A. E. Eerrill — North American Cephalopods. 
321 
nets. They were particularly abundant in the summers of 1871 and 
1873, in Vineyard Sound. 
These young squids are devoured in inconceivable numbers by 
fishes of many kinds, and also by the adult squids of the same 
species, and by the larger jellj’-fishes, and many other marine ani- 
mals. The larger sizes, and even the adults, are also greedily 
devoured by blue-fish, black-bass, striped-bass, weak-fish, mackerel, 
cod, and many other kinds of fishes. Therefore these “ squids ” are 
really of great importance as food for our most valuable market 
fishes. They are extensively used as bait by the fishermen. 
Rate of Growth. 
I am not aware that any definite information has hitherto been 
published as to the rate of growth or length of life of any of our 
Cephalopods. By some writers it has been stated that the squids 
are all annual, but this seems to be a mere assumption, without any 
evidence for its basis. 
Therefore, I have, for several years past, preserved large numbers 
of specimens of the young of Loligo Pealei, collected at different 
seasons and localities, in order to ascertain, if possible, the rate of 
growth and the size acquired during the first season, at least. One 
of the following tables (I) shows some of the data thus obtained. 
There is considerable difficulty in ascertaining the age of these 
squids, owing to the fact that the spawning season extends through 
the whole summer, so that the young ones hatched early in June are 
as large by September as those that hatch in September are in the 
following spring. Owing to the same cause, most of the large lots 
of young squids taken in mid-summer include various sizes, from 
those just hatched up to those that are two or three inches long. 
They are often mixed with some of those of the previous year, con- 
siderably larger than the rest. Earlier in the season (in May and the 
first part of June), before the first-laid eggs begin to hatch, the young- 
est specimens taken (60 to 100 ,n "‘ long) are presumed to belong to the 
later broods of the previous autumn, while those somewhat larger are 
believed to be from earlier broods of the previous summer, and to 
represent the growth of one year, very nearly. 
Taking these principles as a guide, I have arrived at the following 
conclusions, from the data collected : 
1. The young squids begin to hatch at least as early as the second 
week in June, on the southern coast of New England, and continue 
to hatch till the middle of September, and perhaps later. 
