230 THE WRASSE FAMILY. 



Day gives the spawning-period in Galway as June, and along the 

 south coast of Ireland from May till July. In June and July 

 1887 that patient and accomplished worker, the late Mr James 

 Duncan Matthews, had the good fortune to secure by aid of the 

 Fishery officer, Mr Rosie, several nests from Broadford in Skye. 

 They were wedged, he narrates^ about half-tide mark, into 

 crevices of rock, which they partly filled, that is, rising at the 

 back to the height of about 12 inches, and being curved in 

 front. The outer (anterior) wall of one nest was 4 inches in 

 thickness, and the nest was about 15 inches in long diameter, 

 the projection in the centre of the crescentic wall being 6^ inches. 

 These somewhat massive nests were composed of numerous 

 tufts of sea- weeds, such as Gorallina and Polysiphonia — fixed 

 principally at their bases by what appeared to be threads of 

 semi-solid mucus. The officer had been informed that, before 

 spawning, the fishes were observed to pass through these nests, 

 and when the tide was rising they partly leapt out of the water 

 to reach them. In the case of two nests sent by Mr Allan a 

 hole was present, at least at one end. Mr Matthews found the 

 eggs, which were still alive after transmission to Edinburgh, 

 scattered over the whole nest and adhering to its material, but 

 not very firmly. Their vitality is readily accounted for by their 

 advanced condition. In size the eggs ranged from ^^^th to ^^jth 

 of an inch. Mr Holt gives I'Ol mm. to I'lSmm. The newly- 

 hatched larvae (Plate VIII, fig. 4) measured 3f mm. and were 

 very active — wriggling continually to the surface with a rapid 

 vibratory movement of the breast-fins, which like the tail had 

 only embryonic rays. They were coloured with black and 

 yellow chromatophores, which extended along two-thirds of the 

 total length. Two rows of black spots and similar groups of 

 dull yellow existed on each side, two on each segment, the 

 dorsal being placed slightly in front of the lateral. They thus 

 formed a lozenge-shaped figure when viewed from the side. An 

 irregular and rather sparse distribution of pigment also occurred 

 on the median dorsal fin anteriorly. The larvae were very 

 hardy — some surviving amongst damp sea- weed for ten days. 

 In general outline (to judge from Mr Matthews's figure) the 



' Fiftli Ann. Beport, Fishery Board, p. 245, PI. XI, 1887. 



