178 THE DRAGONET FAMILY. 



strip along the posterior border of the yolk-sac. The notochord 

 is uni-columnar, as in the gobies. The newly-hatched larva 

 (Plate VII, fig. 6) is 2-08 mm. long. The pigment is bright orange, 

 and occurs on the snout ; it forms a bar in the middle of the 

 free caudal region, various touches on the marginal fin 

 and scattered points on the yolk-sac. When twelve hours 

 old the yolk has slightly diminished, while the marginal 

 fin has undergone considerable expansion. The body-pigment 

 is now more definite, a dorsal and a ventral touch in the 

 respective marginal fins being opposite the conspicuous bar 

 in the mid-caudal region. Another dorsal touch of yellow 

 occurs in front, and various specks on the head and yolk- 

 sac. When forty-eight hours old', the snout is pointed and 

 unusually prominent. The breast-fins form pad-like areas 

 midway between the eyes and the vent, a somewhat interesting 

 position, since in many species they appear much nearer the 

 head. The yellow pigment is still largely confined to the upper 

 half of the trunk, and the sparse black specks are strictly so 

 limited. The dorsal fin is still deeper than in the previous 

 stage. The surface of the larva presented a peculiarly reticu- 

 lated aspect, which Holt considers to be pathological. 



Only rarely is a larval dragonet secured in the nets in May. 

 In June post-larval forms 3'4 to 4 mm. long have been obtained 

 in St Andrews Bay and the Forth, the tail forming a long 

 slender process — feathered with the embryonic rays, and, in the 

 preparations, bent upward. With such a tail, shortening of the 

 body can readily take place, since the thickening at the base 

 (hypural) leads to the absorption of the long larval tail above it. 

 In July, a length of 9 mm. is reached, though some are only 

 3"5 mm. The mid-water net used in deep water, such as S.E. 

 of the Isle of May, captures just above the bottom many young 

 skulpins from 5 to 12 mm., and they also are found more 

 sparingly in St Andrews Bay. Similar forms occur in the nets 

 in September and October, and since their length has not 

 much increased it is probable that the larger examples have 

 taken to the ground. 



A series of 2:)ost-larval forms of this species, varying from 



^ B. E. Prince, op. cit. p. 350. 



