SPAWNING HABITS OF CUMINGIA TELLIXOIDES. 43! 



* July 31, new moon. 



IX. 8/2. 5 females shed, 3 heavy, 2 light. 6 males shed, 4 heavy, 2 light. 

 7 did not spawn. 



Comment. Only one female spawned within an hour. And only two males 

 within the first hour. (Why?) No others spawned for two and one half hours. 

 Impression of poor spawning activity, reluctant and evident retention of eggs from 

 some cause, also low percentage spawned after hours. 



* August 7, first quarter. 



X. 8/12. ii females shed, 5 near maximum, 2 medium, 4 light. 14 males 

 shed, all heavy or medium. 2 did not spawn within the first hour. 



Comment. This lot began to spawn after fifteen minutes, males more quickly 

 than females. Most of the males began before thirty minutes. Some females 

 began after twenty-five minutes but most of them after 40 minutes. Fourteen 

 males and eight females had shed within one hour. Three females spawned after 

 one and one half hours. 



Impression of good heavy spawning activity and the reluctance observed a 

 week ago was gone. The spawning was unusually prompt and vigorous. Cause? 



* August 14, full moon. 



XI. 8/16. i oo per cent, spawned. 6 females shed, 4 heavy, 2 medium. 3 males 



shed, 2 heavy, one medium, i spawned after if hours heavily. 

 Comment. Very heavy spawning activity. All except one spawned within an 

 hour. Most of them began in 20 to 30 minutes. The last one spawned heavily 

 after one and one half hours. 



Heilbrun collected twelve Cumingia this date. All but one spawned. 

 XII. 8/20. 6 females spawned within an hour, 4 heavy, 2 medium. 13 males 

 shed, 7 heavy, 3 medium, 3 light. 2 females spawned after if hours. 

 Very few eggs from these two. I did not spawn. 



* August 22, third quarter. 



XIII. 8/26. 100 per cent, spawned. 12 females shed during first hour, 5 heavy, 



2 medium and 5 a mere trace. 9 males shed, 5 heavy, four light. 2 

 females spawned after one hour and forty minutes. The last two spawned 

 very few eggs. 



Comment. Impression of heavy spawning activity during the past ten days. 

 Five females gave only a very few eggs which indicates recent spawning on their 

 part at the full moon period. 



The inhibition to spawning noticed earlier is not now working. The heaviest 

 spawning of the year has occurred during the past ten days. 



XIV. 8/29. None spawned during the first hour. 4 females spawned a few eggs 



later, i/io maximum. 2 males shed a trace of sperm. 14 did not sperm. 

 XV. 8/30. 2 females spawned. Very few eggs, approximately 1,15 maximum. 



3 males shed lightly, i/io maximum. 15 did not spawn. 



* September i, new moon. 



XVI. 9/2. 5 females shed a few eggs, scarcely visible in the dish (a trace). 2 

 males made water slightly turbid with sperm. 18 did not spawn. 



Comment. Spawning negligible. Experiments for 1924 ended at this time. 

 Experience has shown that spawning no doubt revived at the approach of the 

 September full moon for a few days. This series of experiments shows that 

 spawning was heavy early in July from the time the experiments of the season 



