92 Prof. A. E. Yerrill on the Distribution of Marine Animals 



XI. — On the Distribution of Marine Animals on the Southern 

 Coast ofNeio England. By A. E. Verrill*. 



In connexion with the investigations concerning the fisheries 

 under the direction of Professor S. F. Baird, U. S. Commis- 

 sioner, thorough explorations of the adjacent waters were 

 undertaken in order to ascertain the character of the bottom 

 and the distribution of the lower animals, especially of those 

 that furnish food for certain fishes. The Fish Commission had 

 its headquarters at Wood's Hole, Mass., situated on the point 

 of land between Vineyard Sound and Buzzard's Bay. In 

 addition to the shore collections, extensive and systematic 

 dredging-operations were undertaken by means of a steam- 

 launch in the waters of Vineyard Sound and Buzzard's Bay ; 

 and by the aid of a U. S. revenue-cutter, the steamer ' Moc- 

 casin,' the dredgings were carried outward to the deeper parts 

 of Muskeget Channel, situated off Martha's Vineyard, and 

 from thence to a point off the mouth of Buzzard's Bayf- 

 These explorations were made by means of dredges (of several 

 different sizes) of the usual forms, a rake-dredge of novel 

 construction especially adapted to soft muddy bottoms, an 

 iron frame to which unravelled ropes (or " tangles") were 

 attached for use on rocky bottoms, a large trawl-net, surface 

 to wing-nets for swimming creatures, &c.J The points where 

 dredgings were made were carefully located on coast-survey 

 charts, and were sufficiently numerous to give a satisfactory 

 knowledge of the nature of the bottom and its inhabitants 

 throughout the region explored. The total number of hauls 

 of the dredges during the three months was about four 

 hundred. The surface-dredging also yielded many things of 

 great interest. 



At this time I wish to call the attention of zoologists to one 

 of the most important of the results of these investigations, 

 leaving a full account of the large and valuable collections for 

 another occasion. The discovery referred to is, that while the 

 shores and shallow waters of the bays and sounds, as far as 

 Cape Cod, are occupied chiefly by southern forms, or the 

 Virginian fauna, the deeper channels and the central parts of 

 Long-Island Sound, as far as Stonington, Conn., are in- 



* From Silliman's American Journal, November 1871. 



t The dredgings in tlie first part of the season were made under the 

 direction of Mr. S. I. Smith, and later by Professor J. E. Todd, Pro- 

 fessor A. Hyatt, Dr. A. S. Packard, and the writer, all more or less aided 

 at various times by other naturalists, and especially by Dr. W. G. Farlow, 

 who collected the Algse. 



X Some of these instruments will be described in a future number of 

 the American Journal. * 



