September 18, 1914] 



SCIENCE 



415 



of having ingested protozoa. Many species of 

 protozoa were always found in the stomacJis of 

 the hairy-back or thread herring (Opisihonema 

 oglinum) and the menhaden (Brevoortia ty- 

 rannus). Dinoflagellates were commonly 

 present in the stomachs of these species, and 

 several species of Geratium and Peridinium 

 were always present, while Dinophysis was 

 nearly as constant. 



Tintinnopsis, a ciliate, represented by at 

 least three species, was always present in the 

 menhaden, frequently in myriads. The pin- 

 fish {Lagodon rhomhoides) , also a surface 

 feeder, ingests masses of algse and probably 

 protozoa, but only rarely were evidences of the 

 latter found. Broken fragments of Geratium 

 were occasionally present in its stomach. The 

 coarse gill-rakers of this fish probably permit 

 the minute organisms to escape. 



Tunicates were also examined and the cil- 

 iate, Tintinnopsis, was almost universally 

 found in the digestive cavities and may be 

 considered one of the items of food of these 

 forms. 



A more extensive study of this phase of the 

 problem would undoubtedly verify the belief 

 that the protozoa are of very high economic 

 value as food, either directly or indirectly, for 

 many fishes as well as other marine forms. 



Mr. W. 0. George, of the University of 

 North Carolina, an independent worker, de- 

 voted considerable time to a general study of 

 the local fauna and in studying early stages in 

 the embryology of Ghcetopterus and the reduc- 

 tion phenomena exhibited in the medusse of 

 Pennaria. 



Professor W. P. Hay, of Washington, D. C, 

 continued the investigation of the diamond- 

 back terrapin and gathered additional data for 

 a final report in which, it is hoped, a complete 

 account of the life history of this animal can 

 bo given. Observations were made on the rate 

 of growth of the loggerhead turtle. Two of 

 the young ones hatched at the laboratory in 

 September, 1912, survived the winter and at- 

 tained the age of one year in captivity. Dur- 

 ing this time these increased in length from 

 about 7Y.3 mm. to 200 and 218 mm. respect- 

 ively. 



Eather late in the season an investigation of 

 the blue crab was begun, to determine rate of 

 growth and interval between moults. From 

 the results obtained it appears that the species 

 casts its shell with fair regularity about every 

 two weeks and increases in measurement about 

 one quarter to two fifths at each moult up to 

 maturity. After sexual maturity has been at- 

 tained moulting probably ceases and the ani- 

 mals, especially the females, fall easy victims 

 to various parasites. It was not possible to 

 secure positive evidence that the females lay 

 a second lot of eggs, though it is probable that 

 those which survive the winter do so. 



Aside from the experimental lines of work 

 considerable time was devoted to collecting, 

 identifying and describing the decapod crus- 

 taceans of the region. A paper embodying the 

 results of this work is being prepared. 



Mr. Selig Hecht, of the College of the City 

 of New York, who was assigned to the director 

 for duty, accompanied certain of the collecting 

 trips and engaged in (1) a preliminary study 

 of the rate of grovrth of the menhaden; (2) 

 the relation of form, weight, length and other 

 body measurements for the following species: 

 Anchovia hrownii, Anchovia mitchilli, Bre- 

 voortia tyranniis, Leiostomus xanthurus, Pe- 

 prilus alepidotus and Orthopristis chrysop- 

 terus. In all cases there was a clear correlation 

 between weight and length, so that weight was 

 shown to be a cubic function of length. The 

 interrelationships of the various parts of the 

 body and total length were established for each 

 species. It was found for each that the form 

 of the fish remained constant throughout the 

 life of the individual, and correlated with this 

 that the volume of the fish was a function of 

 the product of the length, width and depth, 

 as well as a function of the weight. These 

 combined relationships mean that weight in 

 these species is equal to the product of length, 

 width and depth times a constant which differs 

 for each species. 



The relative growth of various parts of the 

 fish was studied, and the results show that al- 

 though apparently the various parts of the fish 

 grow at different constant rates relative to the 



