MBL/WHOI Library DEPOSITED IN THE LIBRARY OF THE BIOLOGICAL LABORATORIES BOTANICAL LIBRARY BIOLOGICAL LABORATORIES Bequest of ROLAND THAXTER 1933 .^3 Arthur G. Humes tn _D 3- m LD f\ X. _D IIAI i-=1 CD m □ DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE AND LABOR BULLETIN OF THE BUREAU OF FISHERIES VOL. XXXI 1911 IN TWO PARTS— PART I GEORGE M. BOWERS COMMISSIONER WASHINGTON GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE 1913 ROLAND THA A BIOLOGICAL SURVEY OF THE WATERS OF WOODS HOLE AND VICINITY In Two Parts PART I Section I.— PHYSICAL AND ZOOLOGICAL. By Francis B. Sumner. Ray- mond C. Osbum, and Leon J. Cole, v/ Section II.— BOTANICAL By Bradley M. Davis. CONTENTS. PART I. Page Section I. — Physical and zoological. By Francis B. Sumner, Raymond C. Osbum, and Leon J. Cole 1 1 Chapter I. Introduction 1 1 II. Geographical and physical conditions 28 1 . Geography 28 2. Character of the shores and bottoms 29 3. Currents and tides 34 4. Temperature 38 5. Salinity 52 III. S^Tiopsis of zoological data 55 1 . The dredging records 55 2. The distribution charts 62 3. The fauna considered according to regions and habitats 64 4. The average yield of the dredge hauls 77 5. Explanation of the faunal catalogue 80 6. Synopsis of faunal catalogue 84 7. Comparison of the Woods Hole catalogue with certain others 85 IV. The fauna considered by systematic groups pi 1 . Protozoa 91 2. Porifera 93 3. Coelenterata 95 4. Platyhelminthes, Nemathelminthes, etc loi 5. Bryozoa 102 6. Echinodermata no 7. Annulata and SipuncuKda 117 8. Arthropoda 126 I. Phyllopoda 127 11. Ostracoda 127 III. Copepoda 128 IV. Cirripedia 128 V. Amphipoda 131 VI. Isopoda 135 VII. Schizopoda, Cumacea, Stomatopoda 137 VIII. Decapoda 137 IX. Xiphosura 142 X. Pycnogonida 142 XI. Insecta and Arachnida 143 9. Mollusca 143 I. Pelecypoda 146 II. Amphineura 150 III. Gastropoda 151 IV. Cephalopoda 155 10. Adelochorda 155 11. Tunicata 155 12. Pisces ''. •. . . 160 13. Reptilia, Aves, Mammalia 169 5 6 CONTENTS. Section I. — Physical and zoological — Continued. Page. Chapter V. Theoretical considerations 170 1. Factors determining distribution 170 2. The local fauna as influenced by the character of the bottom 171 3. The influence of temperature 174 4. The influence of depth 178 5. Position of the local fauna in zoogeography i8i 6. Comparative distributions of closely related species 185 7. Changes in the composition of the local fauna 190 8. Conclusion 192 Bibliography for section 1 193 Description of dredging stations occupied during the present Survey 201 Charts 1-227 219 Section II, — Botanical. By Bradley Moore Davis 443 Chapter I. Introduction 443 II. Some factors affecting the distribution of algae at Woods Hole and vicinity 445 1. The coast 445 2. The bottom in deeper water 445 3. The tides and tidal currents 446 4. The effect of ice 446 5. Depth of water 447 6. Light 448 7. Temperature and seasonal changes 449 8. Salinity of the water 452 III. Characteristic algal associations and formations at Woods Hole and in Buzzards Bay and Vineyard Sound 453 Algal associations 456 The cool-water sublittoral formation 468 The warm-water sublittoral formation 470 The Zostera formation 472 A winter sublittoral formation 473 The littoral formations 474 The plankton 475 IV. A report on the algae of Spindle Rocks, Woods Hole Harbor 476 V. The distribution of marine algae in the deeper waters of Buzzards Bay and Vineyard Sound 480 1. The middle regions of Buzzard's Bay 480 2. The middle regions of Vineyard Sound 482 3. Certain inshore regions of particular interest 487 4. Some statistics relative to the distribution of alg^ in Buzzards Bay and Vineyard Sound 494 Literature cited for Section II 497 Charts 228-274 498 CHARTS. Chart No. Page. 1. BilocuHna ringens 219 2. Miliolina seminulutn 220 3. Miliolina oblonga 221 4. Miliolina circularis 222 5. Polymorphina lactea 223 6. Discorbina rosacea 224 7. Pulvinulina lateralis 225 8. Rotalia beccarii 226 9. Polystomella striatopunctata 227 10. Grantia ciliata? 228 11. Cliona celata 229 12. Chalina sp 230 13. Microciona prolifera 231 14. Pennaria tiarella 232 15. Hydractinia echinata 233 16. Eudendrium ramosum 234 17. Eudendrium dispar 235 18. Tubularia couthouyi 236 19. Tubularia crocea 237 20. Obelia geniculata 238 21. Halecium halecinum 239 22. Thuiaria argentea 240 2;^. Schizotricha tenella 241 24. Alcyonium cameum 242 25. Metridium dianthus 243 26. Astrangia danae 244 27. Crisia ebumea 245 28. Tubulipora liliacea 246 29. .(Etea anguina 247 30. Bicellaria ciliata 248 31. Bugula turrita 249 32. Membranipora pilosa 250 ;^;^ . Membranipora monostachys 251 34. Membranipora tenuis 252 35. Membranipora flemingii 253 36. Membranipora aurita 254 37. Cribrilina punctata 255 38. Schizoporella unicornis 256 39. Schizoporella biaperta 257 40. Hippothoa hyalina 258 41. Cellepora americana 259 42. Lepralia pallasiana and americana. . . . 260 43. Lepralia pertusa 261 44. Smittia trispinosa nitida 262 45. Bowerbankia gracilis 263 Chart No. Page. 46. Hippuraria armata 264 47. Henricia sanguinolenta 265 48. Asterias forbesi 266 49. Asterias vulgaris 267 50. Amphipholis squamata 268 51. Strongylocentrotus droebachiensis .... 269 52. Arbacia punctulata 270 53. Echinarachnius parma 271 54. Eulalia annulata 272 55. Harmothoe imbricata 273 56. Lepidonotus squamatus 274 57. Nephthys incisa 275 58. Nephthys bucera 276 59. Nereis pelagica 277 60. Platynereis megalops 278 61. Marphysa leidyi 279 62. Diopatra cuprea 280 63. Arabella opalina 281 64. Lumbrineris hebes 282 65. Ninoe nigripes 283 66. Rhynchobolus americanus 284 67. Chaetopterus pergamentaceus 285 68. Spiochaetopterus oculatus 286 69. Lepraea rubra 287 70. Pista intermedia 288 71. Pista palmata 289 72. Polycirrus eximeus 290 73. Ampharete setosa 291 74. Melinna maculata 292 75. Cistenides gouldii 293 76. Clymenella torquata 294 77. Maldane elongata 295 78. Trophonia affinis 296 79. Parasabella microphthalmia 297 80. Pseudopotarailla oculifera 298 81 . Hydroides dianthus 299 82. Sabellaria vulgaris 300 83. Phascolion strombi 301 84. Balanus eburneus 302 85. Lysianopsis alba 303 86. Haustorius arenarius 304 87. Ampelisca raacrocephala 305 88. Ampelisca spinipes 306 89. Byblis serrata 307 90. Calliopius laeviusculus 308 7 8 CHARTS. Chart No. Page. 91 . Pontogenia inermis 309 92. Batea secunda 310 93. Gammarus annulatus 311 94. Elasmopus laevis 312 95. Autonoe smithi 313 96. Ptilocheirus pinguis 314 97. Amphithoe rubricata 315 98. Jassa marmorata 316 99. Ericthonius minax 317 100. Corophium cylindricum 318 loi . Unciola irrorata 319 102. Caprellidae sp 320 103. Leptochelia savignyi 321 104. Idothea baltica 322 105. Idothea phosphorea 323 106. Erichsonella filiformis 324 107. Crago septemspinosus 325 108. Homarus araericanus 326 109. Pagiirus pollicaris 327 1 10. Pagurus acadianus 328 111. Pagurus longicarpits 329 112. Pagurus annulipes 330 113. Pelia niutica . 331 114. Libinia emarginata 332 115. Cancer irroratus 333 116. Cancer borealis 334 117. Ovalipes ocellatus 335 118. Neopanope texana sayi 336 119. Pinnotheres maculatus 337 120. Tanystylum orbiculare 338 121. Anoplodactylus lentus 339 122. Ostrea virginica 340 123. Anomia simplex 341 124. Anomia aculeata 342 125. Pecten magellanicus 343 126. Pecten gibbus borealis 344 127. Mytilus edulis 345 128. Modiolus modiolus 346 129. Modiolaria nigra 347 130. Crenella glandula 348 131. Area ponderosa 349 132. Area transversa 350 133. Area campechiensis pexata 351 134. Nucula proxima 352 135. Yoldia limatula 353 136. Solemya velum 354 137. Venericardia borealis 355 138. Astarte undata 356 139. Astarte castanea 357 140. Crassinella mactracea 358 141. Divaricella quadrisulcata 359 142. Cardium pinnulatum 360 Chart 143- 144. 145- 146. 147. 148. 149. 150. 151- 152. 153- 154- 155- 156. 157- 158- 159- 160. 161. 162. 163. 164. 165. 166. 167. 168. 169. 170. 171. 172. 173- 174. 175- 176. 177. 178. 179. 180. 181. 182. 183. 184. 185. 186. 187. 188. 189. 190. 191. 192. 193- 194. No. Page. Laevicardium mortoni 361 Cyclas islandica 362 Venus mercenaria 363 Callocardia morrhuana 364 Petricola pholadiformis 365 Tagelus gibbus 366 Tellina tenera 367 Macoma tenta 368 Ensis directus 369 Cumingia tellinoides 370 Spisula solidissima 371 Mulinia lateralis 372 Thracia conradi 373 Cochlodesma leanum 374 Lyonsia hyalina 375 Clidiophora gouldiana 376 Corbula contracta 377 Mya arenaria 378 Chaetopleura apiculata 379 Tomatina canaliculata 380 Cylichnella oryza 381 Busycon canaliculatum 382 Busycon carica 383 Buccinum undatum 384 Tritia trivittata 385 Ilyanassa obsoleta 386 Anachis avara 387 Astyris Itmata 388 Eupleura caudata 389 Urosalpinx cinereus 390 Eulima conoidea 391 Turbonilla sp 392 Seila terebralis 393 Cerithiopsis emersonii 394 Bittium altematum 395 Caecum cooperi 396 Vermicularia spirata 397 Littorina litorea 398 Lacuna puteola 399 Crucibulum striatum 400 Crepidula fomicata 401 Crepidula convexa 402 Crepidula plana 403 Polynices duplicata 404 Polynices heros 405 Polynices triseriata 406 Loligo pealii 407 Molgula arenata and Eugyra glutinans . 40S Molgula manhattensis 409 Styela partita 410 Perophora viridis 411 Didemnum lutarium 412 CHARTS. Chart 195- 196. 197. 198. 199. 200. 201. 202. 203. 204. 205. 206. 207. 208. 209. 210. 211. 213- 214. 215- 216. 217. 218. 219. 223. 224. No. Page. Amaroucium pellucidum 413 Amaroucium pellucidum form constel- latum 414 Amaroucium stellatum 415 Raja erinacea 416 Syngnathus fuscus 417 Ammodytes americanus 418 Stenotomus chrj^sops 419 Tautogolabrus adspersus 420 Spheroides maculatus 421 Myoxocephalus aeneus 422 Prionotus carolinus 423 Pholis gunellus 424 Paralichthys dentatus 425 Paralichthys oblongus 426 Pseudopleuronectes americanus 427 Lophopsetta maculata 428 Temperature chart, Buzzards Bay and Vineyard Sound, August, 1907 429 Temperature chart, Buzzards Bay and Vineyard Sound, November, 1907. 430 Temperature chart. Buzzards Bay and Vineyard Sound, March, 1908 431 Temperature chart. Buzzards Bay and Vineyard Sound, June, 1908 432 Density chart, Buzzards Bay and Vineyard Sound, August, 1907 433 Density chart, Buzzards Bay and Vineyard Sound, November, 1907 434 Density chart. Buzzards Bay and Vineyard Sound, March, 1908.... 435 Density chart, Buzzards Bay and Vineyard Sound, June, 1908 436 Curves showing annual range of air and water temperature at Woods Hole, Mass., 1902-1906 . . . .facing page. . 436 Surface temperatures. Northwestern Atlantic Ocean — January, Feb- ruary, March, April 437 Surface temperatures. Northwestern Atlantic Ocean— May, June, July, August 438 Surface temperatures, Northwestern Atlantic Ocean — September, Oc- tober, November, December 439 Cape Cod and neighboring areas of land and water, showing geographic and hydrographic features (based, in part, on U. S. C. & G. S. Chart No. 1000) 440 Woods Hole Harbor and vicinity, large scale (based on U. S. C. & G. S. Chart No. 348) 441 Chart 225. 226. 229. 230. 231. 232. 233- 234- 235- 236. 237- 238. 239- 240. 241. 242. 243- 244. 245- 246. 247. 248. 249. 250. 251. 252. 253- 254. 255' 256. 257' 258. 259- 260. 261. 262. 263. 264. 265. 266. 267. Vineyard Sound, Buzzards Bay, and adjacent bodies of land and water, with especial reference to local geographic names, as used in the text (based on U. S. C. & G. S. Chart No. 112) facing page. . Showing position of Fish Hawk and Phalarope stations of the survey, 1903-1907 facing page . . vShowing depth and character of bottom at each of the stations of the survey facing page . . Chaetomorpha melagonium Cladostephus verticillatus Arthrocladia villosa Desmarestia aculeata Desmarestia viridis Dictyosiphon hippuroides Chorda filum Laminaria Agardhii Laminaria Agardhii var. vittata Laminaria digitata Sargassum Filipendula Antithamnion cruciatum Ceramium rubrum Griffithsia Bometiana Griffithsia tenuis Plumaria elegans Spermothamnion Tumeri Spyridia filamentosa Polysiphonia elongata Polysiphonia nigrescens Polysiphonia variegata Ahnfeldtia plicata Chondrus crispus Phyllophora Brodiaei Phyllophora membranifolia Agardhiella tenera Cystoclonium purpurascens Cystoclonium purpurascens var. cir- rhosixm Champia parvula Lomentaria rosea Lomcntaria uncinata Rhodymcnia palmata Delesseria sinuosa Grinnellia americana Polyides rotundus Corallina officinalis Hildenbrandia prototypus Lithothamnion polymorphum Zostcra marina Distribution of algse on Spindle Rocks, Mar. 17, 1905 Page. 442 442 442 498 499 500 501 502 503 504 505 506 507 508 509 510 5" 512 513 514 515 516 517 518 519 520 521 522 523 524 525 526 527 528 529 530 531 532 533 534 535 536 537 lO CHARTS. Chart No. Pag«- 268. Distribution of algse on Spindle Rocks, Apr. 22, 1905 53° 269. Distribution of algse on Spindle Rocks, May 22, 1905 539 270. Distribution of algse on Spindle Rocks, June 29, 1905 540 271. Distribution of algse on Spindle Rocks, July 22, 1905 541 Chart No. Paee. 272. Distribution of algse on Spindle Rocks, Sept. 2, 1905 542 273. Distribution of algse on Spindle Rocks, Sept. 19, 1904 543 274. Distribution of algae on Spindle Rocks, Dec. 30, 1904 544 A BIOLOGICAL SURVEY OF THE WATERS OF WOODS HOLE AND VICINITY. Section I.— PHYSICAL AND ZOOLOGICAL. By FRANCIS B. SUMNER, RAYMOND C. OSBURN. and LEON J. COLE. Chapter I.— INTRODUCTION. One of the necessary conditions for the intelligent understanding of a nation's population, its resources and its needs, is the taking of an adequate census. So also we can have no proper appreciation of the resources of the sea, and of the means by which we may develop and conserve them without first making an accurate inventory of its inhabitants. This view was stated quite explicitly by Baird (1873, p. xiii) in his first report as Commissioner of Fish and Fisheries, and has been the assumption upon which much of the scientific work of the United States Fish Commission has been based. Accordingly it was appropriate that the first annual report of the commission should contain not only a Catalogue of the Fishes of the East Coast of North America, so far as then known, but an extended report upon the invertebrate animals of one important section of the coast, and a list of the marine algae inhabiting this same region. The preparation of these detailed lists of the animals and plants occupying regions of greater or less extent has long been the favorite occupation of a certain class of natu- ralists. Such lists abound in the annals of botany and zoology. It is only thus, indeed, that we have learned how our planet is populated. The cumulative labors, first of individuals, then of scientific organizations and of governments, have given us the data from which to formulate the laws of geographical distribution. In the beginning we have the bare facts of occurrence; then correlations are established between giv^en con- ditions of environment and the presence of given species or varieties; finally we are brought within striking distance of the great central problem of the origin of the species. So much for the scientific aspect of the case. On the practical side, faunistic and floristic studies need offer no apology for their existence. They have, indeed, formed a part of the established policy of our Government for many years. The Department of Agriculture has long maintained a biological survey of the land animals and plants of this continent, while our Bureau of Fisheries, following the example of its illustrious founder, has slowly but steadily been conducting a census of the inhabitants of our seas and lakes. Truly, these creatures are not all fit for food, nor indeed for any commercial purpose whatever — though we must add that there are probably many more animals and plants of economic value than we now realize. But the life of the earth is an inter- related whole. One species stands in relation to another as its enemy, prey, food. 12 BULLETIN OF THE BUREAU OP FISHERIES. parasite, host, messmate, or the like, and intimate chemical relations may exist, as we find to obtain between the animal kingdom and the plant kingdom, as a whole. More- over, as we now view the case, all these multitudinous living creatures are, so to speak, related by "blood." The knowledge which w^e gain from one is commonly applicable to its nearer relatives and frequently to a long series of other forms. Hence the futility of endeavoring, even on economic grounds, to restrict our investigations to food fishes or other animals of obvious commercial importance. What we learn from the study of a minnow is, in the great majority of cases, quite as applicable to