THE MARINE MICROFAUNA AS A SOURCE OF 
FOOD SUPPLY. 
By Prof. G. S. BEADY, F.R.S. 
During the past year I have examined numerous collections 
made by means of surface and deep-nets, from all parts of the dis- 
trict. Though these vary considerably both in the nature and 
quantity of the captured organisms, the variations appear to depend 
on causes of which we at present know very little. Often when 
conditions are, to outward appearance, favourable, the net will draw 
a blank; — at other times when one expects nothing, a rich haul 
may result. There can be no doubt, however, that the microfauna 
of the sea must be a matter of immense importance to fishes. In 
the Arctic regions where there is a much more abundant minute sea- 
population, creatures so large as the whales live almost exclusively 
upon them, and if by any means we could largely increase our local 
microfauna, we should probably at the same time add greatly to 
our supply of food-fishes. It is quite certain that the smaller 
crustaceans constitute a very important part of the food both of 
marine and fresh water fishes. The species found in the tow-net 
collections above referred to are as follows. Those occurring almost 
constantly, often very abundantly, but varying much in relative 
numbers, are — Calanus finmarchicus, Gunner ; Temora longicornis, 
Miiller ; Acartia longiremis, Lilljeborg ; Pseudocalanus elongat.us, 
Doeck; Centropages hamatus, Lilljeborg; Centropages typicus, Kroyer; 
Anonuilocera patersonii , Templeton ; Evadne nordmanni, Lovcn ; 
Podon polyphemoides, Leuckart ; less commonly and seldom in very 
great abundance, Parapontella brevicomis , Lubbock ; Oithonci spini- 
frons, Boeck ; Peltidium interruptum, Goodsir. 
An occasional specimen or two may bo noted of Thalestris 
longimana, Claus, and other nearly related species, probably stragglers 
from littoral localities. 
But in addition to the adult forms, and probably of quite as 
