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BULLETIN OF THE BUREAU OF FISHERIES. 



Loligo pealii Continued. 



during the winter. Taken in great numbers 

 in the local fish traps; likewise at Menemsha 

 Bight, where barrels of them are sometimes 

 caught. Dredged in all parts of Vineyard 

 Sound and Buzzards Bay, though such speci- 

 mens were not necessarily caught at or even 

 near the bottom. Eggs, however, were taken 

 during the Survey dredging as deep as 15 

 fathoms, and it is therefore certain that the 

 animal frequents depths as great as this. In- 

 deed, Verrill states that it descends to 50 

 fathoms. 



Fish Hawk stations: 7522 bis (2), 7530 (6 small), 

 7542 (few small), 7543 bis (i), 7547 bis (2), 7554 

 (2 small), 7570 (2 large, i small), 7571 (few), 

 7576 (2 small), 7578 (i large), 7579 (many), 7580 

 (2), 7581 (few small), 7582 (i small), 7583 (sev- 

 eral small), 7584 (few small), 7586 (2 small), 7589 

 (few small), 7590 (few small), 7591 (several, i 

 large), 7592 (few small), 7599 (i large), 7600 (2 

 large), 7612 (2), 7613 (2 large, many small), 

 7614 (i large and several small), 7615 (several 

 small), 7618 (several small), 7619 (2), 7622 (i 

 small), 7627 (2 small), 7637 (i very small), 7641 

 (i), 7643 (several small), 7644 (few small), 7653 

 (i small), 7656 (young), 7657 (few small), 7660 

 (few), 7662 (i adult), 7675 (i small), 7678 (sev- 

 eral small), 7680 (i small), 7681 (2), 7683 (i), 

 7685 (several, mostly small), 7686 (several 

 medium sized), 7687 (several medium sized), 

 7688 (4), 7704 (i small), 7708 (i medium), 7710 

 (2 small), 7724 (several), 7725 (i small), 7726 

 (several small), 7727 (2 small), 7729 (few small) 

 7730, 7734 (3), 7735 (2), 7737 (2 small), 7739 (i 

 medium sized), 7740 (few large and medium 

 sized), 7749 (many), 7753 (i), 7754 (several 

 large and small), 7756 (i), 7772 (i large, i 

 small), 7775 (i), 7776 (2 large), 7778 (i small), 

 7780 (several), 7783 (several). 

 Clusters of eggs were dredged at the following 

 stations: Fish Hawk stations: 7522 bis (i), 

 7524 (i), 7524 bis (i), 7525 bis (several), 7537 

 bis (i), 7543 bis (i), 7544 (i), 7548 (i), 7553 (i), 



Loligo pealii Continued. 



7554 (i), 7557 (i). 75! (i,, 7593 (i). 7624 (2), 

 7638 (several), 7656, 7671 (2), 7762 (2). 



Phalarope stations: 2, 8, 9 (i), 52 (i), 76 (i). 



The eggs are taken throughout the summer. Dr. 

 Bumpus reports that they have been deposited 

 in the laboratory in May, while Verrill states 

 that the spawning occurs as late as September. 

 Eggs were dredged by the Survey from July 6 

 to August 30, at depths of from 4 to 15 fathoms, 

 on every sort of bottom, chiefly in Vineyard 

 Sound. They are also found in fish traps, 

 often in considerable numbers. The young 

 are frequently abundant at the surface during 

 the summer. 



The squid is important as a food for many fishes. 

 It is used extensively as bait by line fisher- 

 men, but its value as a food for man is not yet 

 realized in this country. 



Ommastrephes illecebrosa Verrill. Short-fmned 

 squid; "soft squid;" the common squid north 

 of Cape Cod. 



Gould, 1870, p. 510 (Ommastrephes sagittatus); 

 Verrill and Smith, 1873, p. 634, 441, etc.; Ver- 

 rill, 1880, p. 289; 1881, p. 268; 1882, p. 293- 

 309, 412. 



Distribution general, though this species is far 

 less common than Loligo. Recorded by Ver- 

 rill for Newport, Gay Head, and Vineyard 

 Sound. Taken by trap fishermen at Menem- 

 sha and in the laboratory trap in Buzzards 

 Bay. 



For an interesting account of the habits of this 

 species, see Verrill, 1882, p. 305 et. seq. 



Family PHILONEXID^E. 



Parasira catenulata Steenstrup. 



Verrill, 1878, p. 210 (Octopus granulatus); 1880, 



p. 293; 1881, p. 362; 1882, p. 389. 

 One specimen taken in Vineyard Sound in 1876 



(collected by V. N. Edwards, identified by 



Verrill). 

 Properly a Mediterranean and West Indian form. 



Balanoglossus aumntiacus (Girard). 



Verrill and Smith, 1873, p. 627, 351, etc.; Mor- 

 gan, 1891. 



Beach beyond Nobska Point; Newport. A. 

 Agassiz. Naushon. Verrill. Hadley Harbor; 

 Bay shore of Penzance. Morgan. Katama 

 Bay; Tarpaulin Cove. (Collected by Dr. Os- 



Phylum CHORDATA. 



Class ADELOCHORDA. 



Balanoglossus aurantiacus Continued. 



burn; identified with some doubt by Prof. 

 Ritter as "Balanoglossus Koivalevskii A. Agas- 

 siz"). Balanoglossus occurs in beaches or flats 

 of clear or muddy sand or gravel, into which it 

 burrows rather deeply. 

 Tornaria abundant in tow in August. Morgan. 



a According toMr. Edwards's records, the date of the earliest reported capture cf squid in local waters has ranged, during the 

 past 10 years (1900-1909), from April 16 to May 7. The mean of these dates is April 26. 



