INLAND FISHERIES. O-S 



every bucketful of water contained thousands of specimens, yet 

 they were exceedingly rare, if present at all, at Woods Holl. 



In the upper part of Buzzard's Bay, at Ney's Neck, the starfish 

 probably bred in great numbers, judging- from the appearance of 

 the adults earlier in the spring, yet the larv;o were rarely caught 

 at Woods Holl. 



These facts, and others of the same nature, certainly suggest 

 that the larval starfish may not be transported to great distances 

 in the Bay by the tides. 



X. What is the duration of the larval period ? {Tf an effort is 

 to he made to destroy the larvae, udten must it he made?) 



The reply to this question has been given in detail, in chai)ter 

 YIII, p. 48. Briefly stated, the larval period of an individual star 

 is probablj' about three weeks. (The precise length of time could 

 be ascertained only by keeping certain larviB under observation 

 and in normal conditions from the time the egg is fertilized until 

 the larviTe set.) The period durijig wlrich the larva? may be found 

 in the water extends from about the second week in June to the 

 third week in July, according to the observations last year. There 

 may be a slight variation from year to year, as in the case of other 

 marine animals. The larvre set in very great numbers about the 

 28tli of June last year. An effort to destroy the larv;o would be 

 more effective, therefore, during the last of June, when the spawn- 

 ing season is practically past and the setting has not begun. 



XI. What are the hahits of the young starfish.? {It is j)ossihle 

 that the youmj starfsh, Ill's the yountj of many f.sh, tend to gather 

 in scJiools. If so, the young might Iw killed of in thousands.) 



The data with reference to the habits of the young stars were 

 collected at Kickemuit, where I was able to have a certain area 

 along the shore under constant observation. 



Ul) to the very time when the larva? are ready to set, they swim 

 freely in the water, and I have often caught larvte in the tow-net 



