120) REPORT OF COMMISSIONER OF FISH AND FISHERIES, [414] 
channel; dredgings on line 5, a, 6; 7, b,c, d; 8, ¢, d,e,f,g; 42, a, 
b; 43, a, b, c, d, e, were made on the shallower portion of this ground, 
mostly in three to eight fathoms; 38, a, b, ce; 39, a,b; 40, a, b, e¢, da; 
41,b; 44, a, b, c, d,e; 46, e, were made in the deeper parts of the chan- 
nel, in eight to fifteen fathoms. 
Third. Several areas, in the deeper waters of the sound, north and 
northeast of Holme’s Hole, and doubtless continuous with the last area ; 
dredgings, at line 28, a, b, ¢, d,e,f; 29, a,b, c; 31, a, b, ed, e 3 325 
a, b,¢ 3 33, a, b, ce, d, were made on these bottoms. 
Fourth. A narrow strip of clean gravelly bottom, swept by the strong 
«urrents passing around West Chop, and situated between the “* Middle 
Ground” Shoals and Martha’s Vineyard, and extending around to Kast 
Chop, with an interruption of rocky bottom just opposite West Chop ; 
dredgings on line 37, a, b, ¢, d, g, h; 47, a, and 48, a, b, c, d, were made 
on this area. 
Fifth. In the channel, at the entrance to Great Harbor, off Nonamesset 
Island, and partially extending into the harbor, there is more or less 
gravelly and shelly bottom, frequently alternating with rocks and 
often composed chiefly of dead shells, (mainly Crepidula fornicata.) 
This place is swept by the powerful tidal currents running through 
Wood’s Hole Passage; dredgings at line 3, d,e; 5, e,f,g; 13, a, b; 
18, a, b, ¢, d; 19,a; 20,a,b,and many others not indicated on the chart, 
were made here. 
Sixth. Another area at the other end of Wood’s Hole Passage, north 
of Hadley Harbor, and extending out into Buzzard’s Bay a short dis- 
tance; some parts of this region had a smooth hard bettom of fine 
gravel and sand, or coarse sand; in other places it was more or less 
stony; dredgings on line 10, e, f; 11, a, b, ¢, d,e,g; 12, b,c; 70, a, 
b,c, d; T1,a, b, were on these gravelly bottoms. 
Seventh. A shallow region off Cataumet Harbor, in Buzzard’s Bay ; 
the bottom here was hard gravel and shells, much overgrown with alge ; 
dredgings at line 65, a, b, and others not indicated, were made here. 
Eighth. At Quick’s Hole, in the channel between Nashawena and 
Pasque Islands, good gravelly bottom was found; diedgings at line 
15, a,b; 76, a,b, ¢; 77, ¢, d, e,f, were on this area. 
Similar bottoms of small extent were also met with in other places. 
There are also gravelly bottoms in the southwestern part of Vineyard 
Sound, near its mouth, as off Menemsha, but as these are inhabited by 
the more northern species of animals, they will be grouped with those of 
the outside waters. 
The animals of gravelly and shelly bottoms may be burrowing or tube- 
dwelling species, like many annelids, amphipods, bivalve-shells, &c.; 
they may be species that adhere directly to the shells and pebbles, like cer- 
tain hydroids, bryozoa, bivalve-shells, and the numerous ascidians; the 
latter are quite as numerous here as upon the rocky bottoms, and for the 
most part of the same species; they may be species that hide among 
