

 Towards the end of the month some reach 88 mm. (1^ in.), and 

 such would appear to be the young of the season. 



Again, those of 33 mm. in February, of 33 to 47 mm. in 

 March and of 42 to 50 mm. in April would appear to be the 

 young approaching the end of their first year. In June one 

 specimen may be noticed as reaching 2|- inches. In July the 

 latter reach from 42 (If in.) to 62 mm. (2^ in.) ; in September 

 from 62 to 75 mm. (3 in.) or even to 80 mm. Some of the 

 second year licjwever only reach from 55 to 60 mm. in October, 

 so that considerable variety exists. In the following January 

 they attain from 76 to 80 mm. (3 to 3f in.). 



The Black Goby. (Gobius niger, L.) 



So little notice was taken of the eggs of this form in Britain, 

 that Day in 1884 does not refer to them, while Parnell observes 

 that they spawn in June. Couch says that he found enlarged 

 roe (ovaries) in February and young ones in autumn. They 

 were incidentally referred to by Mr Saville Kent in the Hand- 

 book to the Fisheries Exhibition of 1883, and he mentioned that 

 over these eggs the male mounts guard. They were also found 

 by Prof Prince in the pools near the Beginnish Islands on 

 the West coast of Ireland in 1890. Long before, however, 

 A. W. Malm had referred to and figured the peculiar eggs of 



