of the Fishery Board for Scotland. 



273 



polyparies of this form are frequently found off St Andrews Bay and 

 in the neighbourhood of the Forth. 



The gonozoid of Syncoryne eximia or of Stauridium producium was 

 another form which occasionally was captured this month in the mid- water 

 net. In all probability it pertains to the former. 



Lastly, Lizzia octopunctata occurred only once. 



The true Medusa; were represented by a considerable number of young 

 Aurelice and Cyanecv, ranging from about ^ to \ an inch. The smallest 

 had not long been freed from the strobila-stage, and retained the characters 

 of the ephyra-stage. As the month advanced they increased in size, and 

 the contrast was still greater when placed side by side with minute forms 

 procured in March. Young Aurelice and Gyaneca are often beached on the 

 west sands at the end of May. 



The Ctenophores were abundant. At the beginning of the month many 

 small Pleurobrachice appeared, their size varying from somewhat less than 

 J to J an inch in their longest diameter. 



Beroe occurred occasionally and of moderate size, and sometimes 

 injured the post-larval fishes after capture in the mid-water net. 



The most interesting Ctenophore of the season, however, was Lesueuria 

 vitrea of Milne Edwards, which was first captured on the 19th of 

 May, and thereafter almost daily in the mid-water net till September. 

 Moreover, they occurred in great numbers, and for a considerable time 

 were the most conspicuous feature in the pelagic fauna. Yet this form is 

 quite new to British waters. It was discovered and described in 1841 by 

 the late Prof. Milne Edwards, his specimens having been procured in the 

 Bay of Nice. It is recognised by its great translucency, powerful 

 locomotive flappers, and characteristic shape. It is further characterised 

 by its extreme delicacy ; indeed, it is the most fragile of a fragile group, 

 and it is difficult to preserve — in any degree of perfection — even small 

 examples. They varied in size from the period indicated onward ; that is, 

 both large and small forms were present throughout, the maximum of 

 inches or rather more, being reached in August. Mature ova appeared 

 in some towards the end of June and in July. Certain examples in the 

 latter month and in August showed a much larger development of the 

 two principal lobes at the sides of the mouth. No Ccelenterate is more 

 brilliantly phosphorescent or luminous, the light being intense and faintly 

 bluish. 



Since its discovery by Milne Edwards, Verany has again found it at 

 Nice, and Sars and Spagnolini at Naples. That so conspicuous a form 

 should have escaped notice in the other seas of Europe is peculiar, for it 

 can hardly be supposed that for the first time it has passed into the 

 German Ocean and the North Sea. It was easily distinguished from Beroe, 

 at St Andrews by its more active motion, yet Alexander Agassiz con- 

 sidered it more sluggish than Bolina. 



While Lesueuria is thus an interesting addition to the British fauna, it 

 also concerns us more especially in the present inquiries in relation to the 

 food of fishes directly or indirectly. The immense abundance of the 

 species provides during June and July a vast quantity of minute ova 

 (/^ inch), which form food not only for early larval fishes, but for many of 

 the lower groups, these again being directly the prey of post-larval fishes. 



The pelagic Echinoderms of this month appear to be few in number, 

 the most noteworthy being the ova of Holothurians, which float readily, 

 and thus they generally occur in the surface-net. They issue from the 

 adults in long strings, but these soon break up, so that the ova by-and-by 

 float singly on the surface of the water. The young of the littoral star- 

 fishes, such as Asterias and Cribrella, do not come under the head of 



