1917 Rigff: on Bladder Kelp 311 



all showed numerous soral patches, but only one of these plants had lost 

 any of its soral patches. The whole bed was examined and it is believed 

 that the 13 plants reported were representative of the bed both as to 

 size and state of spore production. Bed 250 feet long. No floating kelps 

 seen. 



In three of the specimens examined the stipe had grown in a cork- 

 screw, or spiral form. All showed a roughened, slightly elevated line 

 (% to % in, wide) correspondingly exactly with the spiral turns of the 

 stipe. The spiral turns were very close together near the holdfast of the 

 kelp and were gradually farther and farther apart toward the top of the 

 stipe until at the bulb the line was practically straight. In every case 

 the roughened line extended to one or more fronds. 



5. Ju7ie 6, 1915. Observations made from shore from 4:30 to 5:30 

 P. M. The tides during the afternoon were as follows: 12:50 P. M., 

 +7.8 feet; 5:42 P. M., -\-6.6 feet. No kelp at all could be seen from 

 the shore. Evidently the plants that were long enough to reach the sur- 

 face at this stage of the tide were drawn under by it or were invisible on 

 account of waves. One kelp 5 feet long was found drifted up on the 

 beach. At another point about a dozen kelps of practically the same size 

 were found entangled in a mass of brush drifted up on the beach. 



6. June 27, 1915. Low tide ( — 1.1 ft). Measured 11 kelps. 

 Lengths were as follows: Maximum, 29 ft.; minimum, 5 ft.; average, 15 

 it. No kelps could be found exj^osed. The inner edge of the bed was 

 15 to 30 feet from shore. Of the 11 kelps measured, 6, comprising all 

 of those over 12 feet long, were fruiting. Of these six, five had discharged 

 many of their soral patches. Only six floating kelps were seen during 

 the 2^ hours spent at the bed. Three of these were 3 to 5 feet long 

 and the others were 18 to 20 feet long. Soundings were made in the 

 bed at the extreme low tide. The shallowest sounding, at the inside of 

 the bed, was 2 feet. The deepest, at the outside, was 15 feet. The plants 

 at the outer edge of the bed were practically all submerged. That is, 

 Ihey were not long enough to reach the surface even at this state of the 

 tide. Extreme width of bed, 50 feet. Two "spiral" kelps were found. 



7. September 9, 1915. Time, 2:30 to 4:00 P. M. High tide was 

 4:34 P. M., at Port Townsend. hence probably a little after 5 at this 

 bed. The tidal current was running through the bed and very few kelps 

 were visible. Evidently the crop of kelp was much lighter this year than 

 in 1914. Measured three kelps. Their lengths were 26, '31 and 45 feet; 

 average 34 feet. All kelps seen were fruiting abundantly. Many soral 

 patches had come out, so that the ones seen still in the fronds were all 

 near the base of the fronds. 



