of the Fishery Board for Scotland. 



293 



The only other forms were a young Callionymus 5 mm. long, and 

 numerous sprats about 2| inches long. 



All the Pleuronectids had the eyes lateral, and ranged from 7 to 11*5 

 mm., the smallest with permanent rays appearing in the tail. One ex- 

 ample of the form associated with the ' witch ' in former papers was 

 obtained at the end of August, so that this species is occasionally carried 

 by the currents shorewards. The notochord was still straight, though the 

 development of hypural elements and permanent rays had occurred 

 inferiorly. Two young turbot about 13 mm. long were also observed. 

 Turbot have apparently small larvae (as found in 1884), for on 30th August 

 1887 even the largest post-larval forms south-east of Island of May were 

 small, the right side of these is more pigmented than the left, and the right 

 eye is advanced a little on its way to the left side. 



The use of the mid-water net on the area near the Bell Rock gave 

 young whiting from 16 to 29 mm. ; gurnards from 8 to 10 mm., with 

 permanent rays in the tail ; ' witches ' from 6 to 10 mm.; and a plaice (?) 

 11 mm. long, which had evidently been on edge for some time, the pig- 

 ment being best marked on each side ventrally. The left eye had slightly 

 advanced. There were,' in addition, larval examples of Cyclopterus 6 mm., 

 Montagu's sucker 6 mm., and Coitus 7 mm. 



The bottom-net in the Bay gave only gobies about 3 mm., with per- 

 manent rays in the tail. On the Bell Rock ground, however, the net was 

 more productive, the fishes being a Pleuronectid 6*5 mm., Callionymus 4 

 mm., the larval tail being elongated and tapering, while hypural elements 

 appeared beneath ; and two unknown forms (perhaps blennies), 5 and 

 6*5 mm., in which the ventral border of the abdomen somewhat resembled 

 the condition in Agonus, though the arrangement of black pigment, the 

 prominence of the angle of the jaw, the form of the tail, and other points 

 di tiered. Two other larval fishes occurred, one of which had not previously 

 been seen. 



September. 



Diatoms and other algoid forms were as abundant as in August. 



In the bottom-nets throughout this month Ceratium tripos occurred in 

 almost every instance, while the following only appeared occasionally, viz., 

 C. fusus, C. diver gens, and C. furca, the latter in small numbers and 

 rarely. Tintinnus dentieulatus was found on several occasions. The only 

 species that could be called abundant was C. tripos. 



In the surface-nets, on the other hand, there was a decided increase in 

 all the foregoing forms except C. fusus. Ceratium tripos was especially 

 large and numerous, the least abundant form being C. divergens. 



The mid-water net was most productive in regard to this group, 

 the surface-net next, while the bottom-net had comparatively few species, 

 and these both small and scantily represented. 



In the mid-water net Thaumantias pilosella amongst the Hydromedusae 

 was both large and mature, especially at the beginning of the month ; and 

 in this species, as in allied forms, it is probable that after the discharge of 

 the reproductive elements the Hydromedusae perish. They certainly 

 disappear from the areas they formerly frequented in myriads. Some 

 examples of this species were fully an inch and an eighth across. T. hemi- 

 spkeerica was also very abundant at the commencement of September, and 

 its numbers were not much diminished at the close. It was in full 

 maturity throughout. The unknown Tliaumantias (Plate V. fig. 6) ; 

 also occurred once. Tiara {Oceania) octona frequently appeared, and often 

 of good size ; some were ripe, but the majority were unripe, and many 

 small. 0. globulosa was present only once. Bougainvillia britannica 



