“It may interest you to know that on Friday, 14th January, the weather being very fine, and the wind from the S.E., as the fishing-boat Sea Belle (Mr. Blamey, master), was proceeding to the pilchard ground some four or five miles south of the Deadman headland, when about two miles from land they fell in with masses of muddy brown matter in strings, some of which were three or four hundred yards long and form two to seven feet wide, floating quite on the surface. They had not proceeded far along these lanes or path-like forms on the sea before they observed that pilchards were feeding on them ravenously; so they tacked their boat among them for a mile or more, and the further they went the more abundant were the pilchards. About four miles from land and in thirty fathoms of water the anxious gulls indicated the outmost limit of these strangely coloured bands, and here the pilchards were the most plentiful, almost rabid in their mad rush on the lessening streaks, causing the water to boil and whirl violently. Certainly some of the shoals of pilchards could not have had less than thirty to sixty thousand fish in them, for they coloured the water a dark red when concentrated on the brown matter.

“Of course our fisherman expected a more than ordinary catch of pilchards when setting their nets; but, strange to tell, with the decline of the light, having fed to repletion, they sank down below the nets, and the catch was a small one, amounting to some two or three thousand fish.

By the kindness of Mr. J. Jacobs, to whom the Laboratory is already indebted for many specimens of interest, I received on the 15th June a fine example of the species mentioned above, which had been trawled off the south coast of Ireland. The fish weighed 1 lb. 5 oz., and measured 42 cm., or 16½ inches. Though taken at least a day previously, it was in excellently fresh and firm condition. I have already recorded its capture in a letter to the Field and at a meeting of the Zoological Society, but the locality was inexactly given in each of these communications. I have since learned that the correct locality is 50° 20′ N., 8° 25′ W., or about seventy-five miles true S. of the Old Head of Kinsale, depth seventy-four fathoms. A number of the same species were trawled, and some were found to be excellent eating. I have no means of deciding whether the occurrence of A. silus on the ground indicated is normal or exceptional. If it can be taken in any quantity it should prove a valuable addition to our list of food-fishes.

Just as a small marine laboratory is being fitted up at Cullercoats, it may be desirable to present to a wider audience a short account of the scientific work already done—work which has, in fact, given origin to the building now almost ready for occupation. As regards the laboratory, a word may be said. It is small, but it will be provided with a tank-room and the essential requirements for carrying on, at any rate, biological investigations. The tanks are made of wood, and will be supplied by gravitation in succession. At the same time a series of glass cylinders can be added in any number, and supplied with sea water in a similar manner. The workroom is very cheery, well lighted and well ventilated, and will accommodate six or even more workers. We are indebted for this most desirable adjunct to the biological department of the College to the Vice-Chairman of the Committee, who has already done so much for local fishery questions. The laboratory will, we hope, not only help in the development of our biological work, but form a centre for enquiry, and thus take a share in the general work of investigation now going on in this country.

In the Journal of this Association for 1896 (Vol. IV., No. 2, p. 168) I published a few notes on the Pelagic Fauna of Plymouth for September, 1893 and 1895. This year (1897) I again occupied a table in the Laboratory during September for the study of medusae, and alos made a few entries in my notebook on the occurence of certain animals belonging to other groups, and kept a special look-out for the animals which I noted in previous years. Unfortunately I was not able to visit Plymouth during September in 1894 and 1896, consequently the record is broken by two blank years, and spoilt for an accurate comparison of one year with another, but it shows that more Atlantic forms were present in 1895 than in 1893 or 1897.

In the summer months, for some years prior to 1887, very large quantities ofHake (Merluccius vulgaris) had been caught by trawlers beyond the entrance of the Bristol Channel, and landed at Plymouth. Knowing that such masses of hungry creatures would not be found continuously in any given locality without a heavy balance of smaller fish being in their neighbourhood as food for these hakes, I became anxious to know what these smaller fish were, and throughout the summer of 1888 I tried more than once to get at them through our fishermen, but failed.

