SEA-FISHERIES LABORATORY. 407 



be measured voluinetrically, and the larger organisms 

 (Metazoa) counted." 



It was also decided that the nets to be used for this 

 purpose should be : — 



(1) Medium Apstein, gauze No. 20 [180 meshes per 

 inch] diameter of opening 16 cm. 



(2) Nansen, gauze No. 3 [55 meshes per inch] 

 diameter of opening 50 cm. 



[All this was a distinct improvement on the original 

 programme, but must be regarded as a minimum. 

 Horizontal hauls should be added.] 



In April, 1912, the International Council resolved : 

 " That in addition to ' ordinary purposes ' — 



(i) "the principal aim and object of the plankton 

 investigations with nets shall be to determine the entire 

 life-history of a selection of the plankton animals 

 which are most important as fish food, e.g., Copepoda 

 [16 species named] ; 



(ii) " with a view to determining the relation of 

 plankton and fishes, simultaneous examination should 

 be made of the stomach contents of pelagic fish and the 

 plankton in the surrounding waters; 



(iii) "it is extremely desirable that quantitative 

 investigation should be made of the micro-plankton by 

 Gran's method (samples collected by means of a water- 

 bottle and preserved with strong Flemming solution) ; 



(iv) " that (i) and (iii) should be begun in the May 

 cruise, 1912." 



[The determination of the life-histories of important 

 organisms such as the 16 Copepoda named should no 

 doubt be carried out, but it is said to involve over 200 

 separate forms, and so is a very large piece of work. It 

 is quite a question whether it is the work that is most 

 urgently required. No. (ii) is excellent; but why 

 (see iv) should it not be undertaken with the rest?] 



