280 TRANSACTIONS LIVERPOOL BIOLOGICAL SOCIETY. 



Erin Bay plankton collected on July 27th and again on 

 July 30th. 



Drepanopsetta platessoides, Fabr. — Long Rough Dab. 



The well-defined eggs of the long rough dab, after 

 being apparently absent from the area round the South- 

 West of the Isle of Man for three years, occurred in 

 thirteen hauls taken in the spring of 1914. All the records 

 except one are from outside Port Erin Bay, between 

 Bradda Head and Calf Island. They were present in 

 numbers varying from one to nine in nearly every 

 sample of plankton taken between April 2nd and 20th. 

 The fish no doubt spawns in the soft muddy area in the 

 vicinity of Bradda Head. The eggs were not observed 

 in any of the collections from the central area of the Irish 

 Sea. The following is a list of the positions where the 

 plankton containing these eggs was collected : — 



No. of Eggs. No. of Eggs. 



Apr. 2 — Station I 1 Apr. 11— Off Spanish Head.. 9 



2— Station III 3 



3— Station I 2 



3— Station III 3 



4— Station I 2 



4— Station III 2 



8— Off Spanish Head.. 1 



11— Port Erin Bay ... 1 



15— Station III 1 



16— Station III 5 



17— Station III 1 



20— S.W. of Calf Island 1 



Zeugopterus punctatus, Bl. — Midler's Top-knot. 



The eggs of a species of top-knot, which is probably 

 the above, appeared to be generally distributed in the 

 Bay from April 24th to the end of June in 1914, and in 

 the adjoining area outside from March 31st to April 20th. 

 There does not appear to be the same marked difference 

 in the numbers generally present in the Bay compared 

 with those found in the area outside. That is clearly the 

 case with the valuable food fishes such as the cod, 

 whiting, plaice, &c. The following table of distribution 

 is given for the sake of comparison with the food fishes : — 



