BATE OF GROWTH OF YOUNG SQUIDS. 



southern coast of New England, and continue to hatch till the middle of September, and perhaps 

 later. 



" 2. By the second week in July, the first hatched of the June Squids have grown to the size 

 in which the body (or mantle) is 30 mm to 48""" long; but these are associated with others that are 

 younger, of all sizes down to those just hatched. They begin to show a disposition to go in 

 'schools ' composed of individuals of somewhat similar sizes. 



"3. By the second week in August, the largest June Squids have become 50 mm to 08 mm in 

 length of body, and the later broods are 5 mm to 30 mm long. As before, with these sizes occur others 

 of all ages down to those just hatched. It should be observed, however, that in those of our 

 tabulated lots taken by the trawl the very small sizes are absent, because they pass freely through 

 the course meshes of the net. 



"4. By the second week in September, the June Squids have the mantle 60 miu to 82 mm long. 

 All the grades of smaller ones still abound. A few larger specimens, taken the last of August 

 and in September, 84 mm to 110 mm long, may belong to the June brood, but they may belong to 

 those of the previous autumn. 



"5. In the first week of November, the larger young Squids taken had acquired a mantle- 

 length of 79 mm to 8o mm , but these are probably not the largest that might be found. Younger 

 ones, probably half lied in September and October, 8 mm to 20 mm in length of body, occurred in vast 

 numbers November 1, 1874. The specimens taken November 16, off Chesapeake Bay, having the 

 mantle 40 mm to 70 mm long, probably belong to the schools hatched in the previous summer. 



"ti. In May and June the smallest Squids taken, and believed to be those hatched in the 

 previous September or October, have the mantle 62 mm to 100 mm long. With these there are others 

 of larger sizes, up to 152 mm to 188" 1111 , and connected with the smaller ones by intermediate sizes. 

 All these are believed to belong to the various broods of the previous season. In these the sexual 

 organs begin to increase in size and the external sexual characters begin to appear. The males 

 are of somewhat greater length than the females of the same age. 



" 7. In July, mingled with the young of the season, in some lots, but more often in separate 

 schools, we take young Squids having the mantle 75 mm to 100 ram long. These we can connect by 

 intermediate sizes with those of the previous year taken in June. I regard these as somewhat 

 less than a year old. 



"8. Beyond the first year it becomes very difficult to determine the age with certainty, for those 

 of the first season begin, even in the autumn, to overlap in their sizes those of the previous year. 



"9. It is probable that those specimens which are taken in large quantities, while in breeding 

 condition, during the latter part of May and in June, having the mantle n5 mm to 225 mm long in 

 the females and 200 mm to 275 mm long in the males, are two years old. 



"H). It is probable that the largest individuals taken, with the mantle 300 mn) to 425 01111 long, 

 are at least three years, and perhaps in some cases four years old. The very large si>ecimen8 

 generally occur only in small schools and are mostly males. The females that occur with these 

 very large males are often of much smaller size, and may be a year younger than their mates. 



" 11. When Squids of very different sizes occur together in a school, it generally happens 

 that the larger ones are engaged in devouring the smaller ones, as the contents of their stomachs 

 clearly show. Therefore, it is probable that those of a similar age keep together in schools for 

 mutual safety. 



"12. Among the adult specimens of var. pallida taken November 16 and December 7, at 

 Astoria, there are several young ones, from 75'""' to 120 min in length, with rudimentary repro- 

 ductive organs. These may, perhaps, l>e the young of the year, hatched in June." 

 44F 



