The present number of the Journal contains several memoirs of considerable practical importance. Mr. Bateson's paper on The Sense-organs of Fishes is the outcome of six months' work at Plymouth. It will be seen that he has dealt with the subject in the broadest possible manner; and whilst he is able to offer many practical suggestions as to the course to be pursued in further experiments with preserved and artificial baits, he has prepared the way for such experiments by his careful and interesting observations on the manner in which various fishes hunt for their prey. These observations give a far more accurate and well-founded account of the habits of food-fishes than anything that has been published before.

The Council of the Marine Biological Association appointed me, in 1889, to make observations on the perceptions of fishes, and especially on those which constitute the modes by which they hunt for and recognise their food. It was suggested that this subject should be treated in as wide a manner as possible, and in accordance with this suggestion I have endeavoured to utilize any opportunities which presented themselves of getting an insight into the natural history of marine animals. In addition to this I have also made some experiments towards the practical solution of the bait question, both by making artificial baits, and by endeavouring to preserve materials which are already in use for bait.

While on a visit to Holland last December, I took advantage of the opportunity to learn something of the extent and methods of oyster culture there practised. To Mr. C. J. Bottemanne, of Bergen-op-Zoom, the Inspector of Fisheries, and to Prof. A. A. W. Hubrecht, of Utrecht and his published papers, I desire to acknowledge my indebtedness.

The following description of the reproductive organs of the oyster cannot well be understood without some acquaintance with the general anatomy of the animal. With the help of Pl. XXII, fig. 1, the most important features of its anatomy may readily be understood. It must be remembered that the valves of the oyster's shell lie right and left of the animal; that the concave valve which lies undermost in the natural position of the animal is the left valve, and the flat upper valve is the right valve. The hinge marks the dorsal border of the animal, and the opposite border is the ventral border. That side which is on the observer's right in fig. 1 is the anterior surface, and that on the left hand is the posterior surface. As the animal is compressed from side to side the anterior and posterior surfaces are very narrow. The great adductor muscle, by which the valves of the shell are closed, is seen lying in the centre of the animal in fig. 1.

I have tried breeding oysters in two enclosed ponds for over ten years. I began my experiments in 1878. These ponds are situated on the banks of the Beaulieu River, about three miles from the estuary. They were excavated from the mud-bank, and banked off from the river; the bottom was well chalked, and afterwards well coated with gravel. They are about half an acre each, and are divided by an embankment. There are three sluices communicating with the river from the ponds, and two between the two ponds. The situation of the ponds is very sheltered, being in the west bank of the river, with a wood on the west side, and the woods on the east side of the river also sheltering them. The water of the river at the spot is brackish to a certain extent, and decidedly so when there is much rain. At spring tides it is nearly as salt as the sea, but there is always a considerable mixture of fresh in the river. I have only once succeeded in obtaining any large fall of spat, and that was in the first year the ponds were made, 1878. That year there was a very early fall of spat, middle of June, and the tiles were fairly smothered with it. Since then there has been occasionally a little fall of spat, but nothing at all satisfactory.

A Government grant by the Royal Society enabled me to spend the months of August and September of 1889, in the investigation of unknown or obscure points in the marine algæ, in the Laboratory of the Marine Biological Association, Plymouth. One of my chief objects was to obtain such material of the various members of the Gigartinaceæ, of Spyridia, Stenogramme, and other genera, as would permit me to make a detailed examination of the development of the fruit (cystoearp) from the earliest stage to maturity. Several of the genera required were very rare or of unknown locality, and in many cases only to be found by dredging. In searching for these, new weeds, or new localities for known weeds, were met with, and it seemed to me the notes I made would be of use to algologists. Cocks, Hore, Boswarva, Gatcombe, &c, and of late years Holmes, have combined in their work to give a very full account of the marine algæ to be met with without the use of the dredge. For twenty years Cocks, I am told, did not miss a single low tide at Plymouth (or, if not, Falmouth). Up to the present our knowledge of the weeds of Plymouth has been derived almost entirely from shore-hunting, some of the rarest weeds being described as washed ashore, so that it was a question as to whether such weeds were locally established or merely “drift” specimens. In 1867 Boswarva published his Flora of Plymouth Sound in the Transactions of the Plymouth Athenaeum, his catalogue being compiled from the discoveries of himself, Cocks, &c. This list appears word for word in the Marine Biological Association Journal, No. 2, 1888. I am permitted by Mr. Holmes to say that through a misunderstanding he is stated to give the names of eight additional species.

