St. Andrews Marine Laho^-atori/. 99 



it is probable that Tomopteris, which occurred in great 

 beauty at this time, the Appendicularians, and other forms 

 fed largely on the gelatinous masses. In relation to the sur- 

 rounding fauna, again, it is interesting that Brandt, in his 

 elaborate and beautiful monograph on the colonial Radiolarians, 

 mentions that certain forms (e. g. Myxosphcera ccarulea) fre- 

 quently contain a parasitic Amphipod {Hyperia) as well as 

 Copepods and Appendicularians, while living diatoms oc- 

 curred in young Collozoa. At St. Andrews all these forms 

 were present with the gelatinous masses, but quite separate 

 from them. 



While engaged with this form it was observed by a note 

 in ' Nature ' * that Mr. Shrubsole had found at Sheerness-on- 

 Sea that the water " became foul in May from the presence 

 of gelatinous masses of small size and spherical, cylindrical, 

 and irregular forms, in which nucleated granules are imbedded. 

 After immersion, even for a few seconds, ropes, nets, &c. feel 

 as if they had been dipped in glue." The fishermen more- 

 over were of opinion that this injured the tackle and lessened 

 the take of some kinds of fish. It continues for a month and 

 then disappears. At my request Mr. Shrubsole courteously 

 forwarded specimens of the vf ater and the deposits, with out- 

 lines of the form in life, and there can be little doubt that this 

 is a similar gelatinous structure, which thus appears in 

 vast numbers and again disappears. The injury which is 

 asserted to be done to the tackle would require further 

 investigation ; but the diminution of the take of certain 

 kinds of fish from this cause is probably hypothetical f. 



2. On Syncoryne decipiens, Dujardin. 



In alluding to the Coelenterate pelagic fauna in the Feb- 

 ruary number of this journal special mention was made of the 

 immense abundance of the Hydromedusffi, the water of such 

 bays throughout the greater part of the year being crowded 

 with the various forms of Thaumantias, Bougainvillia J, 



rect Source of the Food of Fishes,'' U. S. Commission of Fish and Fisheries, 

 part ix. 1881 (1884), p. 760. 



* July 9, 1885. 



t Mr. Shrubsole has drawn my attention to a paper by Count Castra- 

 cane, entitled " Straoidinario fenomeno della vita del Mare " (Atti dell' 

 Accad. Lincei, tome xxxiv. 1881), in which similar bodies appeared in 

 the Italian waters, and which he associated with the inferior Algae. He 

 does not seem to have observed spicules. 



t Bougainvillia hritannica, so exquisitely figured by Prof. Allman 

 (' Gymnoblastic &c. Hydroids,' i. pi. ix. fig. 8), being specially abun- 

 dant. 



'J* 



