254 



Part Til. — Eleventh Annual Report 



part camphor, the shrinkage in forty-eight days was about 1 1 per cent, 

 diameter, and this remained the same at the expiration of eighty days. 

 The eggs were in good condition, the oil-globule being in most cases 

 readily recognisable and the yolk transparent. 



Most of the ova from the 'Garland' this year have been preserved in 

 this solution, and they have, been in most cases in good condition for 

 diagnosis. 



The only drawbacks to this mode of preparation are the rather high 

 shrinkage, and a tendency for the camphor to crystallise out upon the 

 surface of the egg. The crystals can be removed by treatment with a 

 little of a solution of equal parts alcohol and acetic acid, and the 

 defect could probably be prevented by making up the solution with a 

 slightly smaller proportion of camphor. Some good results were obtained 

 by the use of a simple solution of 2 per cent, acetic. In the case of seven 

 ova of various kinds which were killed in picrohydrochloric solution and 

 transferred to this solution, by the end of forty-eight days they were in 

 particularly good condition, the embryo and yolk being both clear and 

 translucent, the black pigment clearly distinguishable, and the oil-globule 

 very distinct. The shrinkage in some was not appreciable, four of the 

 eggs measuring exactly the same as in the living condition, the other three 

 shrinking 2 per cent., 4 per cent., and 5 per cent, respectively, the smaller 

 eggs appearing to undergo the greater contraction. Very little alteration 

 of any sort was observed in the eggs at the expiration of eighty days. 



Further experiments may bring to light various objections to the use of 

 this reagent as a preservative fluid, such, for example, as its action after a 

 time on the zona, but at present it gives promise of a simple and efficacious 

 method of preserving pelagic ova. 



In the Special Report of this year's work by the ' Garland ' given below 

 it will be seen that a fail' number of entries occur in each of the 6 regions 

 above mentioned, and a great deal of fresh knowledge and material has 

 thereby been acquired. 



The larval and post-larval fishes below have been identified and arranged 

 by Professor M'Intosh, to whom the writer is also greatly indebted for 

 invaluable assistance throughout the whole of this report. 



I. MONTROSE BAY. 



Station I.— Surface, 19th May 1893. Gadoid, 20 mm. 



Station 1. — Surface, 19th May 1893. 27 eggs of gurnard, various 

 stages, embryo h round to advanced ; 1 egg of topknot, early ; 4 eggs of 

 roekling, embryo \ round to J ; 1 egg of turbot, embryo f round ; 27 

 eggs of dab, various stages ; 4 eggs of poor-cod, embryo | round. 



Station I. — Bottom, 19th May 1893. Clupeoid, 20 mm. ; 2 gadoids, 

 4 and 4-5 mm. ; 2 pleuronectids, 5 and 8 mm. 



Station I. — Bottom, 19th May 1893. 7 eggs of gurnard, f to wholly 

 round the yolk; 1 egg of whiting, early; 5 eggs of dab, various stages. 



Station II. — Surface, 19th May 1893. 3 eggs of gurnard, embryo 

 l round ; 1 egg of whiting, embryo J round ; 5 eggs of dab, mostly early. 



Station II. —Surface, 19th May 1893. 4 gadoids, 9-11 mm. ; Cottus, 

 18-5 mm. ; 3 gadoids, 7, 8, and 22'5 mm. ; gunnel, 24 mm. ; 9 pleuronec- 

 tids, 5-11 mm. 



Station II. — Bottom, 19th May 1893. 7 eggs of gurnard, embryo 

 h round and later; 6 eggs of topknot, early; 3 eggs of poor-cod, embryo 

 \ round ; 3 eggs of dab, embryo \ round ; 2 eggs of bib. 