The cruise, of which the zoological results are given in this report, was undertaken at the suggestion of Capt. Wharton, R.N., F.R.S. hydrographer to the Admiralty, who kindly advised me that H.M.S. “Research” was to make a fresh series of soundings off the entrance to the Channel, and put me in communication with the captain of the ship. To Capt. Aldrich I am indebted for unbounded hospitality. and attention whilst I was on board, and I take this opportunity of expressing my most hearty thanks both to him and to the officers on board for the hospitality and kindness which they afforded me, and, for the help which they gave me in the trawling operations. The “Eesearch” is a paddle vessel of 520 tons register, built last year for the express purpose of surveying, and provided with a steam winch, deep-sea trawls and dredges, and 1000 fathoms of wire rope, with accumulators and accessory tackle. The available space on board was limited; there was no separate cabin at my disposal, so Capt. Aldrich most kindly made me his guest and gave me a berth in his own cabin, and I was given as much room, as could possibly be allowed for storing my bottles and other apparatus.

Mr. Bourne has been good enough to submit to me most of the interesting specimens of Echinoderms which he obtained during his short stay on board H.M.S. “Research.” Coming so soon after the important collection made by the Rev. W. S. Green in neighbouring waters and at greater depths, it will, I think, suffice for me to treat this collection as an appendix to that, and to refer for a general discussion of such points as appeared worth noting to my report in the Annals and Magazine of Natural History for December last.

The anchovy belongs to the same family of fishes as the herring, pilchard, and sprat, the family Clupeidæ. But whereas the herring, pilchard, and sprat have so many structural features in common that they are placed in a single genus, namely Clupea, the anchovy is in many respects so peculiar that it is placed in the distinct genus Engraulis. There are many species of Engraulis in various parts of the world, but only one on the coasts of Europe, and that one, commonly known as the ancovy, is called by zoologists Engraulis encrasicholus. The origin of these names dates back to a very early period. Both are used by ancient classical Greek authors.

Probable Relation between Temperature and the Annual Catch of Anchovies in the Schelde District (with Pl. XXIV).—Mr. C. J. Bottemanne, of Bergen-op-Zoom, the Inspector of Fisheries for Holland, has expressed in tables published in extenso in the Verslag omtrent den Toestand der Visscherijen in de Schelde en Zeeuwsche. Stroomen for 1888, some very interesting statistics which have been condensed in Pl. XXIV of this journal. The temperature observations were made on the Rinkelaar guardship of the Ijerseke Bank of the Eastern Schelde (see Map, Pl. XXI); the amounts of the annual catch are taken from the official returns. It appears probable from these statistics that the extent of the catch of anchovies in the Schelde district in any year is (at least largely) dependent on the temperature of the water during the midsummer months of the preceding year. The curves in Pl. XXIV exhibit the temperature on the Ijerseke Bank during the months June to September from 1883 to 1888, the shaded blocks below them represent graphically the mass of anchovies taken in the succeeding year, i. e. 1884—1889 (the figures in the bottom line placed after the year indicate the total number of barrels). The only apparent exception is 1886, but, though the highest recorded temperature of this year is not great, the mean temperature in July to September was extremely and unusually high, as will readily be seen in the diagram. As an example of the valuable information which scientific observers may give to those interested in fisheries, Mr. Bottemanne, on receiving the statistics of temperature for 1888, warned the fishermen of the district last year not to go to trouble orexpense about the anchovy, fishery; they persisted, however, and justified his advice by realising 12 barrels as against 730 barrels of the previous year.

The following specimens suitable for class purposes and dissection are kept in stock at the Plymouth Laboratory, and may be obtained at short notice on application to the Director. Except where otherwise stated in the list, all specimens will be forwarded in alcohol; but those marked with an asterisk can be sent fresh if required, in which case the prices will be correspondingly reduced.