a mackerel or a cod. But the minnow is easier to obtain and easier to manipulate. Thus it is that we find a staff of experts, under Government employ, devoting themselves, in many cases, to the study of obscure and apparently insignificant forms of life. A full account of zoological explorations in the coastal waters of New England would occupy a volume of considerable size. As pioneers in this work stand forth the names of Gould, C. B. Adams, Couthouy, Desor, Girard, and Storer; of Ayres, Stimpson, Mighels, Leidy, and Louis Agassiz. A later period was inaugurated by the establish- ment of the United States Fish Commission in 1871, and the commencement of the mportant dredging explorations of Verrill and his colleagues. Beginning with the shallower waters of the bays and sounds of New England, these naturalists extended their observations to the broad continental shelf, and finally to the depths of the ocean beyond. The construction by the United States Fish Commission of the steamer Fish Hawk in 1879 and of the Albatross in 1882 gave great impetus to the exploration of the deeper waters off the North American coast; although work of the first importance in this field had already been done by Pourtales and by L,. and A. Agassiz with the Coast Survey steamers Corwin, Bibb, Hassler, and Blake, and by Verrill himself with various Government vessels detailed for the service of the Fish Commission. Many years ago, Woods Hole was selected by Prof. Baird as the most promising spot upon our coast for the commencement of a scientific study of fisheries problems. From the very outset he gathered about him a staff of naturalists of the type that was dominant in that generation — men eager to seek out every living thing concealed be- neath the waves, to describe and figure and name. Foremost among these was Addison Verrill, who, with his colleague Sidney vSmith and some others, was for many years active in exploiting the marine fauna of New England. In spite of the previous observations of Desor and Adams and Gould and Stimpson, and the elder and 3'ounger Agassiz, who had already made essays into the waters of southern Massachusetts, Verrill and Smith found in Vineyard Sound and Buzzards Bay an almost virgin field. We begin to realize the pioneer nature of much of their work when we recall that even some of our most abundant and familiar species (e. g., Chalina arbuscula, Hydroides dianthus, Virbius zostcricola, Orchestia agilis) were first described in the Report upon the Invertebrate Animals of Vineyard Sound (1873), while others, including some of our commonest ascidians, had been only recently described by Verrill from specimens taken in the vicinity of Woods Hole. Indeed, the report of Verrill and Smith, hasty and ill digested as it was, remains to this time our chief single reference work upon the fauna of this section of our coast. That first inclusive list of local species has been much extended, it is true, partly by the original authors themselves, partly by a younger group of naturaUsts, who have prepared synopses and annotated lists of particular sections of the local fauna. Certain BIOLOGICAL SURVEY OF WOODS HOLE AND VICINITY. 1 3 of these have been published by the United States Fish Commission, others by the National Museum and by the Boston Society of Natural History. So far as they have dealt with the fauna of the Woods Hole region, it is fair to say that these papers are based chiefly, some of them perhaps wholly, upon records or collections made by the United States Fish Commission or by its successor, the Bureau of Fisheries. Within recent years reports have appeared comprising the following groups of animals repre- sented in our local marine fauna " Protozoa, Foraminifera, Hydrozoa, Medusse, Entozoa (of fishes), Copepoda (free), Copepoda (parasitic), Ostracoda, Amphipoda, Echinoder- mata, and fishes. Others dealing with the local Actinozoa, Bryozoa, and Polychaeta are ready for press, and it is the policy of the Bureau of Fisheries to continue this work until every group having any considerable biological or economic importance has been treated in this way. The task undertaken by the present authors has been twofold: First, to make as complete a census as possible of the marine fauna and flora of an arbitrarily limited region within the vicinity of Woods Hole; and, second, to carry on systematic dredg- ing operations throughout that portion of this region comprising Vineyard Sound and Buzzards Bay.* In carrying out the former division of our work, i. e., the "census," which appears as sections iii and iv of this report, we have resorted for data to a variety of sources. First of all we may mention the records of the dredging operations, including, on the one hand, those of the survey, in the restricted sense, and on the other hand the results of many special trips to various points within the region. It must be admitted, however, that out of the grand total of over 1,600 species of animals there listed, scarcely more than 500 are included in the dredging records; while of those species encountered in the dredging operations, the great majority had already been listed by previous writers. On the zoological side, at least, the main source of the data recorded in the catalogue was thus necessarily the literature treating of the local marine fauna. And of this the quantity is very great. '^ For 30 years or more Woods Hole has been the chief station for the pursuit of studies in marine biology on this side of the Atlantic. Fortunately, from the compiler's point of view, a relatively small proportion of the resulting literature contains data relevant to the present work, since the trend of modern biological work is at present physiological and morphological rather than taxonomic and ecological.*^ But the list of papers abstracted for the catalogue of marine fauna and a The papers comprised in the "Fauna of New England" series published by the Boston Society of Natural History are not included here, since they have a different scope. t> A brief report upon some of the results of this undertaking was prepared by the senior author of the present work for the Fourth International Fisheries Congress. (Sumner, 1910.) <^ In addition to making a general search for appropriate bibliographic references, almost to the date of publication of this report, the following periodicals were examined systematically for data relating to the local fauna: American Journal of Science (from 1870 to 1907). American Naturalist (from 1875 to 1909). Biological Bulletin (complete to 1909). Boston Journal of Natural History (complete). Journal of Morphology (complete to 1909). Memoirs Boston Society of Natural History (complete to 1909). Proceedings Boston Society of Natural History (complete to 1909). Proceedings Washington Academy of Sciences (1899 to 1907). Proceedings U. S. National Museum (complete to ign). Transactions Connecticut Academy of Sciences (1870 to 1907). U. S. Fish Commission bulletins and reports (complete to 1909). d A noteworthy illustration of this fact is the paucity of our data regarding the reproductive period of local animals. The meager notes of Bumpus, Mead, and Thompson comprise the larger part of such definite observations as have been recorded on this subject. 14 BULLETIN OF THE BUREAU OF FISHERIES. flora nevertheless contains more than 250 titles. Moreover, it has not been thought worth while for the purposes in hand to make any very thorough examination of the works preceding the publication of the Invertebrate Animals of Vineyard Sound, since Verrill and his collaborators have there included the rather scanty records of their predecessors. And only such statements were considered by us as relate directly to the occurrence of species within the limits of the region defined hereafter. Another source of the data accumulated in the course of our "census" was the wealth of information acquired during the past 40 years by the veteran collector of the United States Fish Commission, Mr. Vinal N. Edwards. Much of this, it is true has already been incorporated into a score of different published papers, with or with- out due acknowledgment of the real source of the information. It is safe to say that most of the lists and synopses of Woods Hole species that have appeared since the first report of Verrill are based in large measure, if not primarily, either upon records made by Mr. Edwards himself or at least upon material collected by him. The descriptions and, in a large measure, the determination of the species have, however, been the work of others. It was found by us that Mr. Edwards still possessed copious notes relating to the yield of fish traps, fyke nets, seining trips, and tow-net collecting which had never been utilized; and that he had gathered much material which had not yet been iden- tified. Such records have been abundantly employed in the course of our work, and, in general, Mr. Edwards has been continually called upon for information during the preparation of the faunal catalogue. Indeed, one of the motives which originallv prompted its compilation was a desire to incorporate in a permanent form the valuable but still unpublished data in the possession of this indefatigable collector and observer. From time to time notes of value have been contributed by various investigators belonging to the local scientific colony, who have become experts upon one or another group of animals or plants; and in certain cases considerable manuscripts have been furnished us, notably by Messrs. W. R. Coe, J. A. Cushman, W. C. Curtis, C. W. Hargitt, Lynds Jones, Edwin Linton, J. P. Moore, A. L. Tread well, and C. B. Wilson. Likewise a card catalogue, which had been formerly maintained by the Marine Biological Laboratory as a receptacle for ecological notes, was put at our disposal by the director of that labora- tory, and a considerable number of these data were found to be relevant to our purposes. Mr. George M. Gray, the curator of the same institution, has also responded liberally to the numerous queries which we have put to him, and thus we have profited to a large degree from his wide experience as a collector. At the commencement of the present undertaking the practice was encouraged, among investigators in the Fisheries Labora- tory, of recording the results of collecting trips of any sort or of observations or dis- coveries which they might make by chance relating to local ecology. Later a printed form was devised whereby such random records could be entered upon single cards. Finally, although it was no part of the Survey, as at first planned, to include the littoral or intertidal zone, it was thought desirable to carry on a certain amount of careful shore collecting in order to obtain definite local records for the catalogue. With this in view, parties from the laboratory visited Nobska Beach and Point, Great Pond, Tashmoo Pond, Vineyard Haven, Lagoon Pond, Katama Bay, Cedar Tree Neck, Menemsha Bight, Tarpaulin Cove, Robinsons Hole, Nantucket Harbor, No Mans Land, West Falmouth Harbor, Scraggy Neck, Wareham River, New Bedford Harbor, and Round Hill Point. No such exhaustive inventory was made at these shore stations as was the case with the BIOLOGICAL SURVEY OF WOODS HOLE AND VICINITY. 1 5 dredging work, and lists of the aggregate fauna and flora at these points were not pre- pared ; but definite records of occurrence were obtained in some cases where previously only general statements had been given, and the range of some species was extended in an interesting manner. The territory covered by the "census" was the entire "Woods Hole Region," to use a rather indefinite and much misused expression. This term, in the present work, is employed in a quite arbitrary sense, as judged from the viewpoint of zoogeography. Generally speaking, the Woods Hole Region has been held to include the entire area of sea and of littoral readily available for collecting purposes from Woods Hole as a base. Of course such an area comprises a great diversity of conditions, and supports a most diverse fauna and flora. In compiling the census the criterion generally employed in admitting or rejecting species was as follows: Records were admitted from points extending from Newport on the west to Chatham and Sankaty Head upon the east. Narragansett Bay, except that portion in the immediate vicinity of Newport, was excluded; but the whole of Buzzards Bay, Vineyard Sound, and Nantucket Sound were included, together with the ocean shores of Marthas Vineyard and Nantucket and the adjacent ocean area southward to the 20-fathom line. It is not a part of our present purpose to define and delimit the Woods Hole Region for future investigators. There is, of course, no such region geographically speaking. Unfortunately this term, and even the name Woods Hole itself, have been used by various writers in an extremely mis- leading sense. Certain species have been listed in published records as taken at "Woods Hole" which we know to have come from considerable distances. In the case of certain fishes, indeed, it is quite evident that they were bathysmal species, collected at great depths and far from land. The second part of our undertaking comprises the systematic dredging operations which were conducted during the summers of 1903, 1904, and 1905, together with supplementary work carried on during the four following seasons. This project has been very generally referred to as the "Biological Survey of the Woods Hole Region," and this term is a convenient one, provided that too much is not implied by it; for this has obviously been a biological survey in a rather limited sense. Neither the plankton nor the exclusively littoral (intertidal) fauna and flora are included within the scope of the operations in question, though abundant data relating to these are, of course, included in the "census." The Survey, in this restricted sense, has been confined to Vineyard Sound and Buzzards Bay, with the exception of one day's dredging at Crab Ledge, near Chatham, The Crab Ledge records, having been made with nearly the same degree of care and thoroughness as those made in strictly local waters, have been included within the limits of the present report, though otherwise they would not have been regarded as relevant to it. As will appear later, this procedure has made possible some most inter- esting and instructive comparisons. During the early explorations of Verrill in the waters adjacent to Woods Hole little system, or at least little regularity, seems to have been employed in the choice of dredging stations. Certain lines were followed, it is true, whose position appears to have been known with some definiteness, and the dredge was lowered at more or less regular intervals. These stations all appear upon the chart which accompanies his report (The Invertebrate Animals of Vineyard Sound) ; but there is little if any reference 1 6 BULLETIN OF THE BUREAU OF FISHERIES. to specific stations in the text of that report. From the earUest daNS of the United States Fish Commission, when naval tugs and other small Government craft had to be requisitioned to meet the needs of its scientific explorations, down to the days of the Fish Hawk and Albatross, it has been the custom to record serially numbered dredging stations, with the bearings, depth, and other data by which each spot could be identified. From time to time lists of these stations have been published (Smith and Rathbun, 1882 ; Sanderson Smith, 1889). Thus far, however, no lists have ever been offered showing the total array of species found at the various stations, nor has the distribution of a single species been described in detail or plotted out graphically for local waters. Whether or not the data necessary for such an undertaking were ever gathered in the past, they have never been published, and those earlier records are scarcely available at present. For this reason it seemed desirable to repeat the earlier exploration of the shallower waters in the vicinity of Woods Hole, in an endeavor to deal with certain problems more intensively than has ever been done before. A systematic sur^'ey of the bottom of Vineyard Sound and Buzzards Bay was accordingly planned, with a vie.w to showing (i) the aggregate fauna and flora associated together at each point dredged; (2) the detailed distribution of each species which was found; and (3) the depth, character of bottom, temperature, etc., which