206 THE BLENNY FAMILY. 



diameter of 1-2 mm. The colour was due to the yolk, which 

 consisted of separate yolk-spherules, and a number of oil- 

 globules occurred near the tail of the transparent embryo. 

 The black chromatophores were confined to the dorsal portion 

 of the yolk-sac. 



Yarrell's Blenny. (Chirolophis galerita, L.) 



Nothing is said about the breeding of this fish in Day's 

 British Fishes. 



In the Researches'^ it is stated that a fine male caught about 

 the middle of June presented only partially developed milt ; 

 whilst a female in August had minute eggs in the atrophied 

 ovaries. In a female captured in September the ovaries 

 were large, the individual ova, which were about equal in size, 

 measuring Jg inch. 



Two females sent from St Andrews in July, 1861, had both 

 ovaries greatly enlarged, so as to change the outline of the fish. 

 There is, however, an element of uncertainty, after so long an 

 interval, as to whether the date referred to the receipt or the 

 capture of the examples. In any case the remarkable uniformity 

 of these large eggs would lend countenance to the view that this 

 fish has demersal eggs. The eggs, in spirit, ranged from 1'7 to 

 1'905 mm., so that they are comparatively large for so small 

 a fish. 



The Shanny. (Blennius pholis, L.) 



Common as this fish is its eggs have not hitherto received 

 satisfactory attention, probably because they have been difficult 

 to procure, or have not been searched for with sufficient perse- 

 verance. Parnell in 1837 mentioned correctly that it spawns 

 in June. R. Q. Couch also found that summer was the spawn- 

 ing-season, and gives an interesting account of the occurrence 

 of the spawn in rocky crevices or chambers near low water, the 

 roof of these being more or less unbroken, so that the eggs may 

 be laid close together on the roof and sides. Their colour is a 



' Op. cit. p. 677. 



