12 MARINE AND FISHERIES 



5 GEORGE v., A. 1915 



cell; in others (such as Biddulphia, Melosira, Skeletonema, Rhahdonema, Tabellaria 

 &c.) the frustules, though individually small, are attached to each other to form 

 filaments or chains; while in still others, and these the most characteristic, the 

 desired object is attained by the development of processes, arms or horns, pro- 

 jecting from the cells, and which are often of extravagant length — {Chaetoceros, 

 Bacteriastrum, Nitschia, &c.) — the presence of oil globules in the cells probably 

 also assists in certain cases. 



The Biology of the Plankton-Diatoms has, until within a few years, been the 

 subject of comparatively little study; but now that their importance in connection 

 with their relations to the support of other forms of life has been generally recog- 

 nized, observers at the principal Biological Stations, both in America and Europe, 

 have been giving them much attention. Both their classification and nomenclature 

 are, however, still in a very unsatisfactory state, and the literature of the subject 

 is comparatively small. So far as New Brunswick is concerned absolutely nothing 

 has previously been published, though references to some of the characteristic 

 species have been made by the writer in earlier articles on the Diatoms of the 

 New Brunswick seaboard. Dr. Ramsay Wright has also described and figured 

 some of the species found by him in the Plankton of Canso, N.S. (Contributions 

 to Canadian Biology, 1902-1905). 



The materials upon which this paper is based were obtained mainly from 

 Passamaquoddy Bay and the adjoining waters of the Bay of Fundy, and in con- 

 nection with the work of the Marine Biological Station at St. Andrews. In making 

 the collections very fine silken tow-nets were employed, and their contents examined 

 while still fresh and in their proper element, chemical treatment being apt to 

 disintegrate the concatenate forms, while mounting in balsam will often cause 

 delicate forms, though readily seen in water or dry, to become nearly or quite 

 invisible. It is, however, often necessary to treat the material, after removal of 

 salt by washing and decantation, with Nitric acid, in order to remove the vast 

 number of Copepods and other organisms with which they are associated as well 

 as foreign matters adherent to the Diatoms themselves. 



The most frequent accompaniments of the plankton-diatoms, in addition to 

 the Crustacea, are sUico-flagellate Infusoria of the genera Amphorella and Tin- 

 tinopsis. 



The literature available to the author in his study of the Plankton of the 

 New Brunswick waters includes the following: — 



Smith's Synopsis of British Diatomaceae. 



Van Heurck's Diatomees de Belgium. 



Wolle's Diatoms of North America. 



Nordisches Plankton — Brandt and Apstein — Kiel. 



Brightwell — On the Filamentous, Long Horned Diatomaceae. (Quarterly 

 Microscopical Journal, London, Vol. IV.) 



Of these the first three are of a general nature. Only the last two relate especially 

 to the Plankton. In an article by Prof. Ramsay Wright in "Contributions to 

 Canadian Biology," published in 39th "Annual Report of the Department of 

 Marine and Fisheries — Canada" some descriptions and figures of the forms occur- 