might explain the observed facts of distribution. The incidental discovery of new species would, of course, be welcomed, though this was not the primary object of the investigation. In the dredging work the steamers Fish Hawk and Phalarope were chiefly employed. With the former vessel much larger dredges could be used, and the position of the stations could be determined more accurately. The Phalarope, on the other hand, having a smaller draft and being more wieldy, could be employed in shallower waters. This vessel was consequently the one used for the inshore work, both in the Bay and the Sound, though the still smaller Bkie Wing was employed on a few occasions. Three types of dredging apparatus were employed by us. (i) The beam trawl, of which descriptions and figures may be found in several previous reports of the United States Fish Commission (Verrill, 1883; Tanner, 1884, 1897). The trawls employed in the present work were quite diminutive in comparison with those used in commercial trawling, having a beam length (width of aperture) of from 6 to 9 feet, and a depth of net not much exceeding 10 feet. This appliance can be employed to best advantage on a level bottom of hard sand or fine gravel, upon which the lead line fits closely. It is well adapted to scraping up the larger mollusks, fishes, Crustacea, echinoderms, algae, etc., which lie upon the surface, but not to penetrating the sand or gravel; and it conse- quently fails to disturb those forms which burrow in even a slight degree. For this reason, and because of the large size of its meshes, the beam trawl was commonly not employed alone; but a dredge of the next type was ordinarily appended to the lower end of the bag. (2) The ordinary naturalists' dredge, of the type originally devised by O. F. Miiller (see Verrill, 1883; Tanner, 1884, 1897; Agassiz, 1888). This, as is well known, con- sists of a heavy, rectangular, iron frame, to which is fitted the mouth of a bag of stout netting. In the commoner pattern the two longer sides of the frame consist of sharp, outwardly flaring edges, adapted to cutting into the sand, gravel, or mud; and the BIOIvOGICAL SURVEY OF WOODS HOLE AND VICINITY. I7 dredge is practically certain to drag in such a way that one or the other of these edges is lowermost. A modification of this type of dredge which was freely used during the present work was the " rake dredge," which differs from the ordinary pattern in possessing heavy teeth along the cutting edge. The frame, in both types, is fitted with two heavy movable iron arms, to which the dredge line is attached. Commonly a comparatively light rope was fasterued to one of these handles, so that in case an obstruction was encountered this line might part and allow the dredge frame to free itself without escaping altogether. The dredge net was protected from tearing by a sheathing of heavy canvas, which was attached to the frame outside of the net and formed a bag, open at the lower end. The netting commonly employed in these dredges had a ^-inch or a i-inch mesh° in the upper portion, while the lower end was quite closely woven. Such meshes were likely to retain not only the stones, shells, and the great majority of living organisms, but even considerable quantities of the bottom material. Fine loose sand, however, and in less degree mud, were likely to be washed out almost completely during the reeling in of the dredge line. Where such bottoms were encountered, the canvas sheathing of the dredge was frequently tied up at the lower end, or sometimes a simple canvas bag alone (mud bag) was attached to the frame. During the last season of the regular dredging work (1905) the mud bag was nearly always employed in connection with the beam trawl. It is obvious that a much fairer bottom sample could be collected in this way. The dimensions of the frame in the type most commonly used during the Fish Hawk dredging were 12 by 22 inches. A smaller size (8 by 16 inches) was, however, some- times used in the Phalarope and Blue Wing work. (3) The third type of dredge employed was the "oyster dredge." This was inter- mediate in size between the beam trawl and the scrape dredge and was very heavily constructed, being well adapted to use upon rocky bottoms. The scraping edge at the mouth of this implement was armed with powerful spikes or teeth, designed to dig deeply into the sand or gravel. The bag of the dredge was made up of iron rings, linked together after the fashion of chain armor. In order to retain the smaller organisms, this chainwork bottom was commonly lined with fine netting. The oyster dredge was employed on bottoms too stony for the other appliances, or where it was desired to penetrate more deeply beneath the surface. The Fish Hawk is a steam vessel having a length of 146 feet at the water Une, or of 156 feet over all, a beam of 27 feet, and a draft of about 7 feet. She carries adequate machinery for the reeling in of heavy dredges, and despite her limited speed and unsea- worthy construction is an extremely serviceable vessel for scientific operations in quiet waters. A full description of the Fish Hawk has already been given by Tanner (1884), and therefore need not be repeated here. The material taken by the Fish Hawk dredges was commonly emptied into a series of trays, constituting the table sieve of Verrill and Chester (Verrill, 1883), having graded meshes, the coarser ones naturally being uppermost. After a superficial examination and preliminary search for specimens a stream of salt water was played Upon the mate- rial, and the sand, mud, and small unattached organisms were thus washed into the a These measurements refer to the "stretched" mesh. Such meshes would be i inch or ?. inch square when open. 16269° — Bull. 31, pt I — 13 2 1 8 BULLETIN OF THE BUREAU OF FISHERIES. underlying, smaller-meshed trays. The contents of each tray were examined in turn, according to a system to be described later. The Tanner sounding apparatus" was employed at each of the Fish Hawk stations, together with the Sigsbee "water specimen cup," and the Negretti-Zambra thermometer. Thus the temperature and density were recorded, as well as the depth of the water. It was later realized, however, that the figures for temperature and density obtained during the regular dredging operations were not sufficiently exact for the purposes of the work, and, likewise, that no fair comparison would be possible of the different waters in the region unless we possessed a set of determinations which had been made nearly or quite simultaneously throughout its entire extent. For this reason a new set of temperature and density observations, taken with standardized instruments and within the briefest period possible, was made after the completion of the dredging work. Such determinations were repeated several times at intervals of a few months, so that the seasonal conditions are now pretty well known. These will be discussed in a later section. The position of the vessel was determined in the earlier part of the work by means of an azimuth compass located on the roof of the deck house, just abaft the pilot house. Bearings were taken upon two, sometimes three, landmarks, usually lighthouses. This was commonly done just before the lowering of the dredge. The "station," as re- corded on the chart, was thus the point where the dredge haul commenced, while the direction and amount of the drift was estimated rather roughly.^ Later, tripods were erected upon a number of Coast Survey triangulation points and sextants were employed in locating the ship's position. Angles were taken simultaneously by two observers, one of whom found the angular distance between X and Y, the other that between Y and Z. The position of the vessel was determined both at the beginning and at the end of the dredge haul, and frequently at one or two intermediate points. Thus upon the maps the later stations in Vineyard Sound appear not as single circles but as straight or curved lines, at intervals in which are to be found the points (a, b, c, etc.) at which sextant readings were taken. The Phalarope is a steam vessel, originally designed as a yacht, having a length of 82 feet at the water line, or of 92 feet over all, and a beam of 16 feet. She draws 7^ feet of water, and her average speed is probably about 1 1 knots. The Phalarope carries no dredging machinery and is not permanently equipped for this work. In landing the dredge a small derrick was employed, this being operated by hand power. The contents were emptied upon a special movable platform built over the forward cabin. A set of sieves was employed similar in principle but smaller than those used on the Fish Hawk. With this vessel the use of the beam trawl was impracticable, and even the oyster dredge was too heavy to be employed very frequently, though it was used to advantage under certain conditions. The second type of dredge mentioned above was therefore the principal one employed. Since the Phalarope dredging was, for the most part, done within a quarter of a mile from land, it was found to be possible to locate the stations with a fair degree of accuracy by reference to features of the shore. Bearings upon lighthouses were not commonly practicable, nor indeed were they believed to be especially desirable. The soundings indicated, with sufficient precision, the distance from land, and the direction " For descriptions and figures see Tanner (1884, 1897). '' This last has been omitted from tlie 1903 records. BIOLOGICAL SURVEY OF WOODS HOLE AND VICINITY. 1 9 of various landmarks was noted. An ideal degree of accuracy in locating these stations might have been attained through the sacrifice of much time and effort, but it is doubtful whether the scientific value of this report would thereby have been greatly enhanced. In the case of both vessels the same general procedure was adopted in respect to the listing and the preservation of material. One or more of the authors of this report accompanied each dredging trip, and one or several assistants were detailed from the laboratory stafif. On many occasions specialists interested in particular groups of organisms accompanied us on these expeditions and participated in the identifications. The more obvious and easily recognizable species were listed on the spot, mention being made of their relative abundance and other facts of interest. These observations were dictated to an assistant. At the same time samples of the sand, stones, mud, seaweed, etc., and any specimens concerning which the least doubt was entertained were preserved, with a record of the station from which they came. This material was later sorted over in the laboratory and further species were identified and listed. Those concerning which there was still any doubt were bottled and subsequently referred to the proper specialists. Formalin was commonly employed for fishes, moUusks, coelenterates, and worms, alcohol (after the earHer dredgings at least) being generally used for Crustacea, bryozoa, and echinoderms, the calcareous parts of which, as is well known, are damaged by formalin. The authors of the zoological section of this report early familiarized themselves with a large proportion of the commoner species encountered, including the great majority of larger animals, and after a few preliminary safeguards it was beUeved that any one of us could identify these with a fair approach to certainty. Minute organisms, or any which required careful study before they could be specifically determined, were either subjected to careful examination in the laboratory by the authors themselves, or, more commonly, were reserved for reference to one or another of the taxonomic experts who have assisted us. Acknowledgment must here be made, accordingly, to the specialists who have given their services, in most cases without any remuneration, to the task of identifying the Survey collections. The following deserve mention: Dr. Paul Bartsch (mollusks). Dr. R. P. Bigelow (decapods), Dr. H. L. Clark (echinoderms). Prof. W. R. Coe (nemer- teans), Dr. J. A. Cushman (Foraminifera, Porifera, Ostracoda), Dr.W. H. Dall (mollusks). Dr. B. W. Evermann (fishes), Dr. J. H. Gerould (sipunculids). Prof. C. W. Hargitt (coelenterates). Prof. S. J. Holmes (amphipods), Dr. B. W. Kunkel (amphipods). Prof. F. M. MacFarland (nudibranch mollusks), Dr. J. P. Moore (annelids). Prof. C. C. Nutting (hydrozoa). Dr. H. A. Pilsbry (barnacles). Miss M. J. Rathbun (decapods). Dr. Harriet Richardson (isopods). Prof. W. E. Ritter (simple ascidians), Mr. R. W. Sharpe (copepoda), Dr. W. G. Van Name (compound ascidians). The part played by each of these specialists will be referred to in connection with the various divisions of the animal kingdom. A few insects, most of which were taken during the shore and brackish-water collecting, were identified by a number of entomologists in the National Museum. In the case of certain groups it was found impossible to obtain any assistance from previously trained specialists, or at least to the extent needed for the complete identi- fication of our collections. In such cases it became necessary for one or another of the authors of this report to acquire a certain degree of mastery of the group in question. This has been true particularly of the Bryozoa, Cirripedia, Amphipoda, Isopoda, and Pycnogonida. 20 BULLETIN OF THE BUREAU OF FISHERIES. The identification of the first -mentioned group of organisms was undertaken bv Dr. Osburn, who, as a result, has been led to the preparation of a synopsis of the Bryozoa of this section of our coast. Dr. Osburn likewise disposed of the isopods collected by us after the first season's work. The pycnogonids and a large proportion of the amphipods from our dredgings were identified by Dr. Cole, while Dr. Sumner has given considerable time to an examination of the barnacles of the surv^ey. The study of the Foraminifera, Porifera, and Ostracoda was first undertaken by Dr. Cushman, while employed as a salaried assistant in the Woods Hole Laboratory during the progress of the survey. In respect to the second-named group, his identifications are admittedly somewhat tentative. The determination of the marine algae was carried out by Prof. B. M. Davis and Miss Lillian MacRae, one or both of whom accompanied nearly every dredging expedition belonging to the regular series. Doubtful cases were referred to Mr. F. S. Collins, to whom our thanks are likewise due in this place. Various types of printed cards and other blank forms have been employed in the course of this work, (i) A large sheet 12X by 16 inches, of which an incomplete repro- duction appears below. Upon this were transcribed the original dredging records, made in the field and in the laboratory.*^ The array of species for each station was here given, together with various relevant notes. This form was drawn up and adopted before the commencement of the dredging operations and before the requirements were definitely known. Experience has very naturally suggested changes. The columns headed "Sexual condition," "Age or size," and "Special habitat" might better be dispensed with, since such data can only be properly recorded for each dredge haul separately, and the column headed "Total" is likewise of no use. Furthermore, there should have been ten columns instead of five devoted to dredging stations, since more than five dredge hauls were commonly made during a single day's work. It might also be worth while, in another edition of these sheets for local use, to print the names of the species which occur most frequently in the lists. Collecting Record. & Locality Date.. .. Observers 1 2 3 ■t ■' Remarks. Tide haul, etc. Locality , in degs. and mins. Depth Character of bot- tom. Water tempera- ture, surface. Water tempera- ture, bottom. Density of water. Wind Species. Sexual condition. Age or size. Total. Special habiUt. Remarks. 1 1 « The copying of these records was largely the work of Messrs. D. W. Davis and Max Morse. f> In the form actually used there was space for a large number of species. BIOLOGICAIy SURVEY OF WOODS HOI^E AND VICINITY. 