214 THE BLENNY FAMILY. 



feature, while the brilliant green hue of the eyes from above 

 renders them conspicuous. 



In the bay, the post-hirval gunnels appear in the various 

 nets from the middle to the end of March — varying, in spirit, 

 from 11 mm. upwards. The black pigment corresponds in 

 arrangement with that already noted for the larva, except that 

 a few chromatophores occur at the sides of the vent, and 

 opposite the breast-fins. Fine (embryonic) rays exist in the 

 tail, and an opacity in the lower part of it — due to the develop- 

 ment of true rays. These fine rays have also spread to the 

 median fins. The free post-larval forms reach 14 mm. on the 

 28th March, and they are stronger and better developed, though 

 the posterior gills are more or less exposed. On the other 

 hand those in confinement were still carrying the yolk-sac at 

 this date, and were slender fishes of 13'5 mm., with the fin-rays 

 less advanced. At the end of March some free examples had 

 reached 17 — 22 mm., and in the middle of April true rays and 

 the basal (hypural) elements had developed in the tail. A 

 marked contrast was thus exhibited between the rather 

 emaciated forms in the laboratory and those in the midst of 

 abundant food and pure water in the sea. 



Rapid growth in length and depth takes place in May, when 

 they are found abundantly amidst the myriads of young sand- 

 eels which crowd the tow-nets about fifteen miles offshore, and 

 are procured in smaller numbers inshore, measuring at this 

 stage from 20 to 32 mm. At 20 mm. a slight line of black 

 pigment occurs on each side of the abdomen, and the basal 

 region of the tail-fin is asymmetrical from the projection of the 

 tip of the axial rod (notochord). In those of 30 mm. this 

 asymmetry has disappeared, and minute ventral fins are now 

 visible. One of 3.5'.5 mm., procured in the bottom trawl-like 

 tow-net in St Andrews Bay', presents a remarkably transparent 

 appearance, the only colour being the pinkish hue of the gut 

 from the contained crustaceans. The eye is much less in 

 proportion to the size of the head and the latter occupies much 

 less bulk in proportion to the body. Nevertheless the eye 

 seemed to be large and prominent in life when viewed from 



> Mcintosh, Anil. Xcit. Hist. Augu.st, 1890, p. 183. 



