RATE OF GROWTH OF YOUNG SQUIDS. 689 



southern coast, of New England, and continue to batch till the middle of September, and perhaps 

 later. 



"2. By the second week in July, the first hatched of the June Squids have grown to the size 

 in which the body (or mantle) is 30 mm to 48" lm long; but these are associated with others that are 

 younger, of all sizes down to those just hatched. They begin to show a disposition to go in 

 'schools' composed of individuals of somewhat similar si/es. 



"3. By the second week in August, the largest June Squids have become 50 mm to OS 1 "" 1 in 

 length of body, and the later broods are 5""" to oO""" long. As before, with these sizes occur others 

 of all ages down to those just hatched. It should be observed, however, that iu those of our 

 tabulated lots taken by the trawl the very small sizes are absent, because they pass freely through 

 the coarse meshes of the net. 



"4. By the second week iu September, the June Squids have the mantle G0 mia to 82""" long. 

 All the grades of smaller ones still abound. A few larger specimens, taken the last of August 

 and in September, 84 mm to ll() mm long, may belong to the June brood, but they may belong to 

 those of the previous autumn. 



"5. In the first week of November, the larger young Squids taken bad acquired a mantle- 

 length of 79 mm to 85 mm , but these are probably not the largest that might be found. Younger 

 ones, probably hatched in September and October, 8 mm to 20 mra iu length of body, occurred in vast 

 numbers November 1, 1874. The specimens taken November 1C, off Chesapeake Baj-, having the 

 mantle 40 mm to 70 mm long, probably belong to the schools hatched in the previous summer. 



"0. In May and June the smallest Squids taken, and believed to be those hatched in the 

 previous September or October, have the mantle 62""" to 100 mm long. With these there are others 

 of larger sizes, up to 152 mm to 188 mm , and connected with the smaller ones by intermediate sizes. 

 All these are believed to belong to the various broods of the previous season. In these the sexual 

 organs begin to increase in size and the external sexual characters begin to appear. The males 

 are of somewhat greater length than the females of the same age. 



" 7. In July, mingled with the young of the season, in some lots, but more often iu separate 

 schools, we take young Squids having the mantle 75""" to 100""" long. These we can connect by 

 intermediate sizes with those of the previous year taken in June. I regard these as somewhat 

 less thau a year old. 



"8. Beyond the first year it becomes very difficult to determine the aj;e with certainty, for tho.-.e 

 of the first season begin, even iu the autumn, to overlap in their sizes those of the previous year. 



"9. It is probable that those specimens which are taken in largo quantities, while in breeding 



condition, during the latter part of May and iu June, having the mantle 175""" to 225' long in 



the females and 200 mm to 275 mm long in the males, are two years old. 



"10. It is probable that the largest individuals taken, with the mantle 300 mm to 425""" long, 

 are at least three years, and perhaps iu some cases four years old. The very large specimens 

 geui'r:illy occur only in small schools and are mostly males. Tin- females that occur with these 

 very large males are often of much smaller size, and may lie a year younger than their males. 



"II. When Squids of very different sixes occur together in a school.it generally happens 

 that the larger ones are engaged in devouring the smaller ones, as the contents of their stomachs 

 clearly show. Therefore, it is probable that those of a similar age keep together in schools for 

 mutual safety. 



''12. Among the adult specimens of var. jxdUiln taken November It! and December 7, at 

 Astoria, there are several young ones, from 75 to 120 in length, with rudimentary repro- 

 ductive organs. These may, perhaps, be the young of the year, hatched in June." 

 44 V 