21 (2) From an analysis of these large sheets the distribution of each species was ascertained. The list of stations for each of these species was recorded serially upon large blank cards 5 by 8 inches in size. Here were entered, along with each station number, the abundance, where stated, or any item of interest which had been noted in the original records." These cards, under each major group, were arranged alphabetic- ally and kept for reference. The distribution of each species by stations could thus. be determined on a moment's notice. (3) A sheet 8 by 1 1 inches in size was devised, having the headings indicated herewith. This was intended either for use in abstracting data from various pub- lished records, or for the entry of information furnished directly by observers. A single sheet was devoted to each species so listed, and the printed headings are self- explanatory. These sheets were padded in blocks of 50 each. Record Blank for Notes Upon Local Species. Observer 's name Name , specific Name, popular or local Relative abundance Distribution, geographical (state any locality where species is known to occur) Distribution, seasonal (with exact dates, in case of rarer species) Habitat (host, if a parasite) Reproduction (sexual condition, breeding habits, etc.) Food Method of collecting : Economic data References in literature (to local occurrence only) Remarks (any ecological or other data of interest. May be continued on back) (4) A rather elaborate system of cards was devised for recording in permanent form the summarized data derived from all of the sources detailed previously. Separate cards 4 by 6 inches in size were printed, with headings corresponding to each of the subdivisions of the sheet just described (3). The name card was of heavier material and provided with a projecting index margin, or "tab" intended to bear the specific name. Thus a complete record for a single species would consist of 11 cards, although, as a matter of fact, this number would seldom be used, owing to the lack of certain data. In addition, a heavy red index card was provided for each family, and a blue one for each class. A large mass of data was transcribed upon these cards in typewriting, but it must be confessed that the system was found to have serious faults in practice. In the first place, it was, as should have been foreseen, too cumbersome. In the second place, data were entered on different cards which should not have been separated. For instance, "rela- tive abundance" should not commonly be separated from "geographical distribution," since it often happens that a species may be abundant in one locality and very rare at others. The phrase "scarce to abundant" does not describe such a situation with sufficient precision. In a similar manner "habitat" and "season," or date, should be included with each individual entry of the occurrence of a species. The total number of cards per species should evidently be greatly reduced. Nevertheless, the system, even as described, served a useful purpose during the preparation of this report; and it is "The burdensome task of transcribinc these records was carried out with crcat care and precision by Mr. C. V. Morrill. 22 BUI^IvETIN OF THE BUREAU OF FISHERIES. recommended that a simplified card catalogue be maintained at the laboratory in the future for the reception of further data as they accumulate. Such a system, if properly cared for, would furnish a receptacle for fragmentary notes and records which otherwise would be lost. (5) For occasional or random observations by local observers a provisional mode of entry was adopted and another type of card, uniform in size with the last, was printed for the purpose. This card, although likewise capable of improvement, proved to be extremely useful. We trust that the following explanations and admissions will not be construed as an apology for the results herein offered. Without such a frank confession of the limita- tions of our work and of the difficulties encountered, we should expose ourselves to the criticism of making pretensions which have not been realized. It is only fair to our- selves that we should disarm such criticism as is based upon the assumption that we have enjoyed greater facilities and opportunities than was actually the case. Moreover, fairness and scientific accuracy demand that there be a clear separation between those of our results which we regard as clearly established and those which are to be regarded as merely probable. The reader's confidence in what we trust are really sub- stantial and valuable acquisitions should not be shaken by the discovery of various undeniable sources of error and uncertainty. The fact must be emphasized at the outset that the work of the Survey, with a few important exceptions, was restricted to the summer months. The vessels employed were commonly available not earlier than July i and not later than September i. This is likewise the period during which those immediately in charge of the dredging opera- tions were free for work of this sort. Without exception, the biological staff was con- stituted by university or college men — instructors or graduate students — who were busily occupied in their teaching or their studies for about nine months of the year. From these circumstances there has resulted a two-fold limitation of the work. First, with respect to the dredging results, we can only offer a record of midsummer conditions; second, it is obvious that neither as much work nor as high a degree of prepa- ration can be expected of a staff thus constituted as from one composed of naturalists permanently engaged in pursuits of this sort. We must confess in all frankness that we found it necessary in large degree to develop our own methods through experience, and that the earlier dredging operations are to be regarded as in large measure practice work. This fact, however, has been recognized by the authors throughout, and for this reason the field of these earlier labors was explored later with far greater care and thoroughness. Due allowance must likewise be made for the fact that those of us who listed and sorted the dredging material in the field and in the laboratory make no pretensions to being universal naturalists having a "speaking acquaintance" with practically every species of animal and plant likely to be encountered by us. We will add the further admission that on many occasions no one of the party thus employed was a recognized authority upon a single group of animals, considered from the standpoint of taxonomy. But this state of affairs has resulted, we believe, almost wholly in errors of omission, many of which have been subsequently rectified. At the outset we familiarized our- selves with those species which were readily recognizable, and endeavored to learn in just what cases confusion- was possible and special care necessary. The advice of BIOLOGICAL SURVEY OF WOODS HOLE AND VICINITY. 23 various systematic zoologists who happened to be at the laboratory was constantly sought. Specimens from each dredge haul of all species concerning which any doubt was believed to be possible were brought back to the laboratory for further examination, and were commonly bottled for reference to specialists. Some confusion of species probably occurs in the records here presented, especially those derived from the earliest dredging work; but we believe these cases to be few, and we have endeavored to indicate such possibilities in their proper place in the records. Moreover, the supplementary dredging trips to be mentioned below have removed many of these ambiguities. Cases of omission are doubtless present in great frequency, and many of them would have been inevitable under the most favorable circumstances. Microscopic organisms were entirely overlooked. The Foraminifera were collected and listed during only one of the seasons in which the original "stations" were dredged. The smallest Crus- tacea and worms, and in fact minute organisms in general, were undoubtedly over- looked in very large measure. Certain forms were regularly neglected during the earlier portions of the work, but were later sought for and preserved, after our attention had been called to them by special students of the organisms in question. This was particu- larly true of some of the more minute hydroids, Bryozoa, amphipods, and Annulata. The charts representing the distribution of such forms would consequently be misleading unless this fact were taken into consideration. The apparent absence of a species through- out a wide area would not in such cases imply its actual absence. But here again we have indicated such possibilities in the discussions of the various groups. In a large proportion of cases an example of a doubtful species was preserved from each station at which it occurred. Sometimes, however, a single specimen was chosen as representa- tive of a considerable number of stations. This proved to be a dangerous practice. It has sometimes happened (most often, perhaps, in the case of encrusting Bryozoa and of certain small mollusks) that the representative sample proved to comprise two or more species. The identity of the species which had been taken at the other stations was, of course, rendered uncertain. Such ambiguities are duly noted in the records, as also other possible sources of error and confusion. Again, certain misleading results have arisen from the differences in the dredges employed at various points. So far as these relate to the character of the bottom they will be discussed under that head. It need only be pointed out here that the beam trawl alone would bring up no bottom sample except occasional stones, and would thus miss most of the organisms except the larger algae and such animals as crawl upon the bottom or at least project considerably above its surface. On the other hand, the scrape dredge alone, on account of its small aperture, would commonly miss the fishes and other actively swimming organisms, and, indeed, would have a much smaller chance of gathering in any of the forms which dwell freely on the bottom. The burrowing species, however, or such, at least, as do not burrow deeply, would commonly be cap- tured. At the majority of the Fish Hawk stations, as already stated, the two were used together or in succession. During the earlier part of the work the bottom material (sand, gravel, shells, etc.) was not searched with sufficient care, and considerable numbers of species were doubtless overlooked for this reason. Later more careful methods were adopted, such as have already been described. 24 BULLETIN OF THE BUREAU OF FISHERIES. Errors have doubtless crept in during the copying and tabulating of the records. It will be readily appreciated that the clerical work herein involved was enormous and that it was necessary to intrust much of it to assistants. Although methods of cor- roboration and verification were commonly employed, and while we believe the records to be reasonably free from errors of this sort, instances have been discovered of regret- table carelessness on the part of certain assistants employed during the earlier stages of the work. But the total number of such cases is in all probability proportionately very small ; and they commonly can not seriously vitiate the results, since the most fre- quent errors made have been the transpositions of the records of adjacent stations. In no case can such a mistake have resulted in assigning to the fauna of our region a species which has not been found here, or even in the confusion of records from widely different points within the area dredged. And, finally, it must be pointed out that even our highest authorities are not infal- lible and that they do not in all cases appear to have been consistent in the determina- tion of species. But after making all these admissions — and honesty demands that they should be made — we insist emphatically upon the substantial accuracy of the results herein pre- sented. We have made due allowance for the various sources of error and have, in many cases, been able to correct them by supplementary work. Indeed, during every season since the conclusion of the original survey dredging trips have continually been made with a view to rectifying specific errors. To what degree these supplementary dredg- ings confirm the earlier results and to what degree they reveal inaccuracies or omissions will be pointed out later. We have been most fortunate in having the active coopera- tion of more than a dozen systematic naturalists of high standing, without whose assist- ance, indeed, this work would have been utterly impossible. While, then, more and better work could have been done under ideal but impossible conditions, we think that no apology is necessary in offering the results already accom- plished. We are able to portray with a fair approach to accuracy the detailed distribu- tion of a large number of species of plants and animals and are able to portray with less completeness the distribution of a much greater number. We have been able to correlate, in a large number of cases, the peculiarities of distribution with peculiarities in the character of the bottom or with the temperature of the water, and to compare in an inter- esting way the distribution patterns of closely related species. And, finally, we believe that we have laid a foundation upon which others may build in the future. And here a few words as to the needs of the future may not be out of place. As it does not seem likely that those who have been most active in the present undertaking will be able to devote much more of their time to it, we venture to offer the following tentative program to our possible successors : (i) A repetition of this entire dredging work after the lapse of lo or 20 years would be highly desirable. We should recommend relatively less attention to Vineyard Sound and relatively more to Buzzards Bay. This later work could doubtless be accom- pHshed more rapidly than was done in the present case. The mistakes and failures of the present report could perhaps in considerable measure be rectified. Such a repe- tition of the present survey would not improbably reveal interesting changes in the occurrence of various species, and it doubtless would result in supplementing and cor- recting our rather experimental labors. BIOLOGICAL SURVEY OP WOODS HOLE AND VICINITY. 