of the Fishery Board for Scotland. 



265 



The Annelids were represented by Autolytus prolifer in considerable 

 numbers, the majority being captured by the trawl-like bottom tow-net. 

 Many had the ovigerous pouch. A larval form with curiously reticulated 

 surface, and which has a very wide distribution, since Mr Shrubsole finds 

 the same form at Sheerness-on-Sea, appears to be an early larval stage 

 of Nerine, as shown by Claparcde and Mecznikow. A few older stages 

 of the larval form of JVerine also occurred in the same net. 



Sagittae were numerous, both small and large, the latter reaching fully 

 an inch. This form abounded in the mid-water and bottom-nets, and also 

 occasionally reached the surface. It has been found in the stomachs 

 of several food-fishes, and is probably eaten by most, so that its 

 importance in this respect is considerable. 



The surface-net during March showed that Halitemora longicomis 

 abounded, while Calanus finmarchicus, Centropages hamatus, and Pseudo- 

 calanus elongatus occurred in small numbers. Many Nauplii and a few 

 zoea3 also appeared in this net towards the end of the month. 



In the mid-water net the Copepods consisted of Calanus finmarchicus, 

 often in considerable numbers, and of Acartia longiremis. The other 

 crustaceans were represented by the ubiquitous Parathemisto oblivia, by a 

 few examples of Crangon vulgaris, Mysis flexuom, M. vulgaris, M. 

 Grifiithsice, Atylus Swammerdamii, Eurydice pulekra, Idotea linearis, 

 and zoea3. In former years the zoea3 of Lithodes maia issued about the 

 middle of the month. 



The bottom tow-net gave many Nauplii and zoeae of Crangon, 

 Carcinus, and others, both abounding towards the end of the month. 

 Parathemisto oblivia in numbers, and a few examples of Hyperia 

 medusarum and Thysanoessa also were captured. Amongst the Copepods 

 were Calanus finmarchicus in considerable numbers, Pseudocalanus elon- 

 gatus in myriads, and Halitemora longicomis occasionally. 



The Molluscoida were scantily represented in the pelagic fauna, 

 only a few examples of Cyphonautes, besides the Appendicularians 

 having come under observation. The latter during the earlier part 

 of the month were chiefly small specimens, and obtained sparingly. 

 Towards the end of March they were much more numerous and larger, 

 and the 4 houses ' also were common. 



The only pelagic mollusks were young examples of Spinalis. 



The pelagic ova of this month included a considerable number of plaice, 

 the embryos from a comparatively early period being distinguished by 

 pale yellow pigment-corpuscles. These eggs were not obtained in great 

 numbers, as might have been imagined from the vast multitudes of plaice 

 in the Bay, but mostly in twos and threes — showing that they are sparsely 

 scattered throughout the water. At most only a very few mature plaice 

 (none of which have been under observation) occur in the Bay, which prob- 

 ably has to depend upon its main supply of eggs, post-larval and young 

 fishes on the offing, e.g., near the Bell Rock in the deep water near which 

 large and mature plaice are plentiful. The eggs of the plaice are large 

 (•068 of an inch) and very buoyant. The structure of the egg-capsule 

 conforms to that generally observed, being minutely dotted with a close 

 series of rows or punctures, which in some views seem elevated, in others 

 depressed, and the surface is peculiarly rough as if minutely corrugated. 

 This condition sometimes gives a sheen to the egg in certain lights, as if 

 silvered or frosted. 



If a ripe plaice be examined, the large size of the ovaries is marked, 

 those in a fish of 23 inches being about 11 inches in length, the greatest 

 transverse diameter being inches, and the thickness about an inch. 

 A comparatively large proportion of the ova attains maturity at the same 



