290 Proceedings of the Boyal Physical Society. 



of milt and roe, but not the slightest appearance of the 

 latter could be found, the milt being, however, distinctly 

 seen in a rudimentary state. These fish, when dressed for 

 table, were found to be in very fine condition, although 

 differing in flavour from the herring, and to some tastes, as 

 the fish women had said, not so palatable. It was matter 

 of regret that the pilchards were only caught in large 

 quantity for a few days in March, although sparingly 

 among herring through the winter; and this partial appear- 

 ance in the Firth in the present season corroborates Yar- 

 rell's statements on the subject. As respects the spawning 

 of the herring, the best authorities hitherto, although with 

 some doubt and misgiving, have assigned the periods of 

 March and October as the times of deposit. The writer has, 

 during the past winter, found the herrings taken in the 

 Firth of Forth to be either gravid with spawn and milt, or 

 else spent fish, continuously from the month of November 

 until the end of March, during the whole period that the 

 fish was sought after and taken ; and he sees no reason to 

 doubt that during the whole period that the herring is 

 found upon our shores, it is there for the purpose of depo- 

 siting its spawn, which not improbably occurs the whole 

 year round. 



Mr J. M. Mitchell exhibited several specimens of the sprat 

 or garvie herring, Glupea sprattus, with well developed milt 

 and roe. These fish were taken above Queensferry about 

 the end of March. 



V. Notice of a Specimen of the Syngnathus iEquoreus, taken in a lobster- 

 net off JnchJceith, VJth April 1861. By William S. Young, Esq. 



Specific Characters. — P. C. and A. fins wanting ; dorsal 

 and vent nearly in middle of entire length, resting on eleven 

 rings, three of which belong to the tail. 



Description of this specimen : 21 inches in length ; head 

 T^th of whole length. From point of snout to the orbit, 

 1 inch ; from orbit to extremity of operculum, f th inch ; 

 from end of snout to first dorsal ray, 8|- inches ; from last 