25 (2) Seasonal changes in the fauna and flora should be determined by observations throughout the year. (3) A more definite system of classifying bottom deposits is desirable. (See p. 30-32.) (4) Temperature and density records should be taken throughout the entire region for every month of the year. (5) The intertidal and the pelagic fauna and flora should receive the same detailed attention as has been accorded to the bottom-dwelling species. (6) The limits of the area dredged should be extended from the mouth of Buzzards Bay and Vineyard »Sound out to the 25-fathom line, and farther if practicable. Such work as has already been done points to the possibility that the limits of distribution of a considerable number of species would be successively encountered as the work was extended outward. We should likewise predict in full confidence a greater and greater predominance of such northern types as just enter Vineyard Sound and Buzzards Bay. We hope that such a program may be carried out in the future. Much of it could only be accomplished, it is true, by the establishment of a permanent scientific staff at the Bureau's Woods Hole Laboratory. Our hope, therefore, embraces this feature likewise. The senior author of this report, as director of the Woods Hole Laboratory, has had general supervision of the Biological Survey from its inception, including executive man- agement, selection of assistants, correspondence with specialists, etc. Upon him, also, has fallen the duty of compiling the results and of writing the entire report, excepting that portion devoted to the marine algae. The latter has been prepared by Dr. Davis. On the other hand, both Dr. Osburn and Dr. Cole have played an essential part in this undertaking, and are fully entitled to rank as joint authors. During the summer of 1903, in which the Fish Hawk alone was used for the Survey dredgings, the field work and subsequent disposition of the zoological material were in direct charge of Dr. Sumner and Dr. Osburn. In 1904 the Fish Hawk dredging, after a few preliminary trips, was in charge of Dr. Cole, who was likewise largely responsible for the identification of the material collected by that vessel. During the latter season the inshore dredging with the Phalarope was commenced, and this, almost from the outset, was in charge of Dr. Osburn, who identified a large proportion of the specimens and drew up the records for these trips. During the summer of 1905 practically the same arrange- ments were continued. Dr. Osburn superintending the work of the Phalarope and Dr. Cole that of the Fish Hawk. Thus the two last-named members of the staff have been responsible for about four-fifths of the field work during the first three seasons of the Sur- vey dredging, together with a proportional amount of the task of identifying the zoolog- ical specimens, while perhaps one-fifth of this is to be credited to Dr. Sumner. This estimate leaves out of consideration the services of the botanists of the staff. Dr. Davis and Miss MacRae, who participated in the field work during the second and third sea- sons of the surv'ey. The supplementary dredging trips of later seasons were in charge of different mem- bers of the laboratory staff, according to the nature of the material sought. During the summers of 1907 and 1908 Messrs. D. W. Davis and C. B. Bennett were each detailed for duty on the Fish Hawk for a considerable number of days, with instructions to search for and preserv^e all material belonging to certain specified groups. The sorting and 26 BULLETIN OF THE BUREAU OF FISHERIES. subsequent disposition of these specimens fell to the lot of Dr. Sumner. The tempera- ture and density determinations of August, 1907, were conducted by Mr. D. W. Davis, the series of November, 1907, and of March and June, 1908, being carried out by Dr. Sumner. The temperature records of August, 1909, for Nantucket Sound and Crab Ledge were obtained by Dr. Osburn and Dr. Cole. The systematic shore collect- ing already referred to was almost wholly in charge of the two last-named persons, each supported by a number of assistants detailed from the laboratory, while a careful examination of the fauna of certain brackish ponds of the region was undertaken by Dr. E. D. Congdon. A really complete list of those who are entitled to rank as collaborators in the work of the Survey or in the preparation of this report would include a larger number of names than could well appear upon the title-page. Our indebtedness to Mr. Vinal Edwards has already been expressed, and the services of certain assistants have been acknowledged in the discussion of various phases of the work. No inconsiderable credit for such success as has attended our efforts must be given to the commanders of the vessels employed during the dredging operations. Especial mention must be made of the able services of Boatswain James A. Smith, United States Navy, and Lieut. Franklin Swift, United States Navy, commanding in successive years the steamer Fish Hawk, and those of Mr. Robert N. Veeder, commanding the Phalarope. A list has already been given of those who have aided in the determination of species, and reference has been made to the fact that certain of these experts accom- panied many of the dredging expeditions, or at least examined the material immedi- ately after its arrival at the laboratory. Thus Messrs. Bigelow, Cushman, Hargitt, and Moore, and Misses Rathbun and Richardson were each present at the Woods Hole Laboratory during one or more of the seasons devoted to the Survey operations. Acknowledgment must here be made of the cordial cooperation and willing help of the foregoing persons and a number of others throughout the preparation of this report. Each portion of the annotated Ust, or "catalogue," has been referred to a specialist for the revision of the nomenclature. In the main, the list given on page 19 might be repeated with the following qualifications: To Dr. Dall has been referred the portion of our list relating to the Mollusca, with the exception of the nudibranchs and the Pyramidellidae, concerning which Dr. F. M. MacFarland « and Dr. Paul Bartsch, respectively, have been consulted. To Miss Rathbun alone we have referred the manuscript relating to the local decapods; to Prof. Hargitt alone that relating to the coelenterates; and to Dr. Holmes alone the Ust of amphipods. Certain specialists not hitherto named have likewise been kind enough to criticize the classification and nomenclature in the case of various groups not represented in the dredging collections. Those deserving mention are: Dr. G. M. Allen and Dr. Lynds Jones (birds). Prof. G. N. Calkins (Protozoa, other than Foraminifera), Prof. Edwin Linton (parasitic flat worms and round worms), Mr. R. W. Sharpe (free living copepods), Dr. Leonhard Stejneger (reptiles). Dr. F. W. True (mammals). Prof. C. B. Wilson (parasitic copepods). In the case of certain minor groups the authors of the report must themselves assume responsibiUty for the nomenclature employed, this being based upon the best published work available. Some discussion will be devoted to the subject of classi- fication and nomenclature in the section dealing with the annotated list. " Dr. MacFarland has gone so far as to prepare for us a synopsis of considerable length, including the Woods Hole nudibranchs. BIOLOGICAL SURVEY OF WOODS HOLE AND VICINITY. 27 From October, 1906, to December, 1909, the senior author of this report was almost continuously in residence at Woods Hole, engaged in the task of compiling the data and preparing the results for publication. The great amount of skilled clerical work herein involved has been largely performed by Miss Edith Chapman and Mr. James W. Underwood, whose patience and conscientiousness throughout these monot- onous labors deser\^e ample recognition. For the accuracy of each step in the task of compilation, however, the senior author makes himself fully responsible. The manu- script of the present report has been read over and discussed by all of the authors and is to be regarded as expressing our substantially harmonious views. The next chapter will consist of a preliminary discussion of the various physical factors which affect the marine fauna and flora of the region. A chapter will then be devoted to a statistical analysis of the results of the Survey, as well as of the census of animal species. Next, the various groups of animals will be discussed separately and in greater detail. Following this an attempt will be made to interpret some of the phenomena herein discussed, and to show the bearing of our results upon some of the broader problems of biology. There will then follow, in order of arrangement, a list of the regular dredging stations of the Survey, the faunal distribution charts and the physical and geographical charts. Section 11 will consist of a presentation of the chief results on the botanical side, followed by the distribution charts for the marine algae. Sections in and iv will comprise the faunal and floral catalogues or annotated hsts. Rather full bibliographies have been appended, comprising works relating to the occurrence of the various ani- mal and plant species at Woods Hole. There would have been much in favor of considering the fauna and flora together throughout the present report, and particularly in the general discussions relating to distribution. Since, however, the day of the universal naturalist has passed, and since each one of us must content himself with being either a zoologist or a botanist, it has not seemed practicable to throw together the discussion of the entire "biota" of the region. The botanical portions of the work, as well as the field work upon which they have largely been based, represent the labors of botanists who have worked, to a con- siderable degree, independently of the zoologists of the staff. Thus we have thought it advisable to present the results as far as possible separately. This arrangement likewise corresponds to the difference in authorship between the two main subdivisions of the work. The introductory chapter, together with that upon environmental conditions, are, however, just as essential to an understanding of the botanical data as of the zoological, and the geographical and physical charts are likewise equally related to both subdivisions of the report. Thus the entire report is, in a sense, a unit, and indeed the zoological and botanical members of the staff have conferred to a considerable extent during its preparation. Chapter II.— GEOGRAPHICAL AND PHYSICAL CONDITIONS. 1. GEOGRAPHY. The general geographical features of the region may be seen at a glance by reference to charts 223, 224, and 225®. Vineyard Sound has a length of from 15 to 17 nautical * miles, depending upon the Umits arbitrarily chosen,^ and a width of from 3 to 6 nautical miles. Its main axis bears from northeast to southwest. The southeastern boundary is constituted by the island of Marthas Vineyard, the northwestern by the Elizabeth Islands and for a short space by the mainland of Cape Cod. At its eastern end Vineyard Sound passes imperceptibly into the far wider Nantucket Sound, while to the westward it opens freely to the Atlantic Ocean. It is connected with Buzzards Bay by a series of narrow straits, of which Woods Hole is a type. Through them the tidal currents are very swift. These straits separate the Elizabeth Islands from the mainland and from one another. There are no streams of any consequence emptying into either Vineyard Sound or Nantucket Sound. Leaving out of consideration certain shoals and the zone immediately adjacent to the shore line, the depth throughout Vineyard Sound ranges between 6 and 18 fathoms, most soundings lying between 10 and 15 fathoms. There is in no sense a progressive deepening of the water as we pass toward the western end of the Sound, although some of the greatest depths (18 fathoms '^) occur in the vicinity of Gay Head and Cuttyhunk. At least one sounding as great as this has, however, been made back of Middle Ground Shoal, and depths as great as 17 fathoms occur at more than one point in the eastern half of the Sound. As a rule, the lo-fathom line runs within a half mile from shore, though mention must be made of an elongated shoal reaching well toward the middle of the Sound and extending throughout about half its length. This is known at its eastern end as the Middle Ground, the opposite end being called Lucas Shoal. In the former portion the water may be no deeper than 4 feet or less in depth at mean low tide. Buzzards Bay has a length of about 25 nautical miles, as measured from the railway station known as Buzzards Bay to the Hen and Chickens Shoal. Its main axis is nearly parallel to that of Vineyard Sound, from which it is separated throughout the lower half of its length by the EHzabeth Islands. Elsewhere it is bounded by the mainland of Massachusetts. At its northern end and along its entire western side the shore line of Buzzards Bay is very irregular, being indented by a considerable number of estuaries, "These and other geographic and hydrographic charts used in the present report are the work of Mr. W. F. Hill, formerly draftsman in the Bureau of Fisheries. b The region explored during our dredgings extends a short distance into what would probably be commonly regarded as belonging to Nantucket Sound, though there is, of course, no definite line of division between the two. « Our own soundings give igi fathoms at one point (Fish Hawk station 7683), while the greatest depth indicated on the Coast Survey chart for Vineyard Sound is 18 fathoms at mean low tide. Perhaps the phase of the tide is partly accountable for this difference; perhaps it rests upon an error of observation. The depth recorded by us for station 76S2 (19 fathoms) is quite likely due to an error. Otherwise no serious discrepancies have been detected between the Fish Hawk soundings and those of the Coast Survey. In general our soundings (Fisk Hawk and Phalarope), while not always taken with great care, are believed to be close enough apprcximations, especially when the variability in depth throughout the extent of the Bay and the Sound are considered. 28 BIOLOGICAL SURVEY OF WOODS HOLE AND VICINITY. 29 which penetrate deeply into the mainland. Some of these, as will be shown later, furnish considerable quantities of fresh water at certain times of the year. The depth of Buzzards Bay beyond the "adlittoral" zone (see p. 179) ranges from 3 fathoms near its head to 18 or more fathoms at its mouth. About a mile west of Penikese Island occurs a deep hole only recently charted. Here a depth of 24 fathoms has been found, this being, so far as known, the deepest sounding obtainable within a distance of 10 miles or more from land. Throughout most of its extent, however, Buzzards Bay is much shallower than Vineyard Sound, and a depth of 10 fathoms is seldom or never encoun- tered except near its lower end. The conditions existing in Buzzards Bay and Vineyard Sound can not be understood without reference to the adjacent features of the coast and the ocean. The tidal cur- rents, as well as the character of the water, are doubtless influenced by the proximity to the westward of Narragansett Bay and Long Island vSound. From the mouth of Vineyard Sound the Atlantic Ocean, throughout an arc of about 120°, extends for an indefinite distance uninterrupted either by land or by shoals. The depth, on the whole, increases very gradually, the "continental shelf" extending out to a distance of over 75 miles to the southward of Gay Head, where the loo-fathom line is encountered. Shortly thereafter an abrupt descent commences. South of Marthas Vineyard the 20-fathom line lies 10 miles or more off shore, and the distance increases as we pass to the westward. South of Narragansett Bay, however, it sends a long slender loop in a northeasterly direction toward the mouth of Vineyard Sound, reaching a point within about 6 miles of Gay Head. To the east and southeast of Woods Hole the geographical conditions are peculiar, and are highly important in determining the nature of the fauna and flora on this part of the coast. The peninsula of Cape Cod, together with the two large islands to the southward, inclose a broad, shallow body of water — Nantucket Sound. This attains a high temperature during the summer months, and doubtless in large degree influences the temperature of Vineyard Sound, with which its waters mingle freely as a result of tidal currents (p. 36). It is possible, also, as has been held by certain writers, that Cape Cod, together with Nantucket and its associated shoals, constitute a barrier which deflects a well-defined cold ocean current away from the mainland of the continent. Whether or not this is true, it is an undoubted fact that the coastal water temperatures to the east and north of Cape Cod are much lower during the summer months than are those immediately to the south of it. The resulting faunal differences will be dis- cussed elsewhere, and the temperature conditions will likewise be considered more fully in another place. 2. CHARACTER OF THE SHORES AND BOTTOMS. The dominant feature of the shores and bottoms along this section of the coast is the glacial debris. Although the main outlines of the land topography of this region may be preglacial, as Shaler (1898) contends, there are extensive morainal deposits upon Nantucket, Marthas Vineyard, and the Elizabeth Islands, as well as on neighboring parts of the mainland. Indeed, a large part of the local shore line and sea bottom still consists of practically unaltered glacial boulders and gravel, which have been subjected for only a comparatively brief period to erosion and transportation by waves and cur- rents. Even the Middle Ground in Vineyard Sound is regarded by Shaler as "a bit of 30 BULLETIN OF THE BUREAU OF FISHERIES. submerged land topography," and not as the creation of currents acting upon shifting sands. Sandy beaches are common upon the ocean shores of Marthas Vineyard and Nantucket, where the surf is heavy and erosion is known to be progressing rapidly. Elsewhere within our region stones and gravel are a characteristic feature of the shore line. Commonly, this coarser material extends down the beach to low-tide mark or beyond, being succeeded by a gently sloping sand flat, more or less interspersed with scattered stones and boulders. In places where the shores are not too steep the stony belt gives place on its landward side to a sandy beach of varying breadth, or the littoral zonation may at times be even more complex. On the other hand, there are many tracts of shore where this phenomenon is not manifest at all, the entire shore and the adjacent sea bottom, so far as visible, being wholly stony. Mud, largely of organic origin, occurs in abundance in bays and inclosed waters which are not swept by tidal currents. At certain points within our area preglacial formations have become exposed. As the most conspicuous instances of this we may cite the cliffs of colored clay at Gay Head and the outcroppings of granitic rock in the vicinity of New Bedford Harbor. These last represent a formation "which probably in large part constitutes the foundation rocks beneath the sea and under the islands which lie to the north of Marthas Vineyard." (Shaler, 1888, p. 323.) This formation is the probable source, according to Shaler, of the glacial bowlders of Marthas Vineyard. Passing reference may be made here to Shaler's hypothesis that Buzzards Bay and Vineyard Sound each represents the sub- merged valley of a former river. It does not lie within the province of this report, however, to consider the various problems relating to local geology.