308 
BULLETIN OF THE UNITED STATES FISH COMMISSION. 
Homarus americanus, Lobster. 
In the fall of 1899 about 20 lobsters were left in a car in the '‘basin'’ at the Fish Commission 
wharf. Near the end of March 1900, when the car was opened, all seemed to be in a perfectly healthy 
condition. (George M. Gray.) 
Nereis limbata. 
This annelid, which is usually seen only at night, when attracted by artificial light, was observed 
in great numbers in the daytime at Wickford, R. I., on May 31, 1899. The house-boat laboratory of 
the Rhode Island Fish Commission contains a “well” 12 feet wide and 30 feet long, entirely open 
below. In this space myriads of Nereis were swimming in their characteristic excited manner and 
discharging their eggs during the whole forenoon of May 31. It is difficult to give an adequate idea 
of their great numbers. A solid quart or more taken out. with a scoop net made no appreciable differ- 
ence in the appearance of the swarm. Throughout the day the sun was shining brightly, and yet the 
worms behaved exactly as one sees them by the light of a lantern at night. The males were more 
abundant than the females, and swam with their peculiar swift, gyrating movement, or in small circles, 
while the females swam more slowly, and after discharging their eggs, collapsed and sank to the 
bottom. The water was literally full of their eggs, which were fertilized and were developing nor- 
mally. The worms were first observed at 7 o’clock in the morning, and remained with little decrease 
in numbers until about 10 o’clock, when they became gradually fewer. At 2 p. m., however, hundreds 
were still present in the “ well.” In the water outside the house-boat only a very few were seen 
even in the early forenoon. Although these annelids may he taken almost any night in greater or 
less abundance, the singular phenomenon just described has not been repeated. (A. D. Mead.) 
Nereis virens. 
On March 24, 1900, “clam worms” were seen swimming in the shallow water along the shore of 
Monamesset Island, near Sheep Pen Cove. Nearly 300 specimens were captured in about an hour’s time. 
As the tide rose the worms burrowed down into the sand, several being taken when the head and a 
portion of the body were hidden beneath the surface. On the morning of March 26, when the same 
locality was visited again, only 2 specimens were to he seen; but an hour later, soon after 12 o’clock, 
when the tide had turned and was rising, about 150 were taken. On the following morning, as the 
tide was running out, only a single specimen could be found, but after the tide had turned they were 
so abundant that more than 500 were picked up in an hour. These worms schooled in the shallow 
water for more than an hour, and were seen in other localities also. Although the greater number 
were of the characteristic olive-green color, some were dull yellowish-orange. After the worms were 
placed in a bucket they discharged their sexual products until the water looked like milk. On 
subsequent days only scattering individuals were taken. (George M. Gray.) 
Chaetopterus pergamentaceus. 
Duriug the extremely low tides of December, 1899, hundreds of these singular worms were 
killed by the cold. (H. C. BuMrus. ) 
Thyone briareus. 
There has been some lack of definite information in regard to the habits of the littoral echino- 
derms during cold weather. In December, in 1899, I visited the colony of these holothurians at Hadley 
Harbor, and found them shriveled up into contracted spheres, the tentacles completely withdrawn, 
and the animals hidden several inches below the surface. On March 30, 1900, 1 found them just below 
the surface, the posterior end of the body extended, and the respiratory function evidently going on 
with characteristic energy, but the anterior end of the body was still deeply buried in the mud, and 
not a single specimen was found with expanded arms. (George M. Gray.) 
Sertularia argentea. 
On April 6, 1900, several specimens, with ripe gonophores, were dredged oft' Nobsque Point. 
Only the dead stalks are found during the summer months. (George M. Gray.) 
