ill 



VERMES. (Worms.) 



This group has not the same importance to fish culture as have 

 the crustaceans and insects — unless it be as parasites — and we 

 shall not give those observed at Quincy more than a jjassing 

 notice. 



One of the most interesting of those noted is a small cylindri- 

 cal worm with a retractile caudal disc from which arise four cili- 

 ated tentacles. It lives in great numbers in tubes on the under 

 side of lily pads in Lily Lake, and when undisturbed lies with 

 the hind end of the body out of the tube and, with the disc and 

 tentacles expanded, sways slowly about. It will probably prove to 

 be Dcro intcrmcdius, Cragin, though it is questionable if this is 

 more than a variety of D. digiiafa, Mull. 



Leeches which I have provisionally separated as five species 

 were taken from the sloughs. All appear to belong to the genus 

 Clepsine. Several of them were very common, being brought in 

 on the shells of turtles, and at other times apparently attached 

 to fishes. 



Quite a variety of rotifers were observed, but none of special 

 interest except the large and beautiful Conochilus volvo.r, col- 

 onies of which, consisting of a dozen or more individuals, were 

 common in the open water of the bay, where they could always be 

 taken in surface nets drawn after a skiff. 



Plumatella arethusa, Hyatt. 



(Observations on Polyzoa, 95.) 



One of the branching polyzoans was very common in most of 

 the pools, sometimes on sticks, on the under side of stones, and, 

 in Lily Lake, on the under side of the lily pads. The statoblasts 

 were frequently noticed scattered among algae and rubbish. 



Hyalinella vesicularis, Leidy. 



{Flumatella vesicidaris, Leidy, Proc. Acad. Nat. Sci. Phil., vii, 

 192.) 



A single example of a small colony from Libby Lake, is re- 

 ferred to this species with some doubt. 



Peciinatella magnifica, Leidy. 



(Cristatella magriifica, Leidy, Proc. Acad. Nat. Sci. Phil., v, 

 265.) 



The large masses of gelatinous matter so common in "back 

 water" in this region, are formed by the colonies of this polyzoan. 

 The animals themselves are on the outside of the masses and con- 

 stitute but a small part of the bulk of each mass. In the uj)per 

 part of the bay, in the inlets and mouths of sloughs, this animal 