® As regards bottom characters. Vineyard Sound and Buzzards Bay stand in striking contrast to one another. In the former, stones, gravel, and sand predominate; in the latter, mud. These differences are very readily explained. Vineyard Sound is con- stantly swept by strong tidal currents, which prevent the accumulation of fine deposits except in sheltered bays, such as Tarpaulin Cove and Menemsha Bight. Buzzards Bay, on the other hand, being open only at the lower end, is not subjected to such a thorough scouring by the tides (see p. 37), and here, therefore, large deposits of mud occur, as, indeed, they do at all points on the sea bottom off shore at depths which are beyond the influence of currents. Moreover, there open into Buzzards Bay a number of rather large estuaries, which doubtless furnish much of the material which becomes deposited as mud. It has been shown that silt so fine as to remain for a long period in suspension in fresh water is soon precipitated when mixed with sea water. (Allen, 1899, p. 380.) Thus it is evident that a considerable part of the suspended material from the brackish- water estuaries which empty into the northern and western parts of Buzzards Bay must settle to the bottom before it can be transported to any great distance. One of the data recorded at each dredging station was the nature of the bottom so far as revealed by the sample brought up. The classification was a very rough one, and it must be freely confessed that it could have been greatly improved. The follow- ing were the principal ingredients recognized: (i) Sand; (2) gravel (referred to as "pebbles" when fine); (3) stones; (4) shells; (5) mud. These ingredients occurred singly or in almost any combination. a The reader is referred to Shaler's two papers already cited. BIOLOGICAIv SURVEY OF WOODS HOLE AND VICINITY. 3 1 Referring to the first three heads, it must be stated that the ordinary glacial drift of the region, like that which is distributed so widely elsewhere, consists of a mixture, in var3dng proportions, of sand, gravel, and stones. These three terms are not employed in the same definite sense as they are, for example, by E. J. Allen (1899). This writer restricts the word " sand " to mixtures of particles the coarsest of which will pass through a i>2 mm. sieve, the finest passing through a j^ mm. sieve, but not remaining in suspen- sion for more than one minute in sea water. Under this main class he recognizes three subdivisions. "Gravel" (also subdivided into "fine," "medium," and "coarse") com- prises aggregations of particles ranging from 1.5 mm. to 15 mm. in diameter. Any inorganic material coarser than this was listed by him as "stones." Our use of these terms, though far less precise than Allen's, we believe to correspond more nearly with common usage. In many cases our "sand" would probably comprise Allen's finer grade of "gravel," and our "gravel" would comprise much which he would term "stones." Thus stones which were frequently as large as an inch or more in diameter were con- sidered as belonging to the "gravel." The truth is that any such classification is arbitrary, and, unless actual measure- ment is employed, as has been done by Petersen and by Allen and Worth, these designa- tions must be extremely ambiguous. Moreover, it is very doubtful whether an exact classification, such as the foregoing, would be of any service in the case of our local sea bottoms, which vary so much, even within the limits of a single dredge haul.*^ As will be pointed out later, the nature of the methods employed renders it possible to state with only a rough degree of approximation the extent of the correlation between the distribution of a given species and the character of the sea floor. Another source of difficulty relates to the character of dredge employed at a given station. A canvas bag (p. 17) would retain all of the ingredients, and this could be washed and sifted and properly described. Such a small bag would frequently fill almost immediately, however, and thus fail to represent the entire course of the haul. During the earlier portion of the work the sample was commonly collected by an ordinary dredge net having a very close mesh at the bottom. It is obvious that if the mixture consisted of sand and gravel, much of the former might be lost during the reeling in of the dredge line, and that the sample might be listed as merely "gravel," whereas sand predominated at the outset. On the other hand, a sample in which sand predominated was doubtless at first often listed as "sand " in cases where careful washing would have revealed the presence of small proportions of gravel or shells. The beam trawl, having no cutting edge, and having a net with a wide-meshed bottom, would bring up merely the loose stones lying freely upon the surface. Thus the "stony" bottoms of the earlier records may in some cases have included a certain proportion of sand and fine gravel, though such cases are probably infrequent, since the beam trawl was commonly not used upon bottoms known to be stony. Where no stones appeared in the trawl net it was usually assumed, in the absence of data to the contrary, that the bottom was sandy. However, as already stated, a small dredge was generally used along with the beam trawl. a An idea of the variability in the character of the bottom within comparatively narrow limits will be gained from considerinjr the results of some of our supplementary dredKings, in the course of which over 100 of the original stations were repeated with a rather rough approach to accurac>-. On comparing in each instance the earlier and later record for the same station it was found that in only 14 per cent of the cases were identical types of bottom recorded, while in only 35 per cent of the others were they substantially identical. In 47 per cent of the cases the ingredients recorded were partly the same, while in 6 per cent they were totally different. The later entries were as a rule fuller than the earlier ones, and this fact doubtless accounts for some of the differences, but they arc likewise largely the result of real differences in the bottom passed over. 32 BUI.I,ETIN OF THE BUREAU OF FISHERIES. Large beds of nearly pure sand are without doubt common in Vineyard Sound, and are occasionally met with even in Buzzards Bay. Such are the great shoals of shifting sand of which Middle Ground in Vineyard Sound is a fair sample. These are veritable submarine deserts, often being almost devoid of life. Despite Shaler's asser- tion that in Vineyard Sound "the amount of sand at the disposition of the currents and waves is not large," we believe that such transportation is sufficiently active in some localities to be a determining factor in distribution. In the vicinity of Middle Ground and Lucas Shoal we have frequently observed the water to be rendered turbid by sand and fine shell fragments which had been brought up by the currents from a depth of several fathoms. Beds of dead shells, accompanied by sand, gravel, or mud, occurred frequently, both in the Bay and in the Sound. These sometimes represented extinct mussel beds, though the shells of Spisula solidissima, Area transversa, Venus mercenaria, Veneri- cardia borealis, Astarte castanea, Callocardia morrhuana, Anomia simplex, Pecten gibbets, and other lamellibranchs sometimes occurred in great quantities. Among the gastro- pods, Crepidula fornicata is perhaps the only one which contributed materially to shell deposits, although the shells of many of the commoner species, occupied by hermit crabs, are frequently taken in great numbers. Under "mud" is included a considerable diversity of material, differing in origin and in chemical composition, but agreeing in consistency and in general appearance. In a few cases the deposits represented upon the chart by the conventional shading for mud are fairly pure clay. Beds of this last material occur, as is well known, at Gay Head and the neighboring parts of Marthas Vineyard, and outcroppings of it are met with along the shores at various points within the region. In the course of the dredging clay was brought up in Vineyard Sound near the island of Cuttyhunk. Most of the mud, however, is composed in considerable part of organic matter. It is dark in color, and frequently has an offensive smell. It may be either sticky or semifluid or it may contain enough sand to alter the texture visibly. According as the mud or sand seemed to predominate in such a mixture, it was listed as "sandy mud" or "muddy sand." Sometimes such mixtures were called "sand and mud;" and in all probability the sand was at times overlooked, and the deposit was listed merely as "mud." Indeed, it is likely that almost any sample of mud, however pure in appearance, would be found upon careful sifting or decanting to contain a certain percentage of sand, and sometimes small amounts of fine gravel or shell fragments. It had been our expectation to include in another chapter of this work the results of petrological and chemical analyses of the various bottom deposits, undertaken by Prof. Gilbert Van Ingen, of Princeton University. Thus far, however. Prof. Van Ingen has failed to complete his report upon these deposits, and its publication must therefore be deferred. The specimens upon which these analyses have been based were collected in 1905 during the third series of dredgings by the Fi^h Hawk in Vineyard Sound and in the course of some supplementary dredging, during the following summer, in Buzzards Bay. Satisfactory bottom samples from the earlier dredgings had not been preserved. In the present instance they were obtained exclusively by the use of a canvas bag, which prevented the washing out of the finer constituents. The larger ingredients, such as stones and large shells, were not, however, included in these samples preserved, so that BIOLOGICAL SURVEY OF WOODS HOLE AND VICINITY. 33 such analyses, while highly valuable as studies in mineralogy, would not alone give a fair idea of the respective bottom areas considered as the habitats of living beings. The chart showing bottom characters represents rather crudely the condition of the floor of Buzzards Bay and Vineyard Sound, certain conventional modes of shading being adopted to represent the chief ingredients. The circles having a composite shading are commonly divided into equal halves or thirds, as if the various constituents were present in equal amounts. This results from the imperfections, in this regard, of the records upon which this chart is based. In the plotting of these circles, likewise, it has been necessary to adjust the position of each to that of its neighbors, with the result that in certain cases the symbol is removed some distance from the bottom designated. This is particularly true of the adlittoral (Phalarope and Blue Wing) stations. Excluding a more or less narrow adlittoral zone, the bottom area here portrayed divides itself into three main regions : " (i) Vineyard Sound, from its eastern end to a transverse line of division passing at a level somewhere between Tarpaulin Cove and Robinsons Hole. Here the pre- dominant feature is the presence of gravel and stones. This area, it is true, contains one extensive shoal of sand, the so-called IMiddle Ground, and many other sandy areas. In the bays mud likewise occurs. (2) Vineyard Sound from the line above referred to to its western end. Here the bottom is predominantly sandy, though gravel, stones, and mud occur in places. The presence of shell beds does not, of course, exclude the occurrence of an underlying bottom of sand. (3) Buzzards Bay as a whole. Here mud predominates, except close to the eastern shore, and at the extreme lower end. The latter might be regarded as an independent area, but it seems scarcely large enough to warrant this. The inshore (adlittoral) dredgings reveal in many cases a distinctly different type of bottom from that of the adjacent deeper waters; and various restricted areas of one or another kind of bottom may be found almost anywhere. Owing to the methods employed, it is 3vident that the correlation of bottom charac- ters with the distribution of species can be indicated with only rough approximation. During a given haul the dredge passes over a considerable stretch of sea floor and may collect samples of several totally different sorts of material. Organisms may likewise be collected from all points in this path. To determine by such means the kind of bottom proper to every species encountered is obviously impossible. A species may appear in the records as coming from "sand," whereas it may have been scraped from the surface of large stones at any point during the haul. Only the broader correspondence between the larger areas in which certain types of bottom predominate, and the general dis- tribution of the species in question, is commonly to be regarded as significant. Again, when certain organisms are listed from certain types of bottom, the inference must not always be drawn that such bottoms themselves constitute its true habitat. Thus encrusting Bryozoa, which occurs upon shells, or algae, are frequently listed from bottoms of sand or even mud. o These divisions do not correspond to those recognized in the botanical section of this report. Of the latter there ar* fire. 16269° — Bull. 31, pt. I — 13 3 34 BULLETIN OF THE BUREAU OF FISHERIES. 3. CURRENTS AND TIDES. The first currents which concern us are two of the great permanent streams which maintain the circulation of the ocean, namely, the Gulf Stream and the southwardly flowing Labrador Current. Off the Massachusetts coast, the Gulf Stream is first encoun- tered at a distance of about 85 nautical miles south of Marthas Vineyard and Nantucket; that is, just beyond the edge of the continental shelf. Its distance from shore varies from year to year, and even during lesser periods. It has been shown by Libbey (1895) that the Gulf Stream, during this part of its course, at least, presents by no means a regular outline in crosssection, but exhibits, on its coastal side, a wall having very roughly the contour of an inverted S. Its lower boundary, which Libbey identifies approximately with the 50° (F.) curve, sends a projection coastward between the adjacent colder zone and the bottom, while at a higher level the cold stratum referred to projects seaward into the midst of the warmer water of the Gulf Stream. (See lyibbey's fig. 1-2 1.) This brings about the result that throughout a narrow strip along the continental declivity the latter is bathed by warmer water than it would otherwise be exposed to, and con- sequently supports a different fauna. A not wholly convincing illustration of the dependence of the fauna of this section of the ocean upon the chance relations of these temperature zones is offered by the case of the well-known tilefish, which suddenly disappeared from the edge of the continental platform for a period of about 10 years. (See Collins, 1884; Verrill, 1884; Libbey, 1895; Bumpus, 1899.) Its extermination was first revealed by the presence, during the spring of 1882, of enormous numbers of the dead fishes floating upon the surface of the sea throughout a belt parallel to the coast and about 170 miles in length. At the same time Verrill (1884, p. 656) reported the "scarcity or absence of many of the species, especially of Crustacea, that were taken in the two previous years, in essentially the same localities and depths in vast numbers — several thousand at a time." Verrill accounted for this wholesale destruction of life by the occurrence of a heavy storm, which he believed to have "forced outward the very cold water that, even in summer, occupies the wide area of shallower sea, in less than 60 fathoms, along the coast, and thus caused a sudden lowering of the temperature along this narrow, i^omparatively warm zone, where the tilefish and the Crustacea referred to were formerly found." Libbey has endeavored to correlate the reappearance of the tilefish, about 1892, with a change in the position of the 50° curve; and, indeed, the first successful search for the fish after the catastrophe of 1882 was suggested by the discovery of changed temperature conditions. But the influence of the Gulf Stream extends much nearer to the coast than the edge of the continental shelf, and without doubt affects our local faunal conditions. The presence nearly every 5'ear in Vineyard vSound of considerable masses of the Sar- gassum haccijerum, with its attendant fauna, shows that strong southerly winds may drive the surface water of the Gulf Stream as far as the mainland of Massachusetts. ** And, apart from these occasional and obvious effects, it is probable that the warm current exerts a constant influence upon the coastal waters of southern New England, the two undergoing a certain degree of intermingling as a result of winds and tides. Indirectly, a The prevailing wind during the sumtner months blows from the southwest quadrant. From records kept for five years on the vineyard Sound Lightship (Rathbun, 1887), southwesterly winds are found to be the most frequent ones during the months of April to September, inclusive. At Nantucket, also, according to the report of the Chief of the Weather Bureau for 1909-10, the prevailing direction of the wind from May to September, inclusive, is southwest. BIOLOGICAI^ SURVEY OF WOODS HOLE AND VICINITY. 