THE COD FAMILY. 289 



the year found that the eggs hatched in half this time : the 

 same observer gives the length of the newly hatched larvae as 

 •087 inch. 



The larva (Plate XII, fig. 1) upon its escape has little or 

 no pigment in the eyes, but three touches of black occur 

 on the body behind the vent. Black chromatophores also 

 occur behind the eyes and otocysts, and along the sides of 

 the body above the yolk. Before the mouth has opened in 

 the larval rockling, the ventrals appear as minute buds below 

 the pectorals, and are then distinguished by the black pigment, 

 as the late G. Brook indicated. 



Some days later (Plate XII, fig. 2) the larva presents a very 

 characteristic appearance. We note the projecting lower jaw 

 like that of the plaice, the large metallic-blue eyes and the 

 definite patches of dark pigment. A small spot of stellate 

 black pigment covers the brain, and a large mass of the same 

 colour lies above the stomach and intestine, whilst two or three 

 patches of a russet-brown tint mark out the trunk and tail ; the 

 marginal fin is broad and continuous and is devoid of pigment. 

 There is a marked absence of all yellow coloration, a fact the 

 more noticeable as the young ling is covered with little yellow 

 specks. In a larval Motella described by Agassiz and Whitman, 

 diffuse yellowish pigment is described as appearing on the 14th 

 or 15th day, when the yolk has been absorbed. 



In the five-bearded form here described, no yellow-pigmen- 

 tation appears up to the absorption of the yolk, though the 

 oil-globule still persists. The skin at this stage ha? a roughened 

 surface, due to granular papillae. The little fishes are soine- 

 what delicate, perishing in captivity soon after this stage is 

 reached, and we experience the usual break in continuity of 

 the series of forms, which can only be filled up by long and 

 careful search and study of the pelagic fry. 



A form measuring 7 '5 mm. from St Andrews Bay on the 

 17th June seems to belong to this species. The marginal fin is 

 still continuous, but has true rays developing at its base, both 

 in the dorsal and anal regions. True rays also occur in the 

 caudal, in which the tip of the notochord is slightly bent up. 

 In life the head was slightly olive, with black pigment ; the 

 M. p. 19 



