220 Prof. M‘Intosh’s Notes from the 
that of such members of the same family as the cod, haddock, 
whiting, and ling, is sufficiently pronounced, for in the one 
case the species is limited, even though the eggs are every- 
where found in the tow-nets, whereas in the others the 
numbers are immense, and this notwithstanding all the efforts 
of man to destroy them. 
A consideration of all the foregoing forms shows that the 
numbers of the adults do not, as a rule, vary much from 
period to period, and that the large number of eggs—whether 
demersal or pelagic—and of young are necessary to maintain 
the species, and this though there is no systematic capture of 
any of them either for food or for pleasure. Moreover, the 
incursions or migrations of the young into the neighbouring 
waters in their pelagic condition probably play an important 
part in the preservation of the species, yet there is consider- 
able variety in the methods by which this is carried out. 
Further, if such uniformity and persistence characterize 
littoral fishes everywhere within the easy access of man, it is 
not a great step to the view which holds that the marine food- 
fishes are in no great danger of extinction by the operations 
of man. These fishes have a vast area of water which is 
utilized not only for the migrations of the adults but for the 
spread of the pelagic eggs, larve, post-larval forms, and 
adolescents. ven were the inshore flat-fishes, for instance, 
to be reduced to such a degree that their capture would no 
longer be profitable, that fact would be their safeguard, for 
they would be left, amidst the most favourable surroundings, 
to augment their decimated ranks. 
2. On Japanese Annelids—Nephthys and Hteone. 
Nephthys Jeffreysit. 
A single example of a small Nephthys was dredged in 
30 fathoms by Capt. St. John in the Japanese area 33° 58’ N., 
130° 27’ K., and sent to me in 1874 by Dr. Gwyn Jeffreys. 
The head is proportionally smaller than in N. longisetosa, 
(Erst., to which the species is allied, and forms a somewhat 
hexagonal lozenge, with a pair of small though very distinct 
black eyes at the posterior border, which, like the anterior, 
forms the narrow sides of the hexagon. The anterior 
tentacles are subulate and curve forward. The posterior 
pair, of a similar shape, follow closely. The proboscis is of 
considerable length, has somewhat longer papille than in 
NN. longisetosa, in 22 rows (instead of 15 in the species 
mentioned) and 6 or 7 in each row. hey increase in length 
from the proximal to the distal series and have a backward 
