330 
Part J 11. — Ninth Annual B&port 
readily seen in the water. The appearance of the early post-larval form 
is shown on Plate XL fig. 4. 
23rd July. At this date the marginal fin still shows very bright 
(canary yellow) touches of pigment; dark pigment, however, has 
invaded the outer half of each spot, and occasionally the black pigment 
generally is more fully developed. In some, the posterior touches of 
pigment have moved inwards towards the muscle-plates, but this may 
be individual variation. The five bars on the body are still diagnostic, 
and a stellate black corpuscle often appears at the base of each pectoral. 
The pectorals show a somewhat symmetrical series of fine embryonic 
rays, with distinct intervals. The jaws are motionless, but widely open ; 
the gall bladder is conspicuous. The olfactory organ is less distinct than 
usual. The anus is open, and has probably been so for some time. 
No blood-corpuscles are yet visible in the heart ; Cunningham, how- 
ever, saw pale corpuscles on the 4th day. They swim with the head 
downward as before, and occasionally rest on the side at the bottom. 
The marginal fin is of great proportional depth, while behind the head 
a ' bite ' or incurvation ventrally is marked. 
26th July. All perished. The best examples exhibited a row of 
pigment-specks (which became very conspicuous after immersion in spirit) 
along the ventral edge of the abdomen and the clavicle; and the cartilages 
of the jaws and hyoid apparatus have made great progress. The 
length of the larva on the 4th day is as Cunningham says, about 
4*6 mm. 
In the Researches certain young forms, not unfrequently found in 
deep water, were associated, from their extreme thinness, with the witch 
{Pleuronectes ct/noglossus), though of course absolute proof, as in many 
other cases, has not yet been obtained. They agree in regard to the 
number and position of the pigment-spots with young examples of 
the witch about If in. long, which were procured by the trawling 
expedition under Mr Green and Dr Haddon off the West Coast of 
Ireland, and which will probably soon be described and figured by Mr 
Holt in his account of the young fishes then obtained. The post- 
larval lemon-dab is probably very similar to the foregoing; indeed, the 
older stage there figured (PL XVIII. fig. 9) resembles the lemon-dab 
very closely, and from subsequent observations the young witch at that 
stage is probably more elongate. The four or five large isolated patches 
of pigment, and the general shape of the body, lead on to the example 
25 mm. in length procured since last report, and the description of 
which follows : — A specimen 25 mm. long, procured at the surface in the 
'Garland,' 7th May 1890, the Bass, W. by N., 10 miles (PI. XI. fig. 7.) 
At this stage it is distinguished from the dab by the less elliptical 
outline, the body being thick and somewhat blunt anteriorly, and 
less tapered posteriorly. The eyes are smaller, the head more rounded, 
and the mouth less. The right side, instead of the minutely speckled 
condition of the dab of the same or even a less size, shows traces of 
four distinct marginal touches dorsally, with a minute fifth in front. 
Yentrally are corresponding marginal touches, the fifth being at the 
ventral, fins, while in front of these are one or two additional specks 
on the edge of the throat and snout. On the left side, traces of similar 
touches yet remain, but they are much less distinct. The left eye is 
prominent on the ridge. A young Caligus (PI. XI. fig. 7a) is attached on 
the right side near the tail. 
Of the later stages in the development of the lemon dab, the following 
are arranged according to the months in which they were procured. 
The younger stages, i.e., between the example just mentioned (viz.. 
