of tilt Fishery Board for Scotland. 
261 
The condition differed markedly from that shown by A. lanceolatus in 
May, inasmuch as all the ova were of fairly uniform size, ranging between 
0-63 and 072 mm. The hsh were caught at the end of the spawning 
period, and the ova which they contained probably represented the last 
batch of the season. 
PLEURONECTID.E. 
Halibut {Hippoglossus vulgaris). 
Mr John Murray, the fishery officer of the Leith district, procured for 
me the roe of a halibut, caught east of May Island on February 18 last. 
The fish was 5^ feet in length, and weighed 265 lbs. The roe was pale, 
Avith a very faint pinkish tinge, and weighed 11 lb. 14 oz. The eggs were 
of practically uniform size, easily separable, but not quite ripe. Unfor- 
tunately it was omitted to ascertain their diameter, but for unripe 
pelagic eggs they were relatively large. The roe of a second specimen, 
which weighed 131 lbs., was obtained on the 4:th of June and another on 
26th June. The particulars are as follows : — 
Length of 
Fish, 
(in inches). 
Weight 
of 
Fish. 
Weight of 
Ovaries 
(in grains). 
Weight of 
part taken 
(in grains). 
Number of 
Ova 
counted. 
Total 
Number 
of Ova 
in Ovaries. 
1 
2 
3 
5^ feet 
5 feet 10 in. 
265 
131 
73 
11 lbs. 14 oz. 
2 lbs. lO^oz. 
1 lb. 3 oz. 
60 
10 
10 
3,282 
1,508 
1,792 
4,451,212 
2,803,975 
1,489,510 
In the second and third specimens the substance of the ovaries was 
cream-coloured. The ova varied a little in size, being from 1-27 to 0*7 
mm. in diameter. In the second specimen the ova weighed about of 
a grain each, while in the first specimen each ovum weighed about ^-^ of 
a grain, or rather more than the nearly ripe ovum of the plaice. In the 
third specimen a number of minute ova (0*3 to 0*17 mm.) were detected. 
The Long Rough Dab {Hippoglossoides limandoides.) 
In comparison with other flat-fishes, and indeed with other sea-fish, 
producing pelagic ova, the long rough dab has a -very low degree of 
fertility. The female is in no way incommoded by the ova she has to 
carry. The ventral and dorsal surfaces in the fully ripe fish do not 
exhibit the distended condition seen in the flounder and plaice ; the ovaries 
stop short at some distance from th.e root of the tail, and the posterior 
prolongation is very slender. The ovaries are brownish-orange in colour. 
Another point that shows the ease of reproduction, so to speak, is the 
almost unform size of the ova throughout the ovary when it is on the 
point of maturity (0'97 to 0*64 mm.). The particulars as to the specimens 
examined, all of which were caught on March 12 at the mouth of the 
Firth of Forth, are as follows : — 
Length of 
Fish 
(in inches). 
Weight 
of 
Fish. 
Weight of 
Ovaries 
(in grains). 
A¥eight of 
part taken 
(in grains). 
Number of 
Ova 
counted. 
Total 
Number 
of Ova 
in Ovaries. 
1 
n 
1-91 oz. 
128-25 
10 
4515 
57,904 
2 
n 
1-72 „ 
92-75 
10 
5689 
52,765 
3 
8tV 
1-97 „ 
80-25 
10 
3481 
27,935 
4 
7i 
1-96 ,, 
124-0 
10 
2865 
35,526 
5 
81 
3-10 ,, 
215-0 
15 
3183 
45,623 
