
| 


SKATES' EGGS AND YOUNG. 621 
does she cast them at random and trust to the cases drifting 
to some suitable place for attachment? 
That the mother when about to deposit her eggs selects a 
proper place for their attachment, just as other species go to 
regular spawning grounds, is, I think, proved by Mr. 
Thompson in his "Natural History of Ireland," who even 
asks the question if it is not probable that, like certain 
species of birds, the same fish (in this instance one of the 
spotted sharks) may return time after time to the same spot 
to deposit her eggs. This query arose from the fact that 
there were sent to him in December, 1843, two plants of the 
tangle (Laminaria digitata) dredged together from a depth 
of between two and three fathoms, to one of which was at- - 
tached fourteen of the large ova and to the other twelve. 
“Of the fourteen six were very old [and empty], six of mid- 
dle age [and empty], and two quite fresh [7.e., with unde- 
veloped eggs]. Of the twelve on the other plant, four were 
very old, four of middle age, and four were fresh." Now» 
if this does not prove that all these eggs were deposited 
at three different seasons by the same fish— which, with 
Mr. Thompson, I believe is probable—it certainly proves 
that the fishes seek a proper place for the attachment of 
their eggs and do not leave them to the mercy of tide and 
wave. 
In January, 1864, Professor Jeffries Wyman communi- 
cated the results of his “Observations on the Development 
of Raia batis” to the American Academy of Science and 
Arts, and the article is printed in the Memoirs of the 
Academy for that year. These “Observations” contain all 
that is known relating to the development of the common 
skate of our coast, and should be read by every one inter- 
ested in the subject. 
Professor Wyman has granted me the use of the woodcuts 
illustrating his article, and rather than rewrite, abstract, and 
otherwise pilfer from his paper, I shall, with this acknowl- - 
edgment, make extended quotations from his Memoir, and 
