— 91 — JO HS. SCHMIDT 



easterly direction from greater depths. At tlie end of August 1905 a few both small and 

 older specimens were taken over depths greater than 1000 meters. 



3. British Isles 



The largest number of the pelagic fry of Gadiculus wo have found anywhere, were 

 taken in May and June beyond the 1000-meter line W. of Great Britain between 60° and 

 55° N., thus W. and N.W. of Scotland. How widely distributed they must be there can 

 be already concluded from the fact, that they occur at all our deep stations and often 

 in very great numbers. The largest quantity occurred W. of Scotland on both sides of 

 the Rockall Channel (e. g. 532, 339, 314, 231, 206 etc. per half hour) and show how 

 largo the production must be when one thinks how deep the water-masses are where they 

 occur. Most of the specimens were less than 1 cm. at the end of May 1908; in the 

 beginning of June 1905 almost all specimens were less than 2 cm. and about an equal 

 number were under 1 cm., between 1 and P/a and between I'/a and 2^2 cm. In addi- 

 tion to the specimens taken in May and June, a few larger ca. 3 cm., though still pelagic, 

 were taken at the end of August 1905 beyond the 1000-meter line W, of the Hebrides. 



Our stations in the waters of Ireland were investigated in May, June, August and 

 September. It was only in May and June that the pelagic fry of Gadiculus were taken; 

 in August and September they had obviously given up the pelagic mode of life. 



The pelagic fry were found at practically all the stations between 1000 and 2000 

 meters and further at several stations beyond the 2000 meters (but less regularly there 

 and mostly only older specimens, which indicates that they do not belong here over such 

 great depths). The numbers taken here S. W. of Ireland were not as great as those found 

 further north on the west of Scotland (see tables May, June 1906) as the highest number 

 was 12 specimens per half hour, but it ought to be mentioned that many of the specimens 

 taken have undoubtedly been lost amongst the colossal masses of Salpse, Pelagia perla etc. 

 taken in the same hauls. 



Altogether, our investigations show that Gadiculus argenteus reproduces in quantities 

 both to the west and south of the British Isles beyond or in the neighbourhood of the 

 1000-meter line. 



4. North Sea 



The North Sea stations represented on the Chart are for the end of April and begin- 

 ning of May, but we also had numerous stations throughout July 1905 and 1906 and in 

 August and September of the same year as well as in 1903 and 1904. 



As might be expected from the bathymétrie and hydrographical conditions the pelagic 

 fry of Gadiculus were lacking in all our hauls in the North Sea at all seasons. The 

 only exceptions were the thrtse stations 121, 122 and 123, on July 21st, 22nd and 

 23rd 1905, which lay W., N. and S. of the Shetlands over depths which were respectively 

 196, 85 and 157 meters. A few specimens of both large and small fry of Gadiculus were 

 found there. It would certainly be incorrect however to conclude from this that Gadiculus 

 reproduces in shallow water round the Shetlands, as these specimens might just as well 

 have been carried here in a north-easterly direction from the deeper Atlantic waters, and 

 that this is the more probable explanation appears from two facts, namely, from the whole 

 distribution otherwise of Gadiculus and that other fish young of Atlantic origin also oc- 



12* 



