264 TRANSACTIONS LIVERPOOL* BIOLOGICAL SOCIETY. 



remarkably constant for several hauls, indicating a very 

 general distribution through the water. For example, 

 in one traverse of Port Erin Bay 2,780 were caught, and 

 in the return traverse 2,030; then again, two adjacent 

 hauls gave 3,840 and 3,600 respectively, and another pair 

 of simultaneous hauls gave 2,250 each, But on the other 

 hand, on another occasion, two successive traverses of the 

 bay gave 5,050 and 2,480 respectively, and other examples 

 of diverse results might be quoted from our records. Bui 

 on the whole the impression received by an inspection of 

 the Forms is that Oikopleura is more evenly distributed 

 through the water than most of the other common 

 organisms. 



COMPARISON OF POET ERIN BAY WITH THE 

 OPEN SEA. 



We have 136 surface hauls taken across Port Erin 

 Bay throughout the year, from January 8th to December 

 30th. All months are represented, and nearly all weeks. 

 January is the only month in which less than three 

 weekly hauls were taken, and in all the remaining months 

 except February, May and June there are at least four 

 weeks represented. During April, August and September 

 the observations were almost daily. In the open sea, 

 however, surface hauls were only taken when the yacht 

 was at work in parts of March, April, August and 

 September. Mr. Douglas Laurie, who has kindly helped 

 us by preparing some of the curves showing distribution, 

 has made a comparison for April between the hauls taken 

 (by himself with the assistance of others) and those that 

 were being taken at the same time with similar surface 

 nets from the yacht at the outside stations. The hauls 

 from the yacht lasted 15 minutes each. Those taken in 

 the bay consisted of a double traverse which occupied on 



