IO4 W. C. ALLEE. 



in some abundance on rocks, such as those at the Buzzard Bay 

 entrance to Northwest Gutter. 



The blood starfish, Henricia sanguinolenta (O. F. Miiller), 

 distributed from Cape Hatteras to Greenland and reported as 

 common north of Cape Cod, was decidedly more abundant this 

 year than usual. 



The effects of the unusually cold winter on the abundance of 

 the animal life may be due to one or all of the following factors : 



1. To the temperature deficit, regardless of the duration of 

 the cold weather. In this case the deficit amounted to 133 

 degrees when the winter months were compared with those of 

 the five year period of 1902-06. 



2. To the long-continued cold weather (practically 80 days 

 at or below freezing). 



3. To the fact that the cold weather began relatively early, 

 or that it lasted relatively late, without regard to the temperature 

 in the mid-winter interval. 



Of these possibilities, I am inclined to regard the second and 

 third as furnishing the cause for the observed -change on the 

 animals, with the fact that the cold weather lasted well through 

 March as the most important factor. This is supported by the 

 February temperatures, which were practically the same for the 

 three periods listed, so the temperature for this month could have 

 made little difference, and by general experience that a "late 

 spring" gives some approach to the conditions found this summer. 



