of the Fishery Board for Scotland. 



61 



The fish from which the otoliths were obtained measured 15| inches in 

 length, and its earstones are 9mm. by 4'5mm. — they are thus equal in 

 length, to about the one forty-fourth part of the length of the fish. 



Fam. Labrid^. 

 Genus Labrus. 



Labrus bergylta, Ascan. The Ballan Wrasse. PI. ii. b, fig. 12-14; 

 pi. v., fig. 8. 



Three specimens of this Labrus have their earstones represented on 

 pi. ii. b. They measured about 387mm., 330mm., and 254mm. respec- 

 tively. The earstones are comparatively small — those of the larger fish 

 (fig. 12) are about 5'4mm. in length by about 3mm. in depth. The length 

 of these earstones is thus equal to about the one -seventieth part of the 

 entire length of the fish. The specimen next in size had earstones 

 slightly smaller (fig. 14), while the earstones of the third specimen (fig. 

 13) are a little over 4mm. long. The lower margin of the larger ear- 

 stones is slightly arcuate and crenulated, especially, the proximal half of it. 

 The upper margin slopes upward in a nearly straight line from each end, 

 so as to form an obtuse angle near the middle. The front end is deeply 

 bifurcate, but the other terminates in a blunt point {see pi. v., fig. 8, 

 which shows the otoliths greatly enlarged). The other earstones do not 

 differ much from those described, except that the upper margin is not so 

 distinctly angular. 



Labrus mixtus, Linn. The Striped Wrasse. PI. ii. b., fig. 15. 



The earstones of this Labrus have a close resemblance to those of the 

 ballan wrasse, and could scarcely be distinguished from them. Those 

 represented by fig 15 were obtained from a fish 11| inches in'length, and 

 measure fully 5mm. each. 



Labrus (Ctenolabrus) rupestris, Linn. Jago's Goldsinny. PI. ii. b., 

 fig. 16. 



This is a smaller species of Labrus than the others, and the earstones 

 are proportionally small. The fish which is here represented by its ear- 

 stones measured about 4 \ inches in length (108mm.), and the size of its 

 earstones is 3*2 by l*6mm. They resemble those of the other species in 

 their general character. 



Fam. GadidjE. 

 Genus Gadus. 



Gadus callarias, Linn, (syn , Gadus morhua, Linn.). The Codfish. PI. 

 i. a., figs. 1-10. 



The otoliths of nearly all the species of Gadus, especially in those of 

 adult size, are usually large, and massive in structure. One side is 

 slightly concave and the other convex. The concave or exterior side is 

 usually ornamented with ridges and furrows which are more regular and 

 distinct in the otoliths of fishes that are young, or half- grown fishes. 

 Those otoliths from codfish, particularly from examples 20 inches 



