198 BULLETIN : MUSEUM OF COMPARATIVE ZOOLOGY. 



Throughout the Cruise the weather was excellent and, the winds favor- 

 ing, we accomplished the work mapped out with greater rapidity than 

 could fairly have heen expected. On July 18 the " Grampus" returned 

 to Gloucester. 



The Surface Fauna. 



During the Cruise surface hauls were made at five stations, and in addi- 

 tion specimens were collected in the hand nets at several other localities, 

 while, of course, surface forms were also taken in abundance in the inter- 

 mediate hauls with open nets. The most interesting feature of the sur- 

 face fauna was the extraordinary abundance of Salpae in the warm 

 water. Salpae were first encountered on July 9, a few miles south of 

 Gay Head, where scattered individuals and a few chains were seen float- 

 ing on the surface. As we approached the continental slope and the 

 surface temperature grew higher, they became steadily more numerous, 

 until by the time we had fairly entered the Gulf Stream they were 

 present in greater abundance than I have ever seen them before, even 

 in the Humboldt current where the " Albatross " encountered them in 

 dense swarms. Throughout the three legs which we ran in the region of 

 the Stream their quantity was enormous, and it was not until we once 

 more entered the colder waters over Nantucket shoals on our homeward 

 run that their numbers began to diminish. Owing to the calmness of 

 the weather for several successive days we had an excellent opportunity 

 to observe them. On all sides of the vessel the surface was covered 

 with chains, up to six feet in length, as well as with scattered single indi- 

 viduals. And as far as the eye could penetrate, at least five fathom, they 

 were so abundant that during several hours' watching over the stern 

 there was never a time when several chains were not in sight beside the 

 rudder post at once. The quantitative results of several surface hauls 

 may give a definite notion of the abundance of Salpae. At Station 5, 

 where we made a surface haul of ten minutes' duration, the two-foot net 

 was filled to the brim with Salpae, and its bridle and rope festooned with 

 chains. On several successive occasions, also, the two-foot net was com- 

 pletely filled after towing a few minutes. With the five-foot net it was 

 impossible to make any surface hauls because the weight of the load of 

 Salpae which were captured almost at once endangered the net. Even 

 in the intermediate hauls considerable quantities were taken. Thus, in 

 hauls with the five-foot open net, at 150 fathoms (Station 7) between three 

 and four quarts, and at 200 fathoms to surface (Station 1 3) eight quarts 

 of Salpae were taken. In these, and in every other intermediate haul, the 



