THE FLOUNDER FAMILY. 383 



the apparatus at Dunbar. The body of the little fish was dull 

 reddish, more or less ruby-red by transmitted light, but by 

 reflected light it had a dull ochreous or pale brownish hue 

 (Plate XIII, fig. 2) finely marked with black. The outer 

 margins of the two dorsal patches were pale, and the pigment 

 immediately behind the prominent posterior bars was also pale, 

 these lighter touches being very evident during the vigorous 

 movements of the animals. The abdomen was deeply pig- 

 mented all over with black. The head and anterior region 

 were conspicuous, both from the great depth at the opercular 

 region, and the development of pigment on the abdomen, so 

 that the aspect was somewhat like that of a tadpole. The eyes 

 were greenish-silvery, the pectorals were large and fan-shaped, 

 with reddish and black pigment at the base, the latter ex- 

 tending outward into the fin as long branching lines, which 

 resembled very much the ramifications of rivers in a map. 

 The angles of the mandible projected prominently downward, 

 — as it were — enclosing the anterior hyoidean region in a deep 

 furrow. The vent was now open. 



Besides the movements above-noted, the little turbot 

 occasionally swam at the surface on their sides, skimming 

 along with rapidity, and moving the hyoidean region actively. 

 They were extremely quick in observing the movements of the 

 minute crustaceans and other forms in the vessel, and seemed 

 to dart at them for food. No form hitherto observed at St 

 Andrews appeared to be more hardy, or to undergo the vicis- 

 situdes of temperature and manipulation with greater impunity. 

 There are grounds therefore for expressing the hope that they 

 may yet be reared in great numbers from the post-larval to 

 the adolescent and adult conditions in suitable enclosures. 



Larval turbot are seldom caught in the tow-nets, though 

 from a figure by Prof Marion', they would appear to occur off 

 Marseilles on the 2nd March. 



Between the early post-larval stage shown in fig. 2, Plate 

 XIII, and the later post-larval condition there is a gap, but it 

 is slight, for Holt was fortunate in procuring at the surface in 

 the North Sea a series of post-larval forms ranging from .5-.50 



1 Aim,. Mus. Marseille, iv. 1, PI. 2, fig. 20. 



