614 
BULLETIN OF THE BUREAU OF FISHERIES 
growth data contained in tables 1-4, it apparently may be assumed that these species 
in the general latitude of Beaufort spawn from about November to February. 
U. earlli is so scarce at Beaufort that very little material was obtainable. In fact 
only three young, 37, 75, and 103 mm long, were secured. Therefore, virtually nothing 
was learned concerning its life history. However, the two larger young were taken 
March 24 (1931), and the smallest one April 15 (1931), when regius of about the same 
size also were taken. It is possible, therefore, that earlli, like the other local species 
of hake spawns during the winter on the coast of North Carolina. 
It may be stated with some assurance that the hakes do not spawn in the bays 
and estuaries at Beaufort, as the eggs and larvae were not taken in these waters during 
several years of intensive collecting. All the larvae of regius and floridanus at hand 
were taken at sea from 6 to 13 miles offshore, beyond which no collecting was done. 
It apparently may be assumed, therefore, that these hakes spawn only at sea in the 
vicinity of Beaufort. The abundance of young floridanus, and especially of regius, 
during the winter and early spring indicates rather extensive spawning in the Beaufort 
region. 
We have included in the present discussion TJ. chuss for reasons already stated, 
though this species is not recorded from Beaufort. In regard to the spawning Bigelow 
and Welsh (1925, p. 452) stated that the height of the spawning season of this species 
falls in early summer in the Massachusetts Bay region and at least as early as June 
south of Cape Cod. Also, that the extreme limits of the spawning season were not 
known, but that the evidence collected indicated that it spawns in the Gulf of Maine 
from late spring until early autumn. We have at hand specimens 2.75 to 15 mm in 
length collected by the Albatross off Cape Henry, Va., October 30, 1919, and off Kitty 
Hawk, N. C., October 31, 1919. We, also, have specimens of similar size collected on 
the coast of New Jersey by the Grampus, July 19, 1912. It seems, therefore, that the 
spawning season of this species is a very long one. 
DESCRIPTIONS OF THE EGGS AND YOUNG 
The eggs of Urophycis were not recognized in collections made at Beaufort, and 
the larvae were not taken often. Those collected apparently are separable into two 
species, namely, regius and floridanus, as shown subsequently. The smallest specimen 
of earlli taken, the only other species of Urophycis known from Beaufort, is 38 mm long. 
Various additional collections of young hakes from both north and south of Beau- 
fort, made principally by the Albatross, the Grampus and the Fish Hawk, are at hand 
for study. These include almost a complete series of the northern hake, U. chuss, 
which is not known from Beaufort, though specimens taken off Kitty Hawk, N. C., 
are at hand. 
We also have the notes and some rough camera lucida drawing of the development 
of the eggs, and newly hatched young of chuss, made by the late W. W. Welsh. Some 
of this information, together with two of the drawings, already has been published 
by Bigelow and Welsh (1925, p. 454). It seems desirable to bring to light more of 
the information gathered long ago (1916) by Mr. Welsh, and to include as full an ac- 
count of the development of this species as the data and specimens at hand permit. 
This seems especially desirable because of the close similarity of the young to the 
species occurring at Beaufort. 
The development of the shape of the body is most peculiar, as may be seen from 
the descriptions and illustrations of the stages of development. The early larvae are 
slender; next, at a length of 4.0 mm or so, they become considerably deeper and more 
