1917 Rigg: on Bladder Kelp 313 



Kelps were abundant in the water. Twelve specimens were meas- 

 ured. They averaged 13 feet in length. The longest was 2-i feet. The 

 shortest (2 feet) was growing on the stipe of another kelp. All of them 

 that exceeded 8 feet in length were fruiting abundantly. Many kelps 

 were too short to reach the surface of the water and it could be seen that 

 many of them were not fruiting. 



13. Oct. 21, 1916. Observations continued from 10:45 A. M. to 

 12:30 P. M. High tide (13.2 ft.) was at 1:37. The bed visible was ap- 

 proximately 600 feet long and 20 to 40 feet wide. Five kelps were meas- 

 ured. The longest was 48 feet and the shortest 30 feet. They aver- 

 aged 35 feet. Four of these were fruiting abundantly. The fifth had 

 ceased fruiting, all of the soral patches having fallen out. Twenty other 

 kelps were examined and were all found to be fruiting abundantly. By 

 looking at the fronds in the water as we passed over the bed in a boat, 

 fruiting was found to be common throughout the bed. Five specimens, in 

 all, were examined which showed the soral patches all gone so that 

 fruiting had ceased. Only three specimens were found in which decay 

 had begun in the stipe. 



About a dozen specimens were seen floating. The attachment of a 

 iiumber of kelps was tested by pulling on them. Only 6 were found to 

 give waj^ with sufficient ease to indicate that their attachments was weak- 

 ening. Of these, four showed shale still attached to their foldfasts, sug- 

 gesting that it was the material to which they were attached that had given 

 way, rather than the hold f est itself. 



As a whole this kelp bed was still in good condition on this date. 

 That is: (a) No serious decay has yet set in. (b) The kelps are still 

 firmly attached, (c) Fruiting is still going on. 



Some of the kelps had as much as 6 feet of the stipe lying on the 

 surface of the water at this stage of the tide, while others, particularly at 

 the outside of the bed in deeper water, did not come to the surface by 

 4 feet. There were all gradations between these two extremes. The tide 

 was almost slack and many of the fronds were observed to be hanging 

 directly downward. 



14. Dec. 11, 1916. (The data of this observation were furnished 

 by Miss Joanne Karrer.) Tide, about 9 feet. Water rough. A good 

 many fronds still showed soral patches, and were apparently still dis- 

 charging spores. Many kelps, however, were entirely without fronds. 

 Decay was beginning in the stipes of many specimens. Some floating kelps 

 were seen. 



15. Feb. 28, 1917. Observation from 4:15 to 4:40 P. M. Low tide 

 at 4:39 P. M. ( + 3.0 ft.) The kcl)) bed was 650 feet long, and from 15 



