408 bulletin: museum of comparative zoology. 



stage in the near neighborhood, as the Sarsia and Bougainvillea un- 

 doubtedly did. And in the case of the Staurophora this is especially 

 important, because this Medusa has often been classed as an Arctic 

 form. As a matter of fact, however, the available data show that it 

 is a constant inhabitant of the Gulf of Maine. On May 17th, several 

 specimens about two inches in diameter were taken ; and "I have seen 

 it adult in Massachusetts Bay at the beginning of June. 



Other animals, the young of which occurred in notable numbers 

 were crabs (Cancer) as noted above, and especially the common 

 barnacle (Balanus). In the case of the latter, the whole reproductive 

 period was covered by the hauls near Boon Island and the Isles of 

 Shoals, for its eggs were taken in large numbers on March 29th and 

 April 4th off Boon Island, the nauplii at the same locality April 5th. 

 By the 9th, the nets yielded large numbers of the " Cypris" stage with 

 a few nauplii, and by the 19th, Cyprids only were taken. These 

 reached their maximum abundance April 25th to 30th, when they 

 formed the bulk of the macroplankton, from which time onward they 

 diminished, though they were constantly present in small numbers 

 until the middle of May, when they had practically' disappeared. 



The most interesting feature of the spring macroplankton, from 

 the fisheries standpoint, was the sudden appearance of great swarms 

 of the schizopod Thysanoessa raschii. A few specimens were taken 

 in the nets on April 22, and on the 23d, when none chanced to be caught 

 Mr. Welsh noted the " pollack schools feeding on shrimps which were 

 also in dense schools," near the Isles of Shoals. On the 25th many 

 were taken off Boon Island, and jNIr. Welsh noted " the feed (shrimps) 

 breaking water trying to get away from the pollack which are after 

 them. The feed occurs in dense swarms, apparently 6 inches to a 

 foot below the surface." Evidently they were an important food for 

 surface-schooling fish. Early in ^lay they were no longer in schools 

 though from this time on occasional specimens were taken; and they 

 again appeared in considerable numbers in the hauls near the Isles 

 of Shoals on the 12th and 13th. 



Mr. Welsh's work covered the' spawning period of the haddock, 

 and several of the hauls yielded great numbers of eggs, notably on 

 April 23 (Station 17), May 6 (Station 25). 



