INLAND FISHERIES. 61 



It will be noticed that among- these specimens, as well as among 

 those in the original car, given in the first table, there is rarely 

 any evidence of growth after October 25th, but there is rather a 

 slight decrease in size. On each occasion the measurements were 

 made without referring to those of the preceding date, so that no 

 personal prejudice might enter the results. For the most part 

 the figures indicate a fairly uniform rate of growth among the 

 different stars. In interpreting these figures, there is one factor 

 which is to be taken into consideration, namely : that starfish 

 over 20 m. m. (sometimes less) are able to contract and expand, 

 so that two careful measurements, taken within a few minutes of 

 each other, may vary as much as one or two millimeters. The 

 measurements in the last three columns, therefore, indicate that 

 the starfish in the car were of about the same size on November 

 11th as on October 25th. The first measurement (41 m. m.) on the 

 bottom of the opposite page, under November 11th, is doubtless 

 an error. 



It may be inferred, from what has already been said, that at 