In July, 1889, I desired my son Howard to visit the Plymouth Barbican, and notice the gutting of the hakes there and tell me the result. His report was that they had been feeding on small whiting (Gadus merlangus), and that single hakes had as many as ten whiting in their stomachs. I told him that I doubted if these small fish were whiting, and asked him to send the specimens at once, as I expected them to be the poutasson(Gadus poutassou) of Couch. I had recently had specimens of this fish brought me from thirty miles west of the Scilly Isles.

About a week afterwards my son sent me.seven of these little ones taken from the stomach of a pollack(Gadus pollachius) which had been caught in a trawl forty miles north-west of St. Ives. On giving them my attention, I was surprised to find they were not the poutassou nor any other Gadus I was acquainted with.

The common wrasse of our coasts is well known to exhibit, as a species, an almost endless variation of colour. To what extent the different colour-patterns are individual or congenital, and to what extent they may be produced in the same individual by different stimuli, appears to be a question worthy of careful examination. We propose at present to deal chiefly with the observation of a single specimen.

I. Introduction.

Some eighteen months ago the Director of the Plymouth Laboratory of the Marine Biological Association decided to carry out a series of investigations concerning the surface currents of the English Channel at different seasons of the year, and for a series of years, by means of properly devised floating bodies which would attract attention when standed on the shore, and the recovery of which could without difficulty be recorded. At the commencement of the investigation Mr. Allen communicated his scheme to the editors of the west-country Press, and these gentlemen kindly gave publicity to the plan, the success of which depended very largely upon the co-operation of residents and visitors frequenting the sea-shore. Mr. Allen's letter expresses so clearly the object and method of the investigation, that I cannot do better than reproduce it here:—

It may be predicted of a Report by Dr. Petersen that it is sure to contain matter of great interest, both to the ichthyologist and to the student of fishery questions; and the volume for 1895 is assuredly no exception to the rule.

Aphia pellucida. Nardo, This species has been hitherto known in the Plymouth district from a single example taken at the surface, south of the Mewstone (cf. Cunningham, vol. iii. p. 166). During the present year it has proved to be rather abundant in the estuarine waters, and has also been taken at sea. The following records may be cited:

The various researches detailed in my last Report, which are being conducted by the Association's Naturalists, have been continued during the winter. Mr. Garstang has been chiefly occupied in investigations relating to the migratory pelagic fishes, giving special attention to the characteristics of mackerel from different localities, some 1500 of these fish having been subjected to detailed examination in the course of this enquiry. The samples of mackerel have been obtained from the south-west of Ireland (through H.M. Inspectors of Irish Fisheries), from the North Sea and from America, in addition to those captured near Plymouth. As the results so far obtained refer only to the autumn fish, it has been thought better to defer their publication until after the coming spring fishery, when further samples from the same localities, as well as from the Mediterranean and from Norway, will be examined.

Mr. Garstang has also given much time to working out the results of the drift-bottle experiments, a report of which for the year 1897 will be found at p. 199. These experiments have proved more interesting and successful than we had anticipated when they were undertaken, and we purpose continuing and extending them during the coming year.

Mr. Holt's papers in the present number of the Journal represent but a portion of the many observations which he has been able to make during the year on the eggs and larvæ of fishes. He has also given much attention to the question of the distribution of fish at different ages in this neighbourhood.

As announced in the Report of the Council for 1896–97 (p. 100), important changes have taken place in the staff of naturalists working for the Association. Mr. Garstang, who now has charge of the fishery investigations, commenced his new duties in June; and Mr. E. W. L. Holt, who has placed his services, for the time being, at the disposal of the Association, has been occupied with researches on food fishes since March last. It is much to be desired that the staff should be maintained at at least its present strength, but unfortunately the conditions of Mr. Holt's appointment, which is purely honorary, preclude the possibility of our hoping that this may be the case, unless funds can be provided to give him a position of a more permanent character. It will be remembered that it was only through private generosity that the Association was able for a number of years to retain the services of two naturalists for fishery investigations, and although we have the good fortune for the present to maintain this condition of things, the possibility of the reduction of the number is a prospect which cannot but be regarded as most serious for the future welfare of the Association. It would be exceedingly unfortunate if from the want of funds to remunerate his services the really valuable work which Mr. Holt is now doing for the Association were to be stopped.