PELAGIC LIFE, FALMOUTH. 205 



on the 27tli, tlie ova of Nerine cirratulus were captured. For 

 a full description of the early stages of this species, I must 

 refer the reader to a paper by Mr. Cunningham and Mr. Ramage 

 (2).* I separated some of these ova from the gathering, and 

 by placing them in a pan of sea water was able to study their 

 development for some days ; but curiously enough I was unable 

 to rear the larval forms beyond the stages described by those 

 investigators. 



About this time my friend Mr. Cunningham suggested, in a 

 letter, the desirability of trying to form some estimate of the 

 quantity of surface-life in the sea. He advised that the net 

 should be used in the usual manner, kept down for a fixed time, 

 then hauled in, and the contents of the gathering strained 

 through muslin and weighed. Various methods have recently 

 been tried by Zoologists to arrive at some definite conclusions 

 as to the quantity of life in a given area of the sea. Of course 

 my results are by no means as accurate as I could wish, for to 

 keep a fixed pace in a boat, unless steam be employed, is 

 impossible ; still I cried, as far as I could judge, to keep my 

 small rowing boat and, later, my canoe progressing at a given 

 pace through the water when surface netting. I have recorded 

 my results in grammes, as being the most convenient form to 

 use. 



February. On the 7th the only forms of interest in the 

 gathering were quantities of Sagitta ; the total weight of the 

 gathering being 18 grammes. 



For some time past I had been anxious to compare the 

 surface life occurring some distance from the land with that near 

 the shore. Of course it was not possible for me except on rare 

 occasions during settled weather, to venture far out in my canoe ; 

 and boat hire would be far too expensive. Fortunately Mr. A. F. 

 Bealey very kindly at this time offered to work a tow-net and 

 take surface temperatures from his yacht ' Constance ' if I 

 provided the necessary net and bottles. On the 9th of the 

 month he made his first gathering and worked the net from 

 12'50 to 1"10 p.m.. Manacle Buoy bearing north one mile, surface 

 temperature at that time being 48 '3 F. In this gathering the 



*These numbers refer to Bibliographical list at the end. 



