soon; 



(384 TAGE SKOGSBERG 



same number both in the August sample and the February one. Thus in the August sample 

 there were 13 S and 14 $, in the February sample 108 J and 96 ?. This observation agrees 

 very well with G. H. Fowler's result. On the other hand there were in my samples a far 

 greater number of males than females in the second larval stage. The explanation of this pheno- 

 menc»n certainly seems to be that the females of this stage, on account of their small size, passed 

 through the meshes of the plankton net in far greater numbers than the males; it is to be noted 

 that the still smaller larval stages were almost entirely absent in these samples; cf. G. H. Fowler's 

 result above. Males and females presumably occur during the larval period in about a proportion 

 of 1:1. The proportion between the mature males and females seems to be subject to rather 

 considerable variation. In the August sample the males predominate, in sample I even almost 

 in the proportion of 2,5 : 1 and similarly in sample II of February; in sample I of the latter month 

 both sexes are almost equally represented and in samples III and IV of this month the females 

 are very strongly predominant. See also below. 

 Do the mature funics What is the cause of this variation? Do the males die comparatively soon after 



die eomparaiively .^^^.aining maturity? The fact that the February samples are taken at about the same 

 time and the same locality (cf. below) does not seem to indicate this. But no definite answer 

 can be given to this question before renewed investigations have been carried out with more 

 abundant material. 



Habitat: — 8 k a g e r R a k and Cattegat: 



North Koster; 2. II.: Depth, 30 m. : very rare (only (me specimen). Depth, 65 m. : very 

 common; R. M. S. 331. South Koster; I. II.: Depth, m. : very rare (only one specimen); 

 R. M. S. 332. Depth, 30 m.: very rare; R. M. S. 333. Depth, 65 m.: neither common nor 

 rare; R. M. S. 334. Depth, 125 m. : very common. Depth, 140 m. : very common 

 (= 316 specimens); R. M. S. 335. Vaderoarna (off Fjallbacka); 6. II.: Depth, m.: very 

 rare; R. M. S. 336. Depth, 30 m.: very rare (only one specimen); R. M. S. 337. Depth, 

 65 m.: very common; R. M. S. 338. Hallo (N. of Lysekil); 7. II.: Depth, 30 m.: common; 

 R. M. S. 339. Depth, 65 m.: rare; R. M. S. 340. Maseskar (S. of Lysekil); 8. II.: Depth, 

 30 m.: very rare; R. M. S. 341. Pater Noster (Marstrand); 8. II.: Depth, m.: very rare 

 (only one specimen); R. M. S. 342; Depth, 30 m.: very rare; R. M. S. 343. Vinga (Goteborg); 

 9. II.: Depth, 30 m. : very rare; R. M. S. 344. — All these samples were taken by the 

 Swedish H y d r o g r a p h i c a 1 B i o 1 o g i c a 1 C o m m i s s i o n during a cruise in 1911. 



South Koster; 12. VIII.; depth, 150—0 m.: 1 female; R. M. S. 369. Lat. 58" N., long 9" E. 

 (= S. VIII); 9. VIII.: At the surface: 9 mature males, 6 matvire females and 11 juvenes; 

 R. M. S. 378. Depth. 300 — m. : 24 mature males, 10 mature females and 16 juvenes; R. 

 M. S. 379. Lat. 58" 20' N., long. 10" 5' E. (= S. VII.); 10. VIII.; depth, 150—0 m.: 

 4 mature males and 24 juvenes in different stages; R. M. S. 370. Lat. 58" 46' N., long. 10" 25' E. 

 (= S. X.); depth, 40 m.; 9. VIII.: 3 matm-e males, 8 mature females and 6 juvenes; R. M. S. 380. 

 (Partly -^ the material of P. T. Cleve, 1903.) 



Coast of Norway: 



Lofoten Islands; coll. et tleterm, G. 0. SarS; 17 mature males and 102 mature females. 