35 also, through its influence upon the atmosphere, the Gulf Stream must have a very pronounced effect in tempering the climate of this section of the coast, and this without doubt reacts upon the local sea areas. As regards the presence of a definite southward-flowing cold current on the New England coast, there seem to be decided differences of opinion. According to the prevailing view, the Polar or Labrador Current may be detected along practically the entire Atlantic coast of the United States. A concise statement of this view has been furnished us by the Navy Department : A cold current originating in high northern latitudes flows do\\-n past Labrador and Newfoundland, after which a portion trends away toward the southward over the Grand Banks, past Nova Scotia, and on southward in a narrowing belt as far even as the coast of Florida. From Sable Island to Florida its course is in general parallel to the Gulf Stream, near which it presents the frequent phenomenon of cold water welling up from below. In the shallower waters of the coast this colder current gives way to tidal influences which prevail to seaward over a wide area east of Nova Scotia, throughout the entire Gulf of Maine, and over Georges Bank and Nantucket Shoals. Similar views are embodied in a number of different publications of the Hydro- graphic Office and Coast Survey and in certain Government charts. (E. g., Current Chart of the North Atlantic Ocean, No. 1308, pub. 1892.) They appear likewise in various popular accounts and atlases. (See Boguslawski, 1884, p. 269-272; Bogus- lawski and Krummel, 1887, p. 436, 437.) This assumption of a continuation of the Labrador Current along the southern shore of New England was made by Libbey, who thus interpreted the temperature relations which he observed there. Indeed, Libbey believed that the line between the two currents could often be seen from the deck of a vessel. (Libbey, 1891a, p. 236.) Various biologists also, including Packard and Verrill, have invoked the aid of this northern current in endeavoring to explain certain phe- nomena of geographical distribution . Verrill (1871, p. 258), indeed, believed that he found evidences of an offshoot of the Labrador Current extending for some distance into Long Island Sound. According to another view of the case, the Labrador Current can not be traced farther south than Newfoundland, along the American coast, and has no connection with the "cold wall" or belt of cooler water lying between the Gulf Stream and the shores of the United States. It is held by Schott (1897, p. 204-208; see also Supan, 1903, p. 295) that such southward-flowing cold water as is found along the New Eng- land coast comes mainly from the Gulf of St. Lawrence; that the extent of this flow is but slight, and that the presence of the "cold wall" is largely a contrast phenomenon, due to the presence of the warmer Gulf Stream beyond. Whether or not there occurs along the southern coast of New England a definite cold current of any considerable velocity, and, if so, whether this current is a continuation of the Labrador Stream, are matters of subordinate importance for our understanding of the biology of this region. The undisputed facts in the case seem to be that there is a belt of relatively cold water lying between the Gulf Stream and the New England shores, and that in summer this belt has a temperature very much lower than that of the waters immediately skirting the coast, particularly those of the partially inclosed bays and sounds, with whose fauna we have at present to deal. There is evidence, also, that north of Cape Cod this cold belt reaches the shores of the mainland itself and directly influences the littoral fauna; while south of Cape Cod it lies at some distance from the mainland, though its presence is felt upon the outlying shores of Marthas Vineyard and Nantucket. Referring to the temperature charts for the northwestern 36 BULLETIN OF THE BUREAU OF FISHERIES. Atlantic (charts 220, 221, 222), it will be seen that during the months of June to Sep- tember, inclusive, the waters of Long Island Sound and those at the station just south of Buzzards Bay have a temperature several degrees higher than that of the first two stations to the eastward of these points. Farther yet to the eastward, however, the temperature again rapidly rises, owing to the presence of the Gulf Stream. The local relations will be discussed more fully in the next section of this chapter. In addition to these great ocean streams, the local currents due to tides are very important in determining the fauna and flora of our waters. Tidal currents of sufiicient velocity to be reckoned with by mariners occur at considerable distances offshore and, when deflected and concentrated by features of the coast line or by shoals, their velocity may be very great. In Woods Hole Passage, for example, they attain the speed of 8 miles per hour at spring tide. Such rapidly flowing currents, where the water is shallow and the bottom rocky, must result in a very high degree of oxygenation of the water. Moreover, a rapid current, of course, bears a more abundant food supply to those fixed or slow-moving organisms which depend for their food upon minute particles brought to them passively, or, as is the case with plants, upon gases or other substances in solution. Accordingly, we find beds of mussels and luxurious growths of anemones, ascidians, hydrozoa, bryozoa, and algae in some of these tidal streams. On the other hand, tidal and other currents undoubtedly have a deleterious influence upon certain other organisms, which, through their agency, may become buried in sand or mud. But the most widely prevailing effect of the tides locally is the continual mixing of the warmer (in summer), less dense, and relatively impure water of the coast line with the unlimited reservoir of cooler and purer water offshore. An idea of the magnitude of this process may be gained by considering the rate of tide flow in Vineyard Sound. This is as high as 2.6 knots per hour in the middle of the channel at the time of maximum velocity of the current. It is stated that "an object set adrift at the time of slack before flood will be carried 7 sea miles eastward before the reversal of the current, and an object set adrift at the time of slack before ebb will be carried 9 sea miles westward before the beginning of the flood stream."** Thus a certain part of the water at least travels a distance of one-half or more of the length of Vineyard Sound during a single phase of the tide. Owing to the retardation due to the friction of the shores and bottom, the mean sectional velocity would perhaps not exceed half the figures stated above. Even so, however, the water throughout the entire section would be displaced on the average to the extent of 3 Jt^ nautical miles during the flood phase and to the extent of 4^^ miles during the ebb. There would thus be a net westerly movement of the water amounting to about i knot during each complete tidal cycle, or about 2 knots in 24 hours. Were this the only factor concerned, it would thus require about eight days to completely replace the water of Vineyard Sound. In reality the ocean water brought in during the flood tide constantly mixes with that already present in the Sound, and this process of diffusion must result in a fairly rapid renewal of the latter, quite independently of the transfer of water result- ing from the predominance of the westerly current. It seems likely, therefore, that a week would much more than suffice to bring about a practically complete change of water in Vineyard Sound. Obviously, the conditions are much less simple in reality a These data, though not the deductions which have been drawn from them, were furnished by the office of the Coast and Geodetic Survey. See also current diagram for Nantucket and Vineyard Sounds, in U. S. Coast Pilot, Atlantic Coast, pt. tn. p. 152. BIOLOGICAL SURVEY OF WOODS HOLE AND VICINITY. 37 than is implied in such a computation, for the rate of renewal is very different in different parts of the Sound. The more central portion of the stream would enter to a much greater distance than that close to shore, while the waters contained in various depres- sions of the bottom (if we may judge from temperature considerations) are probably renewed at a comparatively slow rate. In Buzzards Bay the change is in all probability much more slow, owing to the fact that this body of water communicates with the ocean at one end only, and that its mouth is very narrow in proportion to the total area of the Bay. Here there plainly can be no such continuous displacement in one direction as was found to occur in Vineyard Sound, and the renewal must be effected entirely through the mixture of waters resulting from the ebb and flow of the tide. The amplitude of the tides is, however, considerably greater in the Bay than in the Sound. Since the mean depth of the former is much less than that of the latter, a proportionally larger degree of change must result from this cause. The mean depth of Buzzards Bay, as computed from the 91 soundings indicated upon the chart contained in the Atlantic Coast Pilot, part iii, is a little over 41 feet. The average rise and fall of the tide in Buzzards Bay is about 4 feet. Thus the amount of water brought in by the flood tide is equal to about one-tenth of the total volume already contained in the Bay. To what degree this ocean water mixes with that already present in the Bay, and, conversely, what proportion of the water which leaves the Bay on the ebb tide consists of that which entered on the previous flood, would be impossible to determine even approximately. Assuming that as much as one-half of this remains behind, which seems an extreme supposition, then the entire Ba}' would require 20 tides or 10 days to effect a complete renewal. On the whole, therefore, it seems likely that the average rate at which the water is renewed in Buzzards Bay is not over half that which obtains in Vineyard Sound. It is obvious, however, that this renewal of water would take place at quite different rates in different parts of the Bay. Near the mouth the change is probably much more rapid than the above figures would imply, while at its head the renewal of water is probably far slower. Likewise the surface water is probably changed at a much more rapid rate than are the lower strata. It must be remembered, also, that it is not pure ocean water which enters either the Bay or the Sound, but coastal water, which has been contaminated during previous ebb tides. Nevertheless, even such crude estimates may be of service in showing the relative stagnancy of the two bodies of water under consideration. A feature of great importance in determining the character of the local littoral fauna and flora is the slight amplitude of the tides throughout the entire region. A table will best illustrate the amplitude of the mean, spring, and neap tides at 1 1 representative points. Wareham New Bedford Woods Hole (Bay side;. . . Mouth of Bay (Westport) Cuttyhunk Gay Head Mean. Spring. Neap. Feet. Feet. Feet. 1 41 5-1 3-0 4.2 5-2 3-1 4.1 S-o 3-0 3-1 3-8 2-3 i-S 4-3 2.6 3-0 3-7 2. 2 1 Mean. Tarpaulin Cove Vineyard Haven Woods Hole (Sound side) Edgartown Nantucket Harbor Feet Spring. Feet. 2.8 2. 1 2. 1 2-4 3-8 Neap. Feet. 1-7 I. 2 1. 1 1-5 - 3 38 BULLETIN OF THE BUREAU OE FISHERIES. The resulting narrowness of th-^ !itt:oral (intertidal) zone is a characteristic feature of the region, and stands in decided contrast to cat conditions encountered on the Maine coast, where the average tidal range is not less than lo feet. 4. TEMPERATURE. The surface and bottom temperatures were recorded for each of the regular dredging stations of the Fish Hawk and were entered in the original records for these. It became evident, however, that the methods then employed were not sufficiently accurate for purposes of careful comparison ; likewise that the temperature determinations should be taken as nearly simultaneously as possible throughout the entire area under considera- tion. Accordingly, new observ^ations were made at four dift'erent seasons of the year, with standardized instruments and in accordance with more precise methods. Density determinations were made at the same time as those upon temperature, but a discussion of these will be deferred till the following section. The methods pursued in making the temperature obser\"a>.ions were as follows: Certain stations were selected which were believed to be representative of all sorts of conditions as to geographical position, depth, tidal influences, etc. These were commonly selected from among the regular dredging stations plotted upon the distribution charts, but they were not located by the vessel with any close approach to accuracy. In a few cases, however, other points were chosen, so that it was thought best to give a new set of numbers, or rather letters, to the temperature stations. They ranged from A to Y in the Sound and from A to V in the Bay.** (See chart 211.) In taking the August series of temperatures the Fish Hawk was employed; in November and June the Phalarope was used ; in March the Blue Wing. The bottom temperatures were obtained with Negretti-Zambra thermometers, provided with the Tanner inverting case (Tanner, 1884, p. 26) ; and the instrument was in all cases left at the bottom for a period of 10 minutes. Our own and previous tests (see Kidder, 1887, p. 203) have shown that reliable results can not be obtained in less time. The thermometer was then upset by a "messenger," rendering impossible any further change in the column of mercury, except the slight expansion or contraction of the thread itself, which could be allowed for whenever the water and air temperature differed sufficiently. The surface temperature was taken by means of an ordinary thermometer of the Queen or Tagliabue make, having a long scale. Surface water was drawn in a dip bucket and kept in the shade while the thermometer was in use. When air and water temperature differed much, the pail of water was changed at least once before the final reading was made. The air temperature was likewise recorded, though this was far from exact, owing to the artificial sources of heat necessarily present on a steam vessel. August series. — The first series of temperature determinations was made between August 14 and 29, 1907. Twenty-five observations in Vineyard Sound were made on August 14, 15, and 16. The order followed was such that stations scattered throughout nearly the whole length of the Sound were visited on the same day. Thus, differences due to locality would not be confused with differences due to meteorological changes. Buzzards Bay was then covered on August 19 and 20, most of the stations being reached on the first day. Certain stations in Vineyard Sound were also revisited " Not all of these stations were included in every series of observations, while the greater number of the Bay stations were omitted from the March series. BIOLOGICAL SURVEY OF WOODS HOLE AND VICINITY. 