486 ZOOLOGY. 



in greatest quantity round the Island of May, only during the 

 summer months, and especially during the time of the herring- 

 fishing. 



"I find, however, that maidre must abound during the spring 

 months also, as the stomachs of the herrings caught at present 

 are in most cases filled with it. 



" In frequent excursions to the Isle of May, during last year, 

 I found that the maidre consisted of one immense continuous 

 body of minute animals. 



" The animals composing this immense body were those 

 belonging to the cirrhipeds, crustaceans, and acalepha. 



"Of these the crustaceans existed in the greatest numbers, or 

 rather masses, for it gives a faint idea to speak of numbers. The 

 Crustacea were amphipoda and entomostraca, the former of 

 which were very abundant, but the latter (entomostraca) formed 

 the greatest proportion of this innumerable body of animals. 



"The acalepha also abounded, of which the different species 

 of beroce were seen in greatest numbers. 



" I remarked that the masses of maidre abounded most at the 

 sheltered sides of the island. On looking into the water, it was 

 found to be quite obscured by the moving masses of entomo- 

 straca, which rendered it impossible to see anything, even a few 

 inches below the surface. 



"But if by chance a clear spot is obtained, so as to allow the 

 observer to get a view of the bottom, immense shoals of coal-fish 

 are seen swimming lazily about, and devouring their minute 

 prey in great quantities. Occasionally small shoals of herrings 

 are seen pursuing them with greater agility. It is in the deep 

 caverns, however, in the sides of the island, where the maidre is 

 found in greatest abundance ; and accordingly, we find that all 

 those animals pursuing them are found there in greater abun- 

 dance also. 



"The fishermen, during the earlier periods of the fishery, take 

 advantage of this, and, shooting their nets across the mouths of 

 the caves, alarm the herrings in them, either by throwing large 

 stones from their boats or from the tops of the rocks, and in this 

 way sometimes succeed in taking great shots. 



" These, however, are not the only animals which prey on the 

 immense bodies of maidre, 



"Great numbers jof cetacea often frequent the neighbourhood 

 of the island at this time ; droves of dolphins and porpoises, 

 swimming about with great activity ; arid occasionally an im- 

 mense rorqual may be seen raising his enormous back at intervals 

 from the water, and is to be observed coursing round and round 

 the island. 



" I have examined great numbers of these cetaceous animals 

 (dolphins and porpoises) within the last few years, and never 



