224 THE STICKLEBACK FAMILY. 



Mr Williamson procured young specimens of 18'5 mm. on 

 the 11th of February at Naples, of 30 mm. on the 6th March, 

 and of 21 mm. in length on the 18th March at Magnavacca 

 on the Italian coast. These appear to be the young of the 

 previous season (summer), so that there is room for further 

 investigation in regard to the spawning-period on our shores 

 in contrast with that of the Adriatic. At the same place in 

 April other young mullets reached the length of 55 mm. 



Lesser Grey or Thick-Lipped Mullet. (Mugil chelo, Cuv.) 



The young of this sj)ecies about | of an inch in length were 

 found by Day in August swimming in shoals in Mevagissey 

 harbour. When in the water they appeared to have a white 

 spot on the back which disappeared when landed. 



At Plymouth Mr Cunningham procured young examples 

 of 10 — 11 mm. on 14th May, and f inch in July and August, 

 which he considered the young of the season, and that accord- 

 ingly the spawning-period probably was April, When lO'o mm. 

 in length, on May 10th, the yolk was entirely absorbed. True 

 fin-rays were only present in the tail inferiorly. The air- 

 bladder was conspicuous, and the pectoral fins large. The 

 colour was a general yellowish with numerous black chroma- 

 tophores\ The following August they had reached 2J inch, in 

 confinement, while one of similar age from the sea was about 

 3 inches. 



The Stickleback Family. Gasterosteidae. 



The Fifteen-Spined Stickleback. (Gasterosteus 

 spinachia, L.) 



The stickleback, although not strictly a food-fish, is one of 

 the humbler little members of the piscine race which inhabit 

 our shores, and its life-history is fraught with peculiar interest, 

 mainly because it has the habit of building a nest wherein the 

 eggs are hatched. 



1 J. M. B. A. 1891—92, p. 73. 



