of fhfl Flsheri/ Board for Scotland. 493 



lengtli in the stomach of a Lophius, while the stomach of the ('nftit.< itself 

 was distend eel by two Carcinmi monmx.* 



Lesser Weaver. TrarJu'ma^ ripera, Cuv. 



Of the forty-three specimens of Trachi»ii>^ ripera examined, thirty-four 

 were sent from Annan (Solway), and nine were taken off Colheston, 

 Aberdeenshire. The specimens from Annan were for the most part 

 collected in April, May, and June, 1900, but seven of them were captured 

 early in January of the present year. In the stomachs of those collected 

 in April, 1900, very little food was observed, and only four out of the 

 fourteen examined contained matter that could be identified ; this con- 

 sisted chiefly of the remains of Prannus inermU, (jaimnarm Jocuf'fa, some 

 remains of Annelids and of two or three small fishes (Clupeoids). The 

 specimens of Tradiinu^ in this sample measured from 8 to 11^- cm. In 

 the stomachs of ten specimens examined in May the contents consisted 

 chiefly of ^Srhi.-<fo)in/i<issp. ; an Isopod — FAinjdice adiata — was also found 

 in one, and in another the remains of a small Clupeoid. The specimens 

 taken in September and January contained nothing that could be 

 distinguished. 



The nine specimens from Collieston collected on July oth, 1900, had 

 apparently been feeding largely on Schizopods, all of which appeared to 

 belong to the one species, Schufomysi^ spin'tu,^ ; the only other food 

 observed consisted of the remains of a small fish, probably a youn» 

 Clupeoid or Sand-eel. These Collieston specimens ranged from 11 cm. to 

 13| cm. in length. A considerable number of these specimens were 

 examined besides the nine specially referred to here, but they all appeared 

 to have been feeding on the same species of Schizopod. 



The following is a tabulated list of the organisms observed : — 



Organisms Found in the Stomachs of Lesser Weavers. 



Mackerel. Sroird>pr f<'o)i)Iir?i.'<, L. 



The stomachs of over thirty Mackerel from the Clyde, examined in 

 June, 1899, were found to be all more or less filled with Copepods, the 

 prevailing form being Calamix fnu/arrhirns ; Euphausida^ {Xydiphawx 

 and Rlioda, or Boreophausia) were also observed in several, but the 

 specimens were scarcely perfect enough for identification. 



Another three dozen Mackerel, chiefly from Barra, Outer Hebrides, 

 were also examined, and the food of these, as in the case of the Loch Fyne 

 specimens, was found to consist largely of Copepods, but there was a 

 greater variety of species ; besides Ca/an?/^ fun/airhim.^, which, was well 

 represented, the following other forms were also observed : — Fseu'Iucalanus 



* Micros. Journ., vol. v. 



