4 
ae Part ITT.— Twenty-fourth Annual Report 
length respectively. The earstones, which are tolerably flat, are broadly 
oval in outline, those of the largest of the three fishes (fig. 50) measure 
fully 7mm. in length and 4°5mm. in width, the greatest width being near 
the middle. The lower margin is moderately convex and even, the 
posterior end is broadly truncate, bnt the proximal end terminates in a 
short narrow process ; the upper margin, from the posterior end forward 
to about the middle of the otolith is slightly arcuate and even, but it then 
slopes abruptly towards the narrow proximal extremity. The lateral 
surfaces are moderately smooth. The earstones of the smallest of the 
three fishes (fig. 51) measure 6'4mm. by 4mm., and closely resemble the 
others in form and sculpture. The earstones of these young Sebastes are 
comparatively as large as those of the sea bream. 
Genus Scorpena. 
Scorpena dactyloptera, Dela Roche. The Blue-mouth. PI. i. B., fig. 53. 
The earstones of a Scorpena 14 inches long are represented by the 
photograph (fig. 53). They are moderately large, measuring 14mm. in 
length and about 6 7mm. in width, the greatest width being a little in 
front of the middle. The lower margin is tolerably arcuate and obscurely 
crenated ; the posterior extremity is truncated, and the margin slopes 
obliquely forward. The proximal portion of the earstone is moderately 
long and narrow ; the upper margin, which is obscurely crenate or lobed, 
extends from the posterior angle in a nearly straight line, slightly diverging 
from the lower margin, to a little beyond the middle, where it terminates 
in an abrupt break, and from this break to the anterior extremity the 
earstone is comparatively narrow. Both the inner and outer sides of the 
earstones are nearly smooth, These earstones were equal to about one- 
twenty-fifth part of the entire length of the fish. 
Fam. CoTtTips. 
Genus Cottus. 
Cottus scorpius, Linn. Sea Scorpion. PI. ii. B., figs, 63-65. 
The earstones represented by fig. 63 (Pl. ili. B.), and which are about 
6mm. in length by 3mm. in depth, were obtained from a large variety of 
Cottus scorptus (var. grenlandicus), but the size of the fish was not 
recorded. The middle portion of the lower margin is nearly straight, 
then it turns slightly upwards at both ends; the upper margin is nearly 
parallel with the middle portion of the lower, but this part of the upper 
margin, beginning at the posterior end, extends only to a little 
beyond the middle of the otolith, where it terminates somewhat abruptly, 
the remaining part of the otolith being narrow and ending in a moderately 
sharp-pointed extremity. The posterior end is bluntly rounded. A 
second and more typical specimen of C. scorpius, which megsure<i 
62 inches in length, had earstones only a little smaller than the other, 
their form being also slightly different (fig. 65). Fig. 64 represents the 
otoliths of a very small Cottus belonging to the same species. — 
Genus Trigla. 
Trigla gurnardus, Linn. The Grey Gurnard. Pl. i. B, figs. 46-52; 
pl. iv., figs. 12.and 13. 
