288 Part III. — Seventh Annual Report 



beyond them. The tail, indeed, has a peculiarly symmetrical or 

 feathered appearance. On the other hand, the sea-scorpion (Cottus) has a 

 tail less finely tapered, and the rays and other elements are developed 

 only on the inferior division of the tail, the whole dorsal half having only 

 embryonic rays. 



Throughout the month young gobies were very common in the mid- 

 water net, as well as occasionally in the trawl. They are sometimes apt to 

 be confounded with young gadoids, though the distinctions are evident 

 enough when the two forms are laid side by side. In length they 

 ranged from 4 to 12 mm. 



A single example of a larval Cyclopterus lumpus, 5 mm. long, was also 

 observed on the 25 th July. It could only have been a few days old. 



August. 



During the month of August Diatoms, Rhizosoleniae, spores of Algae, and 

 other minute vegetable structures were as plentiful as in July, and 

 occasionally they formed a greenish-brown scum at the margin of the tide 

 on the West Sands. 



The bottom-net presented a considerable abundance of Infusoria, though 

 the prominent species were not numerous, and there w T as no special feature 

 in regard to their occurrence during the month, except that they appeared 

 to be more abundant in the Bay than beyond it, e.g., near the Bell Rock 

 and south-east of the Island of May. The species observed were Ceratium 

 tripos, C. fusus, C. fusca, and C. divergens. The first mentioned was 

 often very abundant, some of the others being few. Tintinnus denticulatus 

 was common, and T. lagennla (?) appeared once. 



In the surface-net similar forms were met with, viz., C. tripos, C. 

 fusus, 0. fusca, and G. divergens, along with Tintinnus denticulatus 

 towards the end of August. Moreover, Radiolarians occasionally appeared 

 in this net in the Bay. Ceratium likewise occurred at the surface in the 

 open sea near the Bell Rock. 



The Coelenterates continued in considerable profusion in August, and if 

 we may judge from their abundance in all three nets (bottom, mid-water, 

 and surface), their distribution throughout the water was on the whole 

 more general. Yet, notwithstanding the number of species which fell 

 under observation, it is noteworthy that no trace of the genus Steenstnqna 

 appeared, yet Corymorplia abounds in certain parts of the Bay. 



Amongst the Hydromedusse in the bottom-net were Thaumantias incon- 

 spicua, T. melanops, T. hemisplimi ica (small), and T. globularis, ail of 

 which occurred in the beginning of the month, comparatively few, and 

 these chiefly T. hemisphcerica, being captured towards the end of the 

 month. Small Medusa-buds, including those of Obelia, were common 

 throughout the period. Other forms were Oceania turrita, Stomobrachium 

 octocostatum, and an undetermined Thaumantias (Plate Y. fig. 6). On 

 contrasting the surface-fauna of the Bay with that in the vicinity, for 

 instance, in the neighbourhood of the Bell Rock, the greater abundance of 

 Lizzia octopunctata and L. blondina in the latter area is interesting. 

 Minute Medusa-buds are common to both areas, as also were Thaumantias 

 inconspicua, T. hemisphwrica, and T. melanops. Lizzia octopunctata is an 

 active and voracious form, and engulfs the bodies of Appendicular io&, the 

 tail projecting outward as a singular appendage to the Medusa. At this 

 time the open water beyond the Bay had many smaller examples of 

 Bougainvillia britannica. The Ctenophores in the surface-nets in the Bay 

 included Beroe, which only occurred plentifully the first week, and then 

 disappeared. Pleurobrachice were numerous, but small, the majority rang- 



