280 



NOTES AND MEMOEANDA. 



The Bulletin of the United States Fish Commission for 1889 

 contains a report upon a physical investigation of tlie waters off the 

 southern coast of New England in the schooner Grampus during the 

 summer of 1889, by Professor W. Libbey of Princeton College. 

 This forms the first instalment of a series which promises to throw 

 much light on the relations of temperature and salinity to the 

 distribution of fishes and their food, and was itself directly suggested 

 by researches upon the shad and the menhaden. 



The observations cover the area between lat, 39° N. and lat. 41° 

 10' N., and long. 70° W. to long. 71° 30' W., soundings being 

 obtained as nearly as possible every 10' along lines 10' apart. At 

 each station a very complete series of temperature observations was 

 made, and samples were collected at surface, bottom, and in the 

 deeper soundings at an intermediate point. The specific gravities 

 of these samples were determined by means of a Kilgard salino- 

 meter. 



The temperature profiles along meridians of longitude are of great 

 interest, extending as they do from near the coast over the edge of 

 the continental plateau into deep water. The bathy-isothermal line 

 of 50° F. shows a remarkable curvature off the continental platform, 

 which the report says " would seem to point to a mechanical 

 intrusion of cold water from the surface of the continental platform. '^ 

 The conclusion is confirmed by the specific gravity observations ; and 

 the report goes on to say, " The existence of this body of warm 

 water off the continental edge may offer an explanation of the 

 richness of this particular spot in all forms of marine life, as shown 

 by the successful dredging of the Albatross upon it.'' 



It is much to be desired that the samples collected should be 

 subjected to analytical examination, and to more refined determina- 

 tions of density, as in this case it is of the first importance to identify 

 the waters surveyed, and it seems likely that two distinct kinds 

 are present. — H. N. D. 



The following papers contain the results of work done at the 

 Plymouth Laboratory and published elsewhere than in the Journal 

 of the Association during the two years last past. They form a 



