760 Proceedings of the Royal Irish Academy. 



After September 6t]i, the shoal rapidly decreased, partly by 

 wreckage and partly, perhaps, by a change in the wind to a 

 south-easterly direction ; and on September 14th, the last 

 specimens of the great shoal were seen. 



In 1897, a few specimens of Tlialia were fonnd in September. 



In 1898, only a single specimen of the asexual form was taken 

 on August 6th. 



Preservation. — There was no difficulty in preserring the 

 isolated specimens either in fonnalin or alcohol, but the 

 "chains" broke up when placed dii'ectly into fonnalin, or in 

 con'osive sublimate, or picric acid. Still I found that " chains" 

 could be preserved without breakage in a mixtiu'e of corrosiTe 

 and a few drops of acetic acid. Prom this fixing solution the 

 specimens could be transferred either to formalin or alcohol 

 without fiu'ther damage. I have some specimens of these Salps 

 preserved in fonnalin (10 cc.) and sea water (90 cc.) ; they have 

 been in the original solution over two and a half years, and are 

 still in excellent condition. — E. T. B.] 



DOLIOLIDJE. 



Doliclum (sp. ?). 



? Doliolum tritonis, Herdman. (See Trans. Roy. Soc. Edin., xxiii., 

 p. 101. 



The specimens of Doliolum are all in the blastozooid or 

 " nui'se " form, and probably all belong to one species. It is 

 impossible, however, to say with certainty in the present state 

 of our knowledge of the genus what that species is. It may 

 well be Doliolum tritonis, which is, in the sexual condition, the 

 commonest species in that part of the Atlantic, but the blasto- 

 zooid of D. tritonis has never with certainty been obtained. 

 Borgert, in the latest paper on the subject, says of this species; 

 " Amme, unbekannt," and " unbekannt" it must remain until 

 some one traces the life-history of the species, or until we find 

 the blastozooid and the known gonozooid in quantity together 

 in the same area. That would not be absolute proof, but strong 

 presumptive evidence of identity. jSTow, apparently, this was 

 not the case at Yalencia. So far as the collection shows, no 

 gonozooids were obtained. 

 [1895. Two small specimens taken in Hay. 

 1896. Taken fi'om July to October. Usually very scarce, but a 

 few occasionally present in the tow-net during August. 



