May 20, 1898.] 



SCIENCE. 



703 



small species of Mysis, about one-half inch 

 in length, has been abundant, and the 

 brood-pouches have been filled with eggs or 

 embryos. A larger species, bearing well de- 

 veloped embryos, was abundantly taken 

 during the first two or three weeks. The 

 red copepod, the fav.orite food of the young 

 cod, sculpin and sand launce, has been 

 present in great numbers. A few were 

 caught at every haul of the skimming-net, 

 and frequently great numbers were taken. 

 Their sudden appearance and disappear- 

 ance is very puzzling. Dr. Loeb has shown 

 that in the aquaria they are positively or 

 negatively heliotropic, according to the 

 temperature, but I find that when first 

 transferred from the surface-net into a dish 

 a large minority become negatively helio- 

 tropic, though, of course, all are subjected to 

 temperature of the ocean. Many other 

 species of copepods were caught, though 

 not in great abundance. Some were bear- 

 ing eggs attached to the abdominal append- 

 ages. A small parasitic copepod is very 

 frequently found attached to the young cod, 

 sand launce and sculpin. Perhaps one- 

 third of these fish are thus infested. The 

 isopod ( Cirolana condiarum') was not breed- 

 ing on April 26th, and the associated 

 mnphipod had apparently passed its breed- 

 ing season. Hippa has not begun to lay, 

 though the ovaries are full of large brill- 

 iantly-colored eggs. They have been found 

 breeding in July. 



Vermes. — ISTo Nereis virens or Nereis liin- 

 bata have been seen at the surface. Aido- 

 lytus, with egg-clusters attached, were regu- 

 larly taken in the tow, usually three or 

 four at a time, during the earlier portions 

 of the month. Later in the month only a 

 few were noticed. An interesting species 

 of Syllis has been taken from among the 

 hydroids and algse on several occasions. 

 These annelids are in almost every case 

 about to undergo fission. The new head is 

 found in all stages of development in the 



midst of the trunk metameres. The eyes 

 on the new head are large and brown, 

 while those on the first segment are small 

 and black. These annelids are full of ma- 

 ture eggs, which, in some instances at 

 least, occupy the body- cavity both in front 

 of and behind the new head. A light, 

 cream-colored terebellid, full of eggs, has 

 been taken from time to time, and was also 

 taken during March. It is almost invari- 

 ably present in clusters of the hydroid 

 Parypha, along with one or two species of 

 Caprella, Eolis and the little gasterpod 

 Astyris. Harmothoe sp. has commonly 

 been found under stones and among hy- 

 droids, laden with beautiful pink eggs,^ 

 which show clearly through the body-wall. 

 On April 11th the eggs, teased from the 

 body cavity, were easily fertilized, and in 

 less than two hours some had reached the 

 eight-cell stage ; specimens taken April 

 17th were also full of eggs. The common 

 Lepidonotus has been laying during the last 

 two weeks. Cirratidus grandis, collected at 

 Eam Island, April 9th, and at Pine Island, 

 April 17th, contained great numbers of 

 eggs, apparently nearly ripe, though an at- 

 tempt at artificial fertilization was not suc- 

 cessful. Some of the spermatozoa were 

 motile, but the male worms did not have 

 the bright orange color which characterizes 

 them in the height of the breeding season, 

 early in July. Sagitta, though numerous, 

 has been less abundant than in March. 

 The specimens are much larger than those 

 found during the summer months, and are 

 filled with eggs. During the last week 

 there has been a notable decrease in their 

 numbers, and small individuals, less than 

 one-half inch in length, have been fre- 

 quently noted. 



Mollusks. — A few egg-strings of Sycotypus 

 and Fulgar, containing well-formed shells, 

 have been taken at various localities along 

 the shore. Urosalpinx has not begun to 

 breed. Young ' veligers' of Crepidula for- 



