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Part III. — Seventh Annual Report 



part of the abdomen. No dorsal pigment is present, but a line of black 

 chromatophores occurs along the ventral edge. 



Besides the larval food-fishes, numerous larvae of the sea-scorpion (Cottus 

 scorpius) appeared in the mid-water net, and their vitality is so great 

 that they will live for many days in a small vessel of unchanged sea- 

 water. The piebald larval armed bull-heads (Agonus cataphractus) were 

 frequently obtained, and their yellow touches are boldly relieved by 

 the almost translucent body ; moreover, their action in swimming is more 

 undulatory than in the swift food-fishes. The larval stages of Montagu's 

 sucker were also common, and the young (larval) gunnels occasionally 

 were swept into the mid-water net near the rocks. 



April. 



Diatoms, spores of Algae, Rhizosolenice, and other forms of plant-life 

 were abundant in April. Moreover, during this month the peculiar 

 gelatinous algoid masses, which will be more particularly described under 

 May, appeared in the Bay. Their great profusion had a close relation with 

 the abundance of various pelagic animals. 



Daring April the pelagic Ccelenterates began to be more prominent 

 in the mid-water net. Thus Tliaumantias and Lizzia, with buds, and 

 many examples of Circe, were captured. The latter seems to attain a large 

 size this month; indeed, no larger forms have been seen, and the repro- 

 ductive organs are well developed. Moreover, an occasional example of 

 Sarsia tubulosa appeared towards the end of the month, and a few of 

 them attained \ an inch in long diameter. The gonozoids of Clytia 

 Johnstoni were characteristically plentiful at this period, issuing from the 

 stock in swarms. Moreover, the old polypites and cups were thrown off, 

 and new ones reproduced. Pleurobraclda was as abundant as usual, 

 but the specimens were chiefly small. Moreover, the young of JJeroc, 

 about y\ inch, and of Lesueuria, § inch, occasionally appeared. 



Amongst the annelids the various forms of Autolytus prolifer were 

 captured, the females bearing ova. The epitocous forms of Nereis like- 

 wise appeared, and Tomopteris was frequent. 



Sagittse on the whole were less conspicuous than in the previous month, 

 but some were f inch long. A few were mature at the beginning of 

 the month, but these were in the minority. This corresponds with the 

 condition of the Neapolitan forms.* 



In the surface-net Centropages hamatus abounded towards the end of 

 the month, and also Evadne Nordmanni. 



Nauplii of various forms were also very common, including those of 

 Cirripedes ; while the cypris-stage of the latter with the black specks was 

 frequent in the mid-water net. 



From the beginning of the month zoeae appeared in great numbers 

 in the mid-water as well as in the surface-net, and were as charac- 

 teristic of the open sea as of inshore waters, occurring all^ along the 

 eastern shores from the north of Scotland to the south. In the mid-water 

 net were also Paratliemisto, Eur y dice pulchra, Idotea linearis, and /. 

 tricuspidata, Diastylis Ratlikii, My sis vulgaris, M. flexuosa, and Crangon 

 vulgaris, the last six, however, probably being specially related to work 

 close inshore. 



Moreover, Schizopods occurred in vast numbers about the 23rd (in 

 1886), and were stranded on the west sands for some days as a belt left 

 by the retiring water. Some supposed that a quantity of chaff had been 



* Mittheilung a.d. Zoolog. Stat. z. Neapel, 8 Bd. iii. and iv. Heft, p. 401. 



