14 
report on the Laboratory that a Bloch’s Toplaiot was obtained this 
year off Dunstanborougli. Both of these eggs were very common 
this season. 
Besides the surface net, we used another attached to the beam 
of the trawl, and thus obtained eggs and other products from about 
4 feet from the ground upwards. With this net we obtained, in the 
earlier part of our summer work, a very large quantity of floating 
eggs. The eggs will, of course, tend to float in the region of water 
which is of the same density as they are themselves, and as they 
are driven shorewards and the embryo develops, and their specific 
gravity increases, they sink down from the surface. This is 
naturally of great importance for their preservation. The sinking 
of the eggs, however, is not always due to the development of the 
embryo. The ova vary in density, for many eggs were got in the 
bottom net even younger than those got at the same time m the 
surface net. The descent of the eggs is aided also, most probably, by 
the in-shore water being of less density than that further out, and on 
the surface than that nearer the bottom. 
WEE YE R. 
June 23 ... 
Skate Boads 
Surface ... 
A few. 
„ HO ... 
Druridge Bay ... 
n • • • 
Common. 
„ 30 ... 
5 » ... 
Midwater . . 
Numerous. 
July 7 ... 
Alnmouth Bay... 
Surface ... 
Fairly common. 
n 7 ... 
O ... 
Midwater.. 
Common. 
„ 14 ... 
Cambois Bay ... 
Surface ... 
it 
„ Id ... 
n ... 
Midwater.. 
1 1 
UNKNOWN EGG. 
—Perhaps that of MULLER’S TOPKNOT. 
June 23 
Skate Roads 
Surface ... 
Only 1 or 2. 
„ HO ... 
Druridge Bay ... 
it • • • 
Several. 
„ 30 ... 
it ... 
Midwater .. 
Common. 
July 7 ... 
Alnmouth Bay... 
Surface ... 
Fairly common. 
„ 7 ... 
n • • • 
Midwater.. 
Common. 
„ 14 ... 
Cambois Bay ... 
Surface ... 
Aug. 21 ... 
2/3 miles off Blyth 
One. 
Scpt.lt 
Cambois Bay ... 
One, dead. 
It is very probable Unit some of those will tutu out to bo the oirjrs of Motolho. 
