St. Andrews Marine Laboratory . 181 
the finest example in the museum was procured this month. 
A few Sagittce 18 millim. long were present once. 
Throughout October the larval Annelids still abounded in 
the bottom-nets, demonstrating how ample the food-supplies 
of the smaller fishes are from this group during a consider- 
able period of the year. The forms consisted chiefly of the 
larvae of Nerine , Polydora , and Polynoe. Sagittce were 
obtained sparingly in this net in the earlier part of the month, 
but at the end they were very numerous and ranged from 8 
to 15 millim. 
In the midwater-net Tomopteris occurred occasionally in 
small numbers, ranging from 1^ inch in length downwards. 
Very few Sagittce appeared in this net, and only on one 
occasion. 
In the surface-net the larval stages of Nerine and Poly- 
dora were captured along with a few small examples of 
Tomopteris during the first half of the month. The paucity 
of their numbers formed a contrast with those immediately 
preceding. 
In November the surface-net gave only a very few small 
specimens of Tomopteris , while the bottom-net, besides a few 
similar specimens, added a few Nematodes. These free 
Nematodes are occasionally got at considerable depths. 
Sagittce , again, of good size occurred in all the nets and often 
in great numbers. They took the place of the absent Hydro- 
medusae. 
The paucity of Annelidan life was equally marked in 
December. In the surface- net a single Tomopteris f inch 
long was obtained. The same form occurred in the mid- 
water-net occasionally from ^ to f inch. In the bottom-net 
only bristles of Sabellaria and Nereis with fragments of 
Polynoe were taken. The same bristles moreover occurred 
in the contents of a tow-net sent me by Mr. Shrubsole from 
Sheerness-on-Sea. 
The Sagittce , again, were remarkably numerous and large. 
In the surface-net and in the bottom-net they appeared in 
similar proportions, but not always in correspondence ; thus 
the record of the surface-net on the 5th, 13th, 14th, and 18th 
was u numerous, few, many, few,” while in the bottom-net it 
was “ few, many, many, few ” on the same dates. In the 
midwater-net they were especially abundant and large, 
ranging from f to 1 inch, and the reproductive organs were 
well developed. They formed an important element in the 
food of the various fishes at this season. 
Only a portion of the life -history of the Annelids ( Poly - 
chceta ) is thus brought before us in the pelagic fauna ; but it 
