of the Fishery Board for Scotland. 



77 



Fam. EsocnxE. 

 Genus Esox. 



Esox lucius, Linn. The Fresh-water Pike. PI. iii. b., fig. 60; pi. v., 

 fig. 20. 



The fresh-water pike from which the earstones represented on pi. iii. b. 

 were obtained was of moderate size, but its length has not been recorded. 

 There were three otoliths of moderate size in each ear-chamber, and one 

 or two smaller ones. The largest stones measured about 9mm. in length 

 by 5mm. in greatest width. They are very irregular in outline, especially 

 along the upper margin and round the (?) anterior end. The lower 

 margin is tolerably even and slightly arcuate ; the anterior end is broad 

 and deeply notched, and the anterior portion of the upper margin, which 

 is nearly straight, is separated from the posterior portion by an abrupt 

 break in its continuity — this latter portion being narrow, and tapering 

 gradually to the pointed distal extremity. One of the other two stones is 

 narrow and elongated, and fully 4-5mm. in length ; the third stone is 

 small and subtriangular in outline, as shown in the photograph. 



Fam. Cyprinid^e. 

 Genus Leuciscus. 



Leuciscus rutilus (Linn.). The Roach or Braise. PI. iii. b. fig. 59; 

 pi. v., fig. 5. 



The earstones represented by fig. 59, pi. iii. b., are from a roach about 

 5| to 6 inches in length. They are somewhat reniform in general outline, 

 and the surface is ornamented with radiating grooves which terminate in 

 the irregularly crenulated or jagged margins. They are about mm. 

 across the widest part by about 3mm. in depth. The peculiar form and 

 structure of these earstones are more obvious in the enlarged photographs 

 on pi. v., fig. 5. They do not resemble any of the others described in 

 this paper. 



Fam. ClupeibvE. 

 Genus Clupea. 



Clupea harengus, Linn. The Herring. PI. iii. b., figs. 15-24; pi. v., 

 figs. 3 and 4. 



The earstones of a series of ten herrings of different sizes are repre- 

 sented on pi. iii. b. The largest of the series (fig. 15) measured 12| 

 inches (about 314mm.) in length, and the smallest (fig. 24) about 125mm. 

 In these earstones the lower margin, which is only slightly arcuate, is 

 obscurely crenulated along the edge, but is otherwise unbroken ; the 

 upper margin is nearly straight and parallel with the lower, but its con- 

 tinuity is interrupted by a distinct break near the middle, and in conse- 

 quence of this break the anterior half of the earstone is very narrow, and 

 only about half the width of the posterior portion. The posterior end is 



