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of the Fishery Board for Scotland. | 66 
the length of the fish. This shows a somewhat marked difference from 
those of the whiting 14 inches long that measured 20mm. in length, or 
about the one-eighteenth part of the length of the fish. 
Gadus pollachius (Cuv.). The Pollack or Lythe. Pl. i.a., figs. 11-13. 
The lythe has earstones closely resembling those of the saithe in shape, 
in size, and sculpture. Fig. 11 represents the otoliths of a lythe 31 inches 
long; they measure about 20mm. in length by about 8mm. in greatest 
width. The length of these otoliths in proportion to the length of the 
fish is scarcely equal to half the length of those of the whiting referred to 
above, but what is wanting in length is made up by their more massive 
structure. Figs. 12 and 13 represent the earstones of two smaller fishes, 
but their lengths have not been recorded. 
Genus Merlucius. 
Merlucius merluccius (Linn.), The Hake. PI. iii. a., figs. 32-35. 
The earstones of the hake differ remarkably from those of other 
British Gadoids. They are thin and leaf-like, and are somewhat ovate in 
outline; they are broadest near the anterior end, and thence taper 
gradually backwards to the narrow distal extremity. The lower side has 
an evenly, but not very boldly, rounded edge that extends unbroken from 
the front to the posterior end. The upper edge is very thin and more 
or less finely serrated, the divisions between the serrations being in 
some parts very distinct ; near the anterior end this margin rises into a 
prominent angle and forms the widest (or deepest) part of the earstone. 
Immediately posterior to this angle the margin is slightly concave, and 
this imparts to the angular prominence a somewhat gibbous appearance, 
as shown in the figure; from this point the margin slopes gradually to 
the distal end. The earstones of comparatively small fishes show the 
same gibbous appearance, The posterior end of the earstones is some- 
what narrow and sharp-pointed. The fish from which the largest earstone, 
shown on pl. iil. A. (fig. 33), was taken was a tolerably large one, but its 
length was not recorded. This earstone measures about 27'5mm. long 
by fuliy 9mm. in greatest width. The next largest of the otoliths 
represented by the figures were from a rather smaller fish than the one 
just referred to, but its length has also not been recorded. These otoliths 
are about 25mm. in length, and their greatest width nearly 9mm. Two 
otoliths from a hake 16 inches long (fig. 34) measure nearly 17mm. by 
about 6mm., and another fish 144 inches long was furnished with ear- 
stones 16mm. in length by about 5:5mm. in greatest depth. In these 
last. two examples the length of the earstones is equal to one twenty- 
fourth and one twenty-third part of the entire length of the fishes they 
were taken from. 
Genus Phycis. 
Phycis blennoides (Briin.). The Greater Forkbeard. Pl.1. ., fig. 27. 
The earstones from a moderately large specimen of the greater fork- 
beard are represented by fig. 27 on pl.i. a. This fish, the size of which 
was not recorded, possessed tolerably large earstones. They measure 
about 16°5mm, in length by 65mm. in depth. The upper margin, which 
is nearly straight, has the edge moderately sharp and irregularly serrate, 
while the anterior extremity is obliquely truncated. The lower margin 
is boldly arched and somewhat angular in the middle, and converges 
