310 PELAGIC LIFE, FALMOUTH. 



March. Cold, wild weather prevented my getting afloat till 

 the 8th. The surface temperature on that day was 40°'6 F. The 

 only forms of interest secured on that occasion were large 

 quantities of Sagitta, averaging three-quarters of an inch in 

 length. 



Since the 1 5th of last month the gelatinous alga had been 

 slowly increasing in quantity in the sea up to this time. On the 

 17th, however, a rapid increase set in, and by the 21st, the 

 gelatinous alga was plainly visible in the sea, even to the most 

 casual observer. On that day a rise took place in the surface 

 temperature, 45 °F being the temperature recorded. During 

 this time the zoaea stage of various species of decapod Crustacea 

 was very abundant in the sea. On several occasions I have 

 purchased from men catching smelts near my hut a few of their 

 fish in a living condition. In addition to the fragments of 

 potato, by means of which the men capture them, I have been 

 able to recognize partially digested specimens of Sagitta, and 

 zoaea stage of decapod larvae in their stomachs. 



On the 21st, I secured a single specimen of Arachnactis 

 albida. The surface temperature on that day being 45''F. On 

 the 24th the larvae of Balanus abounded in the tow-net. From 

 that day till the beginning of June surface-netting was impossible, 

 owing to the abundance of the gelatinous alga in the sea The 

 surface temperature varying during this time from 50°F to 53°F. 



In my previous report, I directed attention to the fact that, 

 so far as my experience had gone, when these gelatinous bodies 

 were most abundant in the sea, Noctiluca miliaris also 

 abounded. My observations this year showed that this state- 

 ment is not correct. This year, during the time the alga was so 

 very abundant, specimens of Noctiluca were never seen. Indeed, 

 it was not till the 15th of November that any specimens of this 

 species of Infusoria were seen in tow-net gatherings ; and even 

 then they were but sparingly present. 



June. It was not till the 2nd of this month that I was able 

 to resume my surface-net investigations. The surface tempera- 

 ture of the sea on that day was SS^F. On examining the 

 contents of my surface-net gathering made on that morning, I 

 found that Evadne nordmanii and Podon intermedins were fairly 



