[fraser] swarming OF ODONTOSYLLIS 49 



distance from the station that none of these places have so far been 

 discovered 



The district along the east coast of Vancouver Island is very 

 abundantly supplied with polychsetes, both as to variety of species and 

 to number of individuals. It must be that many of these come to the 

 surface to spawn and possibly some of them swarm as does Odonto- 

 syllis. There is not much chance of finding these otherwise than by 

 accident unless a study is made of them throughout the year so that 

 some idea may be obtained as to when the swarms should be looked 

 for. As yet nothing has been done except for a short time in the sum- 

 mer. Only one case, apart from 0. phosphorea, has come under my 

 notice. On Sept. 30, 1913, late in the afternoon, probably about 5 

 o'clock, a male specimen of Nepthys cœca (Fabricius) was found swim- 

 ming at the surface near the station float. Apparently it came to the 

 surface to spawn but r^o others were seen then or at any time since. 



The polychsetes serve as a main article of diet for many of the 

 flat-fish, hence the extensive and intensive study of their life-histories 

 is of importance from an economic as well as from a purely biological 

 point of view. It is quite true that little attention has yet been paid 

 to any of the flatfish of the Pacific with the exception of the halibut 

 but many other species are of just as good flavor (in my opinion, much 

 better) as the halibut, although of course they are much smaller. 

 Since they are probably abundant in various localities, they must 

 receive attention some day and the sooner the better. 



Sec. IV, 1915 — i 



