Browne — Fauna and Flora of Valencia Harbour, Ireland. 669 



Part I. — The Pelagic Fauna. 



I. — Notes on the Pelagic Fauna (1895-98). By E. T. Browne, 

 B.A., University College, London. 



The energies of the marine zoologists who have worked on the 

 west coast of Ireland have chiefly been devoted to the sedentary 

 animals obtained by dredging and shore-searching, but the pelagic 

 forms collected by tow-netting have been rather neglected. It was 

 the scarcity of records relating to the medusae that led to my visit, 

 but although the tow-nettings were usually taken for medusa, and 

 most of my time occupied in examining them whilst alive, still I noted 

 the occuiTcnce of animals belonging to other groups which were identi- 

 fiable, and when possible preserved a few specimens. 



The Misses Delap most willingly continued the tow-nettings 

 after our departui'e in 1896, and sent me the material, preserved in 

 fonnalin, for examination. They also frequently recorded the tem- 

 perature of the sea, and kept notes on the changes in the pelagic fauna. 

 Their tow -nettings extended from October, 1896, to December, 1898. 

 Over a hundred bottles of general tow-net material have been sent 

 to me, in addition to numerous bottles containing delicate animals, 

 like Medusae, specially preserved. This material has formed the main 

 foundation of the various reports on the pelagic fauna. 



It was not my intention, nor that of the Misses Delap, to investi- 

 gate thoroughly the whole pelagic fauna of Valencia Harbour. Such 

 an undertaking can only be successfully carried out by many 

 specialists at a properly equipped Biological Station. Certain groups 

 have received more attention than others, and an attempt has been 

 made to record the principal and characteristic inhabitants of the 

 harbour taken with the tow-net. 



It was a great pleasure to find friends who were willing to help in 

 the examination of the material. 



Professor W. A. Herdman received the pelagic Tunicates, and has 

 kindly written a report upon them (page 748). 



Mr. I. C. Thompson most generously undertook to examine aU the 



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