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Part HI. — Ninth Annual Report 
somewhat shorter, occurs to its inner and posterior border. Like the 
rest of the spines both are enveloped almost to the tip in skin. At the 
upper and posterior border of each eye is a small spine, while four or five 
sharp and prominent spines occur along the inferior curve of the pre- 
opercalum. The pectorals are large and have true rays, but only two slight 
papillae indicate the ventrals. 
An older specimen, which, however, is barely the length of the preced- 
ing, and which may therefore belong to another species, came from St 
Andrews Bay last year, the date unfortunately having been lost. The 
pigment (in spirit) has for the most part disappeared, only the cephalic 
and the abdominal persisting. The body is deep and compact, and the 
tail is now formed for the most part of the inferior rays, while the tip 
of the notochord is superior and sheathed in hypural and epiural elements. 
The dorsal and anal hns have true rays, except a portion in front of the 
tail. No differentiation of the first dorsal has taken place,* though the 
first portion of the fin is somewhat lower than the succeeding, and at 
this stage it is of considerable length. The pectorals are large, with true 
rays, and form great lateral fans, which almost reach the dorsal ridge. The 
ventrals appear as two small organs, in a line with the neighbouring edge 
of the pectorals, on the anterior region of the prominent and smoothly- 
rounded abdomen. No spine is visible above the eye. The pre-opercular 
spines are longer and larger, and so with the occipital. The opercular 
spine cannot be made out ; and, indeed, the pectoral fin passes up to this 
region. The eyes present no trace of the choroidal fissure. 
A young specimen of what appears to be the four-horned Cottus {G. 
quadi'icornis), procured on Smith Bank on the 28th June, and measuring 
about 11 "8 mm., already shows many of the adult characters, and is dis- 
tinguished from other Cotti by its more mature appearance, coloration, 
and large dorsal fins. The two pairs of tubercles on the head are well 
marked, but they form a square, the anterior pair being further removed 
from the eyes than in the adult. Moreover, a small spine occurs at the 
posterior and superior border of the eye, and another at the anterior. 
The turbinal spines are present. Four pre-opercular spines are evident. 
The pectorals are large, and extend considerably beyond the vent. The 
ventrals are small, only reaching to the second inferior rays of the 
pectorals. The head is greyish brown (in spirit), and the body is 
marked with deeper blotches of the same hue. Thus a broad band extends 
downward from the anterior two-thirds of the first dorsal, invades and 
passes beyond the base of the pectorals, and sends a spur along the middle 
of the rays. Two lozenge-shaped patches depend, as it were, from the 
second dorsal, but only go a little beyond the middle line. A somewhat 
pale band slants downward and forward from the hypurals, which have 
an almost vertical posterior border. The under surface of the snout and 
abdomen are mottled with specks of the same greyish-brown hue. The 
coloration thus in certain respects differs from that of the adult. A row 
of very distinct cutaneous tubercles runs along each side of the dorsal fins. 
8. On the Young Stages of the Weever {Trachinus). 
The larval condition of the lesser weever was described in 1884 by Mr 
George Brook,* who shows that, after absorption of the yolk, black pig- 
ment develops on the head above, over the gut and the neurochord, as well 
as in the form of a bar on the side further backward. The examples 
only lived, however, about a week after hatching. 
A beautiful little specimen, about 15 mm. long (in spirit), procured 
* Proc. Linn. Soc, vol. xviii. p. 288. 
