190 



Part III. — TiL-enty -first Annical Report 



as it swims through the water by the rapid vibration of the pectorals and 

 tail, the long black ventrals projecting downwards and outwards and 

 quiescent below, and the almost equally long, black-tipped rays of the 

 first dorsal standing erect on the top of the head. The eyes are large, 

 deep ultramarine in colour, and look upwards and forwards, and the 

 mouth is usually gaping, each jaw being provided with a row of ten or 

 twelve minute pointed teeth. They were observed to dart and snap at 

 particles in the water. At this stage the head is about one-fourth the 

 length of the body, and more than a third deeper ; in a front view the 

 breadth of the head is about ^ of the height. 



The only post-larval form that appears to have been obtained was 

 taken in twenty five fathoms in a mid-water net, on 30th August, 

 fifteen miles off the Isle of May.* It was only 7 mm. in length, or a 

 little over a quarter of an inch, showing that a reduction in length occurs 

 in development. 



From these facts it appears that the angler spawns from March to 

 the beginning, or the middle, of July, and perhaps into August, and 

 probably mostly in May. The length of time which the eggs take to 

 hatch has not been determined. The nature of the yolk, and the 

 advanced condition of the larva on issuing, argue a more prolonged 

 period for the embryonic development than in the case of ordinary 

 pelagic eggs — for the egg of the angler is essentially a demersal egg 

 when removed from the mucoid substance. On the other hand, the 

 temperature of the surface water in May, and still more in June and 

 J uly, is high, and, judging from the period in the case of a large pelagic egg 

 like that of the plaice, it is probable the eggs of the angler require over 

 three weeks in May and more than a fortnight in J uly before hatching 

 occurs. On this reasoning the larval anglers would appear in the 

 greatest numbers in summer from the end of May to August, and the 

 occurrence of the little post-larval specimen as late as 20th August 

 is noteworthy. 



The smallest anglers obtained were taken in the following months: — 



CENTIMETRES. 





12 



12-5 



13 



13-5 



14 



14-5 



15 



15-5 



16 



16-5 



17 



17-5 



18 



18-5 



19 



19-5 



20 



Jan. 





































Feb. . 









































































April . 











tl 



























May . 





















1 



1 





1 



2 



3 







*June . 































13 





1 



*July . 































1 



3 





-Aug. . 





































*Scpt. 



















1 







1 







§3 







Oct. . 





































Nov. . 





2 





2 



2 



8 



2 



2 



2 



3 





2 



2 



1 





2 



2 



Dec. . 



















tl 



















* At beginning of month. t By Garland in Firth of Forth. 



I One by Garland. § Two by Garland. 



* M'Intosh & Prince, Trans. Roy, Soc, Edinburgh, vol. xxxv., p. 869. 



