BIGELOW: COAST WATER EXPLORATION OF 1913, 307 



none of the various species found are new to the Atlantic Coast or 

 even rare, but when the location is taken into consideration and the 

 effect of the conditions of such a location on at least two of the species, 

 the collection proves to be of more than passing interest. 



It is not unusual to find fragments of hydroid colonies torn from their 

 support or from the rest of the colonies, living for a considerable time 

 as they float on the sui-face. The majority of the species in this col- 

 lection are represented by just such fragments, but the fact that there 

 are so many of these species must indicate that in this region a vortex 

 must be formed by currents whose influence reach to the shallow water 

 some distance away. Furthermore, it would seem that some time not 

 so very long previous to the time of collection, there must have been 

 a rather violent storm, sufficient to make the effect of the waves felt 

 at a greater depth than usual, as some of the species represented are 

 not usually found at low tide or even in very shallow water. It is 

 doubtful if any data have been obtained as to the length of time that 

 fragments or even whole colonies of hydroids would live under such 

 conditions. It is quite true that Sargassum torn away by storms, 

 will carry hydroids in a perfectly fresh condition for weeks, during 

 which time they may be carried hundreds of miles by the current, 

 but the case is scarcely parallel as the Sargassum itself remains in 

 good condition during this period unless it drifts ashore and dries out 

 in the sun. In the present instance, no support was present in any 

 case except portions of blades of eelgrass. Even here if the roots were 

 attached, the eelgrass would remain fresh for some time, but there 

 were no roots. There were only small fragments of leaves that may 

 have been dead before they were carried away. In the majority of 

 cases even this support was lacking, while one species, Clytia cylindrica, 

 to which special attention is paid later, ordinarily making much use 

 of a support, apparently regenerated and continued to grow without 

 any support. 



Doubtless if the spot where these were found is a vortex, there 

 would be abundance of food material and the hydranths would not 

 suffer in that regard. They might be better off even than in their 

 own habitat. If light and specific gravity have any special directive 

 influence on the growth of the colony, some power must have been 

 exerted to overcome it, since the different position of the support 

 or the lack of it places the colonies in entirely new positions. Many 

 cases of adaptability to unusual circumstances have been cited among 

 hydroids and this must be added to the list. 



The thirteen species found make quite a varied collection, as only 



