(a 
4 es 
of the Fishery Board for Scotland. 68 
entire length of the fish. The annexed table contains the measurements 
of a few of the other fishes examined and of the sizes of their otoliths. 
Earstones. 
Figure on the 
plate. (i. B.) Length of the fish. 
Length. Depth. 
14 220mm. 3°7mm. 20mm. 
15 185mm. 3‘lmm. 1°‘7mm. 
16 177mm. 3'lmm. 1‘7mm. 
17 165mm. 3‘lmm. 1-7mm. 
The earstones of the three smallest fishes are almost identical in size 
and shape. 
Genus Raniceps. 
Raniceps raninus (Linn.). The Lesser Fork-beard. PI. i. B., figs. 1-8 ; 
pl. iv., fig. 6. 
The earstones of the lesser fork-beard or tadpole fish are tolerably large ; 
their outline forms a nearly regular oval ; both the lower and upper mar- 
gins are moderately thin and convex, and converge towards both ends 
which are narrow and rounded, but the posterior extremity is more pointed 
than the other. A thickened but obscurely defined rib extends along the 
middle line from end to end, and gives a massive appearance to the 
_otolith. The largest fish represented here was 12 inches long, and its ear- 
stones measured—one, fully 14mm., the other 15mm. in length and about 
7mm. in greatest width, so that in this example the length of the 
earstones is equal to about the one twenty-second part of the entire length 
of the fish. 
Fig. 5 represents the earstones of a fish about 83 inches long, and as 
they measure about 11mm. in length they show almost the same propor- 
tion to the length of the fish as the other—viz., about one-twentieth part. 
Fig. 7 represents the earstones of another fish that measured about 
180mm., and as the earstones. are nearly 10mm. in length, it seems to bear 
out what has been already stated, that in some species and within certain 
limits the smaller fishes possess earstones relatively larger in proportion 
to the length of the fish than the adult specimens. The annexed Table 
gives the length of a number of the fishes examined, with the sizes of 
their otoliths :— 
Earstones. 
Figure on the Length of the 
Plate; (i. B.) Fish. 
Length. Depth. 
; 1 fully 14 and 1 F 
1 12 inches, ... { are eae \ 70mm. 
f Average of the ; 
2 LU ae ec { Be oi minni } 60mm. 
3 2 es SL ee) 12°3mm. ta 55mm. 
4 LS eee es 12°0mm. me 53mm, 
5 82, oe 11°2mm. a 4‘5mm. 
6 Ue eee sf 10°7mm. Cae il 4‘5mm. 
7 Tees if) 9‘8mm. a 4°5mm. 
8 4 BS fe 2:4mm. Sef 1‘Omm 
