180 THE DRAGON ET FAMILY. 



abdominal region is pinkish, from the contained food. The 

 eyes are lustrous and greenish. In the laboratory the young 

 fishes lay at the bottom, keeping the pectoral fins in active 

 motion, while the ventrals were spread out like a pair of wings.' 

 One specimen about | in. long, taken from the stomach of a cod, 

 shews the spines on the gill-covers very well developed, and has 

 a close similarity in general features to the adult. The cod is 

 a ground-feeder and this specimen had no doubt taken to the 

 habitat frequented by the adult, namely the sea-bottom in- 

 shore. 



This example was obtained at the end of August and it was 

 therefore not more than from 2 to 3 months old, though sup- 

 posing that it was spawned in early May, there is a margin of 

 nearly four months. The other specimens described, running 

 down in a series to -^ inch in length are all evidently from the 

 same season's eggs, and their diversity in size (though all 

 occur in August) is to be accounted for, to a large extent at 

 any rate, by the fact that the spawning of the dragonet extends 

 over a considerable period. 



An example, mentioned in the Trawling Report, ^ in. long, 

 occurred in the stomach of a haddock in October ; while others, 

 from 50 to 78 mm., were found in the stomach of the cod, no 

 date unfortunately being mentioned, though in all probability 

 late in autumn. A young dragonet 2^ inches in length, also 

 without date of capture given, shews most of the adult 

 characters. The gill-chambers open by the small opercular 

 apertures situated dorsally, and the opercular spines con- 

 spicuously project outwards and backwards on either side of 

 the head. The three spines on each side are mounted on 

 a bony pedicle which protrudes well away from the surface 

 of the gill-cover, the whole forming a powerful weapon of 

 defence. With growth in size the spines become less con- 

 spicuous and more closely apposed to the surface of the 

 gill-cover. A specimen of about 78 mm. (3 inches) occurs 

 from the West coast of Ireland in the month of July ; 

 this is probably rather less than a year old, belonging to the 

 last of the preceding season's brood. At this stage the trans- 

 verse bands of dark pigment are still to be made out, especially 



