256 THE COD FAMILY. 



By the seventh day the larva has absorbed the whole of its 

 yolk, and rests upon the bottom of the vessel. The breast-fins, 

 directed upwards, are fan-shaped. The eyes are silvery by 

 reflected light, but by transmitted light they appear of a 

 glittering bronze. 



The yellow colour now becomes less conspicuous, the black, 

 however, increasing (Plate X, fig. 3.). The post-larval poor-cod 

 at this stage are very active and difficult to observe. Further 

 development has not been studied, but a decrease of the yellow 

 pigment and an increase of the pectoral fins occur. 



The later post-larval forms have not yet been identified, 

 though they may occur with post-larval whiting. 



The older stages are not uncommon in the Frith of Forth 

 and St Andrews Bay. Thus specimens of 1-| to If inches 

 occur in the former area in October, and larger examples (about 

 2 inches) in November. In August of the following year speci- 

 mens of 4J^ to 5J inches, and others nearly 6 inches, were 

 taken in St Andrews Bay. 



The young poor-cod found in October (1^ to If inches) 

 must be at least three months old, and those in the next month 

 (2 inches) of a minimum age of 4 months. It is probable that 

 those occurring in the following August are about 14 months, 

 if not more. These facts point to a slower rate of growth for 

 the poor-cod than for the cod, haddock or whiting, the one-year- 

 old poor-cod probably being on an average about 4 inches 

 in length. 



Mr Cunningham found at Plymouth specimens one inch 

 long on May 28th, from 1'6 to 2'9 inches on June I7th; 

 he considers the former 8 to 12 weeks old, the latter 

 about 3 months. Those of 4'5 to 6"5 inches on 9th July he 

 thinks are 1 year and 3 months; those of 5'6 to 7'5 inches on 

 April 19th, 2 years ; and on June I7th, those of 5'4 to o'8 

 inches, and again of 7-8 inches, are respectively 1 year and 

 2 months, and 2 years and 2 months. He also recorded that 

 specimens from 4 to 6 inches, and just over a year old, were 

 placed in the tanks of the laboratory in the summer of 1889. 

 They produced eggs the following March. 



