1020 DE. G. heubekt towler on the [Dec. 13 



Classificatiok of the Hauls. 



In the first table (p. 1019) tbe hauls are arranged in succession 

 of number and letter, in order to facilitate reference ; but 

 in the subsequent tables of species they Mill be classified as Epi- 

 plankton (0 to +100 fathoms); Mesoplankton ( + 100 fathoms 

 from surface to +100 fathoms from bottom); aud "doubtful 

 hauls," in which the net failed to shut at the expected horizon, or 

 in which the contents of two hauls were accidentally mixed. On 

 comparing these tables of species with that given in Mr. Thompson's 

 paper on the Copepoda', it will be found that a few changes have 

 been made. No. 12 a has been moved from among the " doubtful " 

 to the INIesoplankton hauls, because it certainly closed somewhere 

 ]iear 100 fathoms, although perhaps not so low as 150; 32/ 

 proves, by the character and condition of its contents, to have been 

 made very near the surface, and has been put with the Epiplankton 

 hatds ; 13 €, about which I entered a note of suspicion in the 

 station-book when it arrived inboard, proves to contain several 

 essentially epiplanktonic organisms which do not occur in any 

 other Mesoplankton haul, and has therefore been relegated to the 

 " doubtful " category : in all probability one of the chains hung on 

 the trigger for some time after the net should have com^jletely 

 closed ; the details of this haul will be given later. 



B.— THE PKOTOZOA. 



It was not to be expected that this group would yield much 

 information with regard to the special object of the cruise, the 

 Mesoplankton fauna. Eor the efficient study of the Protozoa, the 

 nets must be exti-emely fine, so fine that they must be towed 

 very slowly ; and if they are towed slowly, a large part of the 

 other constituents of the catch will escape. Special hauls with 

 special nets, or a special arrangement inside the large mesoplankton 

 net (which I hope to try shortly), are requisite for successful 

 captures. On the other hand, some of my hauls show that certain 

 Phaeodaria live at great depths, although they do not show that any 

 species are confined to the Mesoplankton. 



As regards the surface Protozoa, no special attempt was made 

 to collect them, for they were not required for comparison with 

 the Mesoplankton fauna ; and, further, my finest net, the only one 

 suitable for Protozoa, was almost entirely devoted in 1896 to the 

 capture by Dr. Stericker, E.N., of vegetable plankton for the 

 Scottish Fishery Board. A few new and interesting forms of 

 considerable size were, however, obtained. 



Two things are apparent on a glance at the table of Protozoa — 

 the one, the epiplanktonic character of the three Peripylaria ; the 

 other, the way in which se\ eral species are aggregated in the same 

 haul, while other hauls show few or no Eadiolaria. They seem to 



' Proc. Zool. Soc. 1898, pp. 542-3. 



