COPEPODS OF THE WOODS HOLE EEGION 5 



several hundred species of small anihials to the deep-water fauna off the New 

 England coast, and their use is strongly recoaimended to all deep-sea explorers. 

 It can never be known just how much of the material taken in the trawl wings 

 comes from the bottom, as many specimens are undoubtedly captured by them 

 on their passage from the bottom to the surface. It seems fair to presume, 

 however, that the greater part of what they contain was actually taken at the 

 bottom, as many repeated experiments with the towing net attached to the 

 dredge rope at numerous intermediate depths have always failed to discover 

 anything like the same abundance of life. 



The trawl wings were first suggested by Capt. H. C. Chester, of the Fish 

 Commission in ISSO, and under his supervision the first pair was constructed 

 and put to use in that year on the steamer Fish Haiok. The trawl wings have 

 seldom been known to foul in the descent and very rarely take in any of the 

 bottom sand or mud. The contents consist almost invariably of nothing but 

 small forms of animal life, which after they have been transferred to a bucket 

 or dish of clear water may be examined like surface towings. 



In addition to recording color notes, Doctor Rathbim dissected 

 and mounted the appendages of many species, and there are 150 of 

 his microscope slides in as good condition as when they were first 

 made. These have been of great assistance in determining species, 

 especially in a few instances where only a single preserved specimen 

 was left. Accurate drawings were also made from these slides and 

 from the entire copepods. The present author has already published 

 a long list of these drawings in connection with the parasitic species. 

 There are here added those belonging to the free-swimming forms, 

 not quite so numerous, but many of them possessing exceptional 

 value. 



If all this wealth of material be considered in connection with the 

 several papers that Doctor Rathbun published, it can easily be seen 

 that he would have become one of the foremost authorities upon cope- 

 pods, had not his executive duties compelled him to give up research 

 work. It is, therefore, eminently appropriate that the present paper, 

 which embodies so much of his work, be dedicated to his memory. 



PONDS OF THE AREA 



Another good reason for the increase in the number of species 

 recorded in the present list may be found in the fact that here for 

 the first time an ejffort has been made to examine the plankton of 

 the ponds as well as that of the ocean. If one consults a good map of 

 this region, for example the contour maps of the United States Geo- 

 logical Survey, one of the first impressions received is that of the 

 remarkable abundance of small ponds. Beginning at Woods Hole 

 itself and continuing along the southern shore of the cape to 

 Chatham and then north to Provincetown, there is an almost contin- 

 uous succession of ponds of every description. Large ponds and 

 small ponds with those of moderate size; ponds filled with fresh 

 water, with brackish water, and with salt water; ponds whose entire 



