FURTHER OBSERVATIONS ON THE NATURAL 



HISTORY OF THE NORTH SHORE OF THE 



GULF OF ST. LAWRENCE 



By JAMES O. MALONEY, 



Aid, Division of Marine Invertebrates, U. S. National Museum 



With the object of carrying forward the natural history investiga- 

 tions begun the previous year Ijy !\lr. and Mrs. Paul Bowman, under 

 the joint auspices of Mr. Copley Amory and the Smithsonian Institu- 

 tion, the writer was enabled through a continuance of Mr. Amory's 

 kind offices to spend three and one-half weeks, beginning July 13, 

 1928, at IMatamek River, Province of Quebec, Canada, studying and 

 collecting the invertebrate fauna of the region, with especial refer- 

 ence to the Crustacea. 



As dredging facilities were not available this season, collections of 

 the marine forms particularly desired were confined largely to the 

 intertidal zone, and to an examination of the stomach contents and 

 intestines of fish taken by hook, net, and trap. Collecting for terres- 

 trial forms of invertebrates and the examination of fresh-water ponds 

 and streams were also undertaken. From these several sources over 

 1,200 specimens were secured, including marine invertebrates, chiefly 

 Crustacea, echinoderms, and mollusks, as well as parasitic w^orms, 

 fishes, and insects. 



A striking feature of the coast line along the Matamek shores is 

 the extreme smoothness of the rocks, caused by the grating of the 

 ice during the long winters. As a result very few barnacles were 

 found and then only in sheltered ])]aces. Likewise the algal growth 

 was very scanty, probably accounting for the scarcity of crustaceans, 

 other than amphipods. The latter were to be found everywhere 

 and in great numbers, both in point of species and individuals. They 

 form the chief crustacean element in the marine fauna of the region. 

 No terrestrial or fresh-water Crustacea were observed. 



In the course of my return to W^ashington, the first week of August 

 was spent at Seven Islands, a small village some 30 miles south of 

 Matamek River, where limited collections were made. The fauna is 

 virtually identical with that existing in the Matamek region. Labora- 

 tory studies on the material collected in both regions are now in 

 progress. 



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