PELAGIC FAUNA. 49 



fishes and of the sea-urchin were procured in considerable 

 numbers towards the end of the month sometimes sooner. 



On one of the small jelly-fishes, the larval stage of an 

 anemone (Peachia), frequenting the sand, was often found 

 attached to the disc by the widely open mouth and tentacles. 

 The young anemones are thus carried about without effort on 

 their part by the beautifully transparent and festooned coach. 

 But while this is so, they are also placed within the reach of 

 the active young gadoids and flat-fishes both of which 

 probably diminish their numbers at this stage as well as 

 subsequently when they are settling in the sand. No food is 

 more tempting. 



The number and variety of these little jelly-fishes were 

 remarkable, indeed on many occasions they thronged the water. 

 Moreover, the enormous quantity of eggs given off by them 

 must largely increase the food of other invertebrates and even of 

 the larval and early post-larval fishes. A consideration of their 

 life-history, further, is a curious comment on the views of 

 those who imagine that the bottom of the sea can to a serious 

 extent be rendered barren by the use of the trawl. While the 

 Hydromedusa? were thus generally plentiful, the true jelly- 

 fishes (e.g. Aurelia and Cyanea\ on the other hand, were vari- 

 able in their appearance, sometimes abounding in June while 

 in cold seasons they were few. 



Infusoria (Tintinnus, Ceratium and Peridiniuni) were 

 especially numerous in the bottom-water, and though not 

 previously mentioned, occurred every month of the year. The 

 phosphorescence of Ceratium caused the interior of the fine 

 tow-net when suddenly jerked at night to gleam like a fiery 

 funnel. 



Amongst algoid forms Rhizosoleniae were common at the 

 beginning of the month, but gradually diminished. Diatoms, 

 the gelatinous algoid masses, and spores frequently occurred. 



July. The pelagic eggs of July were not numerous, 

 though the variety was considerable, viz. gurnard, sprat, 

 rockling, dragonet, weever, and the eggs of the frog- fish 

 in long gelatinous ribands, besides eggs of the dab, topknot, 

 lemon-dab, turbot, sole and little sole. Amongst the young fishes 



M. F. 4 



