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BULLETIN OF THE BUREAU OF FISHERIES 
a measure by the distribution of the young 10 millimeters and less in length, as shown 
by the collections. Young 5 millimeters and less in length were taken quite sparingly, 
as only 25 were secured, including 17 taken outside. The young ranging upward of 
5 millimeters in length were taken much more abundantly. The collection contains 
270 specimens 6 to 10 millimeters long, including 253 individuals taken off Bogue 
and Shackleford Banks and only 17 from Beaufort Harbor and adjacent waters. In 
explanation it may be stated that the foregoing results were secured, notwithstanding 
that many more hauls, using identical gear, were made in the inside than in the out- 
side waters. It seems to be evident, therefore, that the young, 10 millimeters and 
less in length, are much more numerous off Bogue and Shackleford Banks than 
within the harbor and adjacent sounds and estuaries. 
The bulk of the young undoubtedly remain in the general vicinity where they 
are hatched until the power to swim is developed. Occasionally the floating eggs 
and the helpless larvae no doubt are carried considerable distances by the wind and 
tide. It is possible that the comparatively few larvae taken in the inside waters were 
carried there involuntarily. The fins are entirely undeveloped until a length of 
about 6 millimeters is attained, and imperfectly until a length of at least 10 milli- 
meters is reached. Prior to the rather full development of the fins the young fish 
probably cannot swim far, nor in a definite direction. Therefore, the majority of 
the young 10 millimeters and less in length would be expected to be found chiefly 
near the spawning ground. 
The conclusion that in the vicinity of Beaufort spawning takes place principally, 
if not wholly, at sea, therefore, seems to be justified from the information given 
relative to the movements of the adults during the spawning season, and from the 
data presented concerning the distribution of the young. 
DESCRIPTIONS OF THE EGGS AND YOUNG 
The reader is referred to Welsh and Breder (1923, pp. 150-153) for descriptions 
of the eggs and their development, as well as for accounts of the newly hatched 
young. Descriptive notes and illustration of the development of the young are 
offered by Pearson. 13 They have been compared with specimens of similar sizes in 
our collection and found to be essentially correct. Accordingly, descriptions and 
illustrations are omitted in this paper. However, the diagnostic characters are 
shown in the accompanying keys. 
Some remarks relative to the eggs of the gray trout seems to be in order, because 
of the extremely great variation in their diameter shown by Welsh and Breder and 
also by Pearson. It is believed that the eggs were taken numerous times off Beau- 
fort Inlet, but were confused with those of the white perch, Bairdiella chrysura. How- 
ever, near the close of the investigation it was noticed that the larger eggs, identified 
as perch eggs, had more numerous pigment spots on the yolk and these were particu- 
larly prominent on the embryo. It was noticed, also, that the newly hatched fish 
not only were larger as would be expected, but contained more pigment spots than 
those hatched from the smaller eggs. Furthermore, the larvae hatched from the 
larger eggs have two bars composed of dots slightly greenish in color in life on the 
caudal portion of the body; one of the bars being at about midcaudal length, and 
the other one, which is rather less distinct, about midway between the vent and the 
bar already described. The larvae hatched from the smaller eggs, on the other hand, 
have only one bar which is situated at about midcaudal length. 
n Unpublished manuscript in the files of the Bureau of Fisheries. 
