376 



W. C. Mclntosh, 



what irregulär dark blotches. The top of the head has a broad dark 

 bar about half its length, the snout being paler. The eye is flecked 

 with a few touches of white, whilst the pupil is black. Behind the 

 eye is a circular spot — a little less than the eye — surrounded by 

 a white ring with a faintly bluish tint. A few of the same white 

 touches occur on the opercular region and the sides anteriorly. The 

 tip of the snout has a few dark touches, and a reddish-brown one 

 below the eye, and this is continned obliquely upwards and backwards 

 as a band over the eye. The anterior nostril has an inner short 

 Aap and an onter (undivided) longer one. Variation thus occurs. 

 The fins have a greenish hue from the yellow and dark pigments. 

 The first dorsal has 12 rays with brownish touches, and the rays 

 of the second dorsal and caudal have also yellow pigment. The 

 pectorals have similar yellow and black pigments ; whilst the pelvics 

 are pale with short rays and blunt tips. The two pigments 

 are present on the rays of the anal fin but are less promi- 

 nent. Much of the alteration in colour is due to the extensive 

 development of the minute black pigment-specks over the whole of 

 the dorsal and lateral regions of the body, over the fins, cheeks, chin 

 and clavicular region. The opening of the mucus-glands of the lateral 

 line are very prominent in the curve at the pectoral. The teeth are 

 well developed and sharp. A similar example (in regard to length 

 and coloration) was procured on the 24^^ January. 



A further stage was met with in June at the length of IV2 

 inches. The general colour is olive — dappled with black pigment- 

 specks, pale touches and reddish-brown spots. The first four rays 

 of the dorsal fin are marked with reddish-brown. The whitish and 

 brownish touches along the dorsum — on each side of the median fin 

 — are more or less symmetrical. A conspicuous reddish brown spot 

 occurs a short distance behind each eye. The pectorals have the 

 hue of the body, but the pelvics are pale. Small nodules (parasitic) 

 appeared on the rays of the dorsal and caudal fins. Up to this 

 stage the eyes remain proportionally larger than in the adult and 

 more widely separated. 



Further stages are seen in shannies of 71 and 85 mm. procured 

 in September (Plate XXI, figs. 7 and 8). In both the eyes are pro- 

 portionally smaller and nearer each other dorsally than in the pre- 

 vious stages, whilst the general coloration is that of the adult. The 

 tips of the pelvic fins are considerably reduced by their constant 

 use in the support and progression of the animal. The pectorals 



