THE FLOUNDER FAMILY. 373 



many of the western areas, as near Inverarj^, Loch Fyne. 

 Prof. Herdman', Mr Cunningham and Mr Holt have had an 

 opportunity of examining the eggs, which are shed from April 

 to July. In Scandinavian waters the spawning-season is later. 

 They are transparent pelagic eggs — measuring from 1"15 to 

 1'19 mm. The capsule exhibits faint striaa, first mentioned by 

 Holt, though Cunningham thought the capsule thicker than in 

 most of the flounder-tribe. Development took place with mode- 

 rate rapidity, and hatching ensued in 6 days. Pigment appears 

 to be slightly developed in the egg. The larval fish (Plate 

 XVI, fig. 2) is about 3'9 mm. or a little more in length, devoid 

 of pigment in the eye but with a number of minute yellowish 

 specks scattered along the sides and on the head as well as 

 over the yolk and marginal fins. Black pigment appears on 

 the head, trunk and caudal region within 48 hours and the body 

 has now considerably elongated (o'll mm.). Moreover the pig- 

 ment has been grouped into three bars in the post-anal region, 

 as in the lemon -dab, besides one near the vent, and another 

 about the breast-fin, and, probabl}' from the effect of the black, 

 the bars appear greenish by transmitted light. Pigment also 

 occurs in the eyes. The first gill-cleft is open, and indications 

 of four others are behind. The mouth opens about the fourth or 

 fifth day, and the yolk has almost disappeared. Ten days after 

 hatching, according tu Holt, though the dimensions of the 

 early post-larval fish have not much increased (5-.57 mm.), the 

 eyes are black with a bluish lustre, the lower jaw is freely 

 moveable, the gill-arches are simple, the otocysts spacious and 

 near the eyes, the breast-fins are very large and the clavicle 

 well-marked. A ventral patch of black chromatophores has 

 appeared mid-way between each post-anal pigment-bar; the 

 bar at the pectorals is less distinct; pigment occurs on the 

 lower jaw and anterior ventral surface. The colour of the 

 pigment is now orange by transmitted light, except on the 

 median fins, where it is brownish. 



On the 19th August, young specimens 42 mm. (If inch) in 

 length were trawled in 80 fathoms off the Skelligs (Plate XVI, 

 fig. 3). They were at first considered to be young soles, and 



1 Report Lancashire Fisheries Lah. 1897, p. 13, Pis. 2 and 3. 