39 on August 20, as likewise on August 22; and stations in both Vineyard Sound and Buzzards Bay were visited for a second, third, and even fourth time on August 28 and 29. Thus, while it is not possible to present simultaneous readings throughout all the waters under consideration, the most extreme points were reached within a limit of five days (August 14-19); and such supplementary determinations were made as to eliminate confusion of results by seasonal change. A consideration of these supplementary temperature determinations, 41 in number, shows that, although they were made after an average interval of nine days, the mean difference (irrespective of sign) between the first and the later determination was 1.8° F. It will be noted also that in many cases the later temperature was higher, instead of lower, though, on the average, it was found to be about yo degree lower. Moreover, a consideration of the chart (No. 219) repre- senting the mean annual temperature curves for the Woods Hole station shows that the variation in water temperature at the latter point during the entire period of the present observations (August 14-29) is, in this five-year average, but a trifle over 1° F. The variations within the limits of a single day, due to tidal influences, are doubtless more serious sources of error, at least for surface temperatures; but it was, of course, impossible to eliminate these. TabIvE I. — Temperature and Density: Vineyard Sound, August, 1907. Temperature station. Depth in fathoms. Air tempera- ture. Surface tempera- ture. Surface density (ati5°C.). Bottom tempera- ture. Bottom density (atij-C). A B C D E F G G (repeated). H I I (repeated).. J J (repeated).. K L L (repeated) . M N N (repeated). O P P (repeated) . P (repeated) . Q R S T U U (repeated). U (repeated). V Aug. 16 ...do ...do ...do Aug. 14 ...do Aug. IS Aug. 22 Aug. 16 Aug. 14 Aug. 22 Aug. IS Aug. 22 Aug. 16 Aug. 14 Aug. 22 Aug. IS ...do Aug. 22 Aug. 14 Aug. 16 Aug. 22 Aug. 28 Aug. IS Aug. 14 ...do Aug. 16 ...do Aug. 22 Aug. 28 Aug. 16 9'A 4'A 7 10^ 9A loK 10 IO/4 9 12H 16 6y3 12H 14A ii'A lo'A 67-3 67.7 68.3 67.7 66.3 67-3 67.0 67.8 66.7 67.8 68.3 67-3 68.3 67.8 67.6 70.3 69- 3 68.3 67.1 66.8 66.2 70- 3 69. S 69. 1 68.7 64.5 64.9 71.8 70.3 64.' 68.6 68.3 67.6 66.8 67-3 66.4 6s. 8 67-3 67-3 64.6 66.3 66.8 6s. 6 62.8 65-3 64-3 65.8 64.8 61.9 63.7 63.8 693 62.8 63.0 62. 4 63- 3 62. 3 6j. I I. 0239 1.0238 I. 0241 I. 02J7 I. 0238 1.0239 I. 0241 1.0237 I. 0242 I- 023s I. 0234 I. 0240 I. 0236 I. 0239 I. 0240 1.0237 1.0243 I. 0341 1.0238 1.0238 1.0239 I. 0237 1.023s I- 0243 I. 0238 1.0237 I. 0240 1.0242 1.0237 1.0235 '.0241 68.8 68. I 67.4 66.3 69- 3 68. s 66,9 66.3 65-3 67.5 65.5 67.4 63-4 6s-3 65. S 62. 4 61. 4 61. I 60.3 63- 5 60. 9 58.2 61. 4 S9-3 61. 4 58.6 58.8 59-2 61. 7 61. 2 60. I 1.0239 I. 0239 1.0237 1.0242 I. 0241 1.0237 I. 0241 1.0237 I. 0240 I. 0239 1.0236 1.0239 I. 0236 I. 0239 I. 0240 1.0236 I-024J 1.0239 1.0237 I. 0241 1. 0241 I. 02J7 I. 0238 I- 0243 I. 0239 I. 0241 I. 0239 1.0236 1.0237 1.0234 I. 0241 40 BULLETIN OF THE BUREAU OF FISHERIES. Table I. — Temperature and Density: Vineyard Sound, August, 1907 — Continued. Temperature station. Depth in fathoms. Air tempera- ture. Surface tempera- ture. Surface density (atis°C.). Bottom tempera- ture. Bottom density (atis'C). V (repeated) . . V (repeated) . . V (repeated). . W W (repeated) . W (repeated). W (repeated) . X X (repeated)., Y Mean. Aug. 20 Aug. 28 Aug. 29 Aug. 16 Aug. 30 Aug. 28 Aug. 39 Aug. 16 Aug. 28 Aug. 16 9H 9H I7K 17 12'A 16H 69.7 68.3 64-3 64-3 72-3 71.8 63- 8 64.6 69-3 63.8 64-3 64-3 63.1 60.3 64-3 63-9 61. S 63.8 62. 5 63-3 I- 0333 I. 0240 I. 0240 I. 0241 1.0234 1.0239 I. 0240 I. 0241 1.0234 I. 0240 67.68 64. 70 1.02385 61. 2 60. 2 58.2 55- o 59- o 59-9 57-2 S7-2 53-2 61.3 62.38 1.0236 1.0238 I. 0239 I. 0241 1.0237 I. 0241 I. 0242 I. 0241 1.0239 I. 0239 1.02389 Table 2. — Temperature and Density: Buzzards Bay, August, 1907. Temperature station. A j Aug. 19 B I. ..do.... C I... do.... .do. .do. .do. .do. .do. I Aug. 20 J Aug. 19 K ...do.... L Aug. 20 L (repeated) i Aug. 29 M Aug. 20 N !. ..do O Aug. 19 P Aug. 20 P (repeated) ' Aug. 29 Q j Aug. 19 R I Aug. 20 R (repeated) , Aug. 29 ,S j Aug. 20 T ...do.... U ...do.... U (repeated) j Aug. 29 V t Aug. 20 V (repeated ) I Aug. 29 Mean ' Depth in fathoms. 3K 5 4 S'4' s'A sU 9/i 5 9>'2 I'A 7 &A 6'4 12 Air tempera- ture. 66. 64, 66. 67. 6, 71 69 66. 69. 66. 66. 6.5 67 67 66. 67 65 66. 71. 66. 74 72 68 64 72 64. 67.56 Surface tempera- ture'. 67-93 Surface density (ati5°C.). 0226 0229 0239 0233 023 s 0234 0336 0234 0240 0237 0234 0233 0237 0233 0235 0237 0234 0235 0235 0235 023s 0233 o^i3 0236 0238 0234 0241 Bottom tempera- ture. 70. 2 70.4 69-3 68.3 66.0 68.4 68.3 65.0 64. 6 64-3 67.6 65-3 67.1 64. 2 64-3 64. I 66.6 64. 7 6j. 2 63.2 64-3 64. o 60. 2 60.6 66. 19 Bottom density (ati5°C.). . 0224 ■0231 •0232 .0234 .0234 •0235 ■ 0238 • 0236 •0235 .0236 ■0234 • 0236 .0238 •0237 .0236 .0236 • 0236 ■0237 •0235 .0234 • 0237 ■ 0236 ■0233 •0233 .0239 .0236 • °237 BIOLOGICAL SURVEY OF WOODS HOLE AND VICINITY. 41 Tables i and 2 show the temperature*" and density conditions encountered during the August observations. Chart 211 represents the surface and bottom temperatures for each station, the figure used being in each case the earliest one taken. The following generalized statements may be made regarding these figures: (i) The greatest extremes of temperature recorded are 71.5° and 55.0°, giving a range of 16.5° within the limits of the region. (2) The surface temperatures average 2.21° higher than the bottom temperatures, the differences increasing as we pass toward the western end of Vineyard Sound and the lower end of Buzzards Bay. The mean figures (based upon all the figures of the tables) are surface 66.04°, ^^^ bottom 63.83°. (3) Buzzards Bay contains warmer water than Vineyard Sound, the mean figures being 67,93° (surface) and 66.19° (bottom) for the Bay, and 64.70° (surface) and 62.28° (bottom) for the Sound. (4) In both Vineyard Sound and Buzzards Bay, both at the surface and the bottom, there is a steady decrease in temperature as we pass from northeast to southwest; i. e., toward the open ocean. In Buzzards Bay the maximum surface temperature (71.5°) was found near the head, while the minimum (64.8°) occurred off Cuttyhunk. The maximum bottom temperature also occurred at the head of the Bay, where surface and bottom waters were practically of equal warmth. A minimum of 60.2° was found off Cuttyhunk, just at the mouth of the Bay. o We have very reluctantly decided to employ the Fahrenheit scale in the present work, for the following reasons: Our in- struments, and practically all those in use by the Bureau of Fisheries, are graduated in this scale. Moreover, iil past American hydrographic work temperatures have usually, if not always, been expressed in Fahrenheit degrees. We should, however, have employed the centigrade scale, despite the foregoing considerations, were it not for the fact that our temperature charts were drawn before due consideration was given to this matter; and it does not seem worth while to change them now, particularly as plates have already been prepared from some of them. For the convenience of those who are more familiar with the centi- grade scale we append a conversion table; Table for Conversion of Fahrenheit to Centigrade Degrees. Fahren- heit. Centigrade. Fahren- heit. Centigrade. Fahren- heit. Centigrade. Fahren- heit. Centigrade. Fahren- heit. Centigrade. . -l-8o -h 26. 67 -f69 + 20.56 + 58 + 14-44 +47 +8.33 +37 +2.78 79 26. II 68 20. 00 57 13 89 46 7-78 36 3. 22 78 25- S6 67 19.44 56 13 33 45 7.22 35 1.67 77 25.00 66 18.89 55 12 78 44 6.67 34 I. II 76 24.44 65 18.33 54 12 22 43 6. II 33 0. 56 IS 23.89 64 17.78 53 II 67 42 5-56 32 0.00 74 23-33 63 17.22 52 II II 41 S-00 31 —0. 56 73 23. 78 6» 16.67 51 10 56 40 4-44 30 — I. II 72 32. 23 61 16. II 50 10 00[ 39 3-89 39 -1.67 71 31.67 60 15-56 49 9 44 ! 38 3-33 28 — 2. 23 70 21. II 59 15.00 48 8 89 \ i 42 BULLETIN OF THE BUREAU OF FISHERIES. In Vineyard Sound, the maximum surface temperature (69.3°) occurred near Nashawena Island, but such a temperature was quite exceptional in this portion of the Sound, as reference to the chart will show at a glance. With this exception, the highest temperatures are at the eastern end. At one station just beyond the western limits of Vineyard Sound (W) the surface and bottom figures were 60.3° and 55.0°, respectively. A rather abrupt fall in temperature is encountered in passing southwestward through the Sound when we reach the line passing from Robinson Hole to Kopeecon Point. The mean bottom temperatures for the portions of the Sound lying above and below this line are 67.35° ^^^ 6024°, respectively (based upon chart figures only). As we shall find later, this lower temperature of the outer portion of the Sound is correlated with important differences in the bottom fauna. In Buzzards Bay the lowering of tempera- ture toward the mouth is less abrupt, and water colder than 64° occurs only near the extreme end. The water appears to be at no point as cold as it is on the other side of the Elizabeth Islands. Table 3. — Temper.^turE and Density: Vineyard Sound, November, 1907. Temperature station. Date. Depth in fathoms. Air temper- ature. Surface temper- ature. Surface density (atis°C.). Bottom temper- ature. Bottom density (atis°C.). c Nov. 12 Nov. II ...do 8 iij^ 6 15 10 iiH 7 12 10 13 5 7 7 ii>^ 8 12? 8 14 ioJ4 8 18 8K 39-0 47.0 46.0 48.0 40.0 37.5 39.0 49.0 39- S 40.5 49.0 40. s 39.0 39.0 49.0 42.0 41.0 49.0 42.0 41.0 43-0 45.0 40. 39. S 41. S 50.2 SI. 4 51.2 51.7 49.7 49-7 50. 7 51.2 51. I 50.6 51.2 51. 1 49-7 SI. 1 SI- 2 SI. 2 50.7 SI. 7 SI. 7 50. 7 51. 2 51.2 50. I 51. 2 SO. 9 1. 0J40 1.0237 1.0238 1. 0238 1. 0240 1. 0240 1. 0242 I. 0238 1.0242 1. 0240 1. 0238 1. 0240 1. 0240 1. 0241 1.0238 1. 0241 1. 0242 1. 0238 1. 0242 I. 0241 1. 0241 I- 0243 1. 0240 1. 0241 1. 0241 SI. I SI. 6 SI. 4 SI. 4 SI'S SO. 3 50. 8 51. 4 51-5 1. 0242 D2 1. 0242 E 1. 0241 F ...do 1. 0238 G Nov. 12 Nov. IS Nov. 12 Nov. II Nov. 12 ...do 1. 024X G (repeated) . 1. 0240 H 1.0242 I 1. 0238 J 1. 0241 K 1. 0241 L Nov. II Nov. 12 Nov. IS Nov. 12 Nov. II Nov. 12 ...do SI. 4 SI. 8 30.5 SI. 5 SO. 9 S2.0 50. 5 51. I S2.0 51-9 SI. 9 S2.0 51. 6 52. S S2.0 1. 0238 M 1. 0240 N 1. 0241 1. 0238 P 1. 0241 Q 1.0340 s. Nov. II Nov. 12 ...do 1. 0241 T 1. 0241 U V ...do 1. 0238 W ...do W (repeated) Nov. IS Nov. 12 ...do 1. 0241 X Y 1.0244 1. 0242 42.64 SO. 90 1. 02401 SI. 44 I. 02406 BIOLOGICAL SURVEY OF WOODS HOLE AND VICINITY. Table 4. — Temperature and Density: Buzzards Bay, November, 1907. 43 Temperature station. Date. Depth in fathoms. Air temper- ature. Surface temper- ature. Surface density (ati5°C.). Bottom temper- ature. Bottom density (atisX.). A Nov. 13 ...do 3 2^ 6 4M SK. 5 S'A 6 5 7 S'A 6 6'A 5 8 6K 13 6K 7 17 35- 37- 34- 43- 36.0 33- 39- 41. 33- 41-3 42. 43- 38- 35- S 35-3 36.0 36.0 39-0 40.0 39- 43- 40.0 46.3 47-7 48. 2 48. 2 47-3 48.3 48.7 48.7 49-2 48. 2 49-7 49-3 47- 2 48.0 48.5 48.6 48.7 47-9 49- 7 49-7 48.7 49-7 1. 0214 1.0228 I. 0228 1.0230 I. 0226 1-0231 1.0236 1.0237 1.0235 1.0234 1.0237 1.0237 1.0238 1.0238 I. 0238 I- 0239 1. 0238 1.0236 I. 0237 1. 0240 1.0236 1. 0240 49. 8 1. 0220 B 49.4 30. I 49- 3 30. 49.1 49-3 49.8 49.8 48.9 30.5 30-1 47-3 48.5 48.8 SO. 49. I 49. I 50.5 50.1 49.0 50-4 1. 0229 c ...do 1.0239 D ...do 1. 0230 E ...do 1.0228 F ...do 1.0232 G ...do 1.0236 H ...do 1.0237 I ...do 1. 0238 T do 1. 0233 •' K !...do 1.0237 I, ...do 1.0237 M Nov. IS ...do 1. 0237 N 1. 0239 ...do 1. 0238 p ...do 1. 0240 ...do 1. 0239 R ...do 1.0236 ...do 1. 0237 T ...do 1. 0240 1. 0236 V ...do 1. 0240 38.25 48. SO 1 I. 02342 1 49-31 November. — Temperature and density conditions at the middle of November, 1907, are shown in tables 3 and 4, the temperature conditions being shown on chart 212. When compared with the conditions during August, the chief facts to be noted are: (i) The great reduction in water temperature naturally resulting from the approach of winter. The mean of all the figures is 50.14° as against 64.91° during the August observations. (2) The comparative uniformity of all the figures, the extremes being 46.3° and 52.5°, showing a range of 6.2°, in place of a range of 16.5° as in August. (3) The exact reversal of the differences found in August. Here the surface temper- atures are somewhat lower than the bottom ones (average = 49.78° and 50.47° respec- tively); the Bay is colder than the Sound (average = 49.00° and 51.16°); and we meet with slightly higher temperatures as we pass toward the open ocean. This last tendency is not very evident in Vineyard Sound, but is quite marked in Buzzards Bay. All these differences are, of course, quite intelligible. At this time of the year the air tem- perature has become much colder than that of the water. It is natural, therefore, that the surface of the sea should cool more rapidly than the bottom, and that the shallower, more sheltered waters should cool more rapidly than the open ocean. 44 BULLETIN OF THE BUREAU OF FISHERIES. Table 5. — Temperature and Density, Vineyard Sound, March, ic Temperature station. 1 (repeated). J K O P Q S U V w Mean. Mar. so ..do Mar. 31 Mar. 20 ..do ..do ..do ..do ..do ..do ..do ..do Depth in fathoms. 13 iiJ4 1 Air temper- ature. 31-5 29- 5 3iO 28.5 32- S 30.0 30.0 32-0 31-0 31-5 28.0 33- o Surface temper- ature. 36-9 36. 2 36-4 36- 3 36-9 36.3 37- o 37-1 36-6 36.8 36- 7 Surface density (ati5°C.). 1. 0236 1.0232 1-0235 1-0233 1.0237 1. 0233 1.0238 1-0237 1.0236 1. 0238 30.87 1. 0238 36. 64 1. 02356 Bottom I Bottom temper- j density ature. '(at is°C.). 36-8 37-6 36. 5 36.3 36-7 36. 2 36-6 36.6 36.5 36.6 36.6 37-4 36. 70 I- 0333 I- 0234 I- 023s I- 023s 1.0337 I- 0233 1.0238 I. 0240 I. 0236 1.0239 I. 0238 I. 02361 Table 6. — Temperature and Density, Buzzards Bay, March, 1908. Temperature station. Date. Depth in fathoms. Air tempera- ture. Surface tempera- ture. Surface density (ati5°C.). Bottom tempera- ture. Bottom density (ati5°C.). A Mar. 21 ...do 2^2 4 4% 9 8J^ 28.0 30-5 28.0 29. 31.0 30.0 37-1 37-4 36-8 36.2 37-0 36.7 I. C2I2 I. 0222 1.0222 1.0226 1.0226 I. 0229 37-6 36-6 37-1 36.1 36.5 36-3 D E ...do 1.0334 F ...do H ...do L ...do 1. 0334 29.41 36.86 1.02228 36.70 March. — Another set of determinations was made on March 20 and 21,1 908 (tables 5 and 6; chart 213). Owing to the inclemency of the weather and to the fact that only the Blue Wing was available for the work, a smaller number of soundings was made at this time, and indeed the lower part of Buzzards Bay was entirely neglected. The results are none the less interesting. The mean for the entire set of 36 determinations (including both surface and bottom) was 36.71°. A high degree of uniformity was manifest throughout the entire region, for the most extreme temperatures recorded were 36.1° and 37.6°, while the average deviation (i. e., the average departure from the average) was only 0.32°. Moreover, such slight differences as did occur seemed to bear no definite relation to locality. BIOLOGICAL SURVEY OF WOODS HOLE AND VICINITY. Table 7. — Temperature and Density, Vineyard Sound, June, 1908. 45 Temperature station. Date. Depth in fathoms. Air tempera- ture. Surface tempera- ture. Surface density (atis°C.). Bottom tempera- ture. Bottom density (atis'-C.). E June 5 ...do s 7M 1} II iiJ4 8 - 9 9 9 18 10 9 S6 S6 63 S9 S7 59 59 59 59 59 57 59 60 58.4 57- S s8.o 57-4 57-4 57-2 56.3 56.3 S6.8 54-3 55- 3 55-8 1-0233 I 02J14 I 0233 58-4 57-4 57-7 H 1.0234 I.OJJI 1.0334 I- 0234 I- 0233 1.023s 1.0232 1.0235 1. 0234 I- 0233 1. 0234 1.0234 I ...do J ...do K ...do ...do I 0234 1-0234 I 0233 I- 0233 1.0234 1. 0233 1. 0243 56.5 56.0 55-4 55-8 49.8 53-3 47-9 S3-0 p .. do Q ...do s ...do U ...do W ...do X do Y ..do Mean S8.61 56.56 1.02342 55-09 1.02336 Table 8. — Temperature and Density, Buzzards Bay, June, 1908. Temperature station. Date. Depth in fathoms. Air tempera- ture. Surface tempera- ture. Surface density (atis°C.). Bottom Bottom tempera- j density ture. (ati5°C.). A June 6 .. do 4 5 4K 8 7*2 5 8 9 5 12K 6J4 12'^ 60 59 64 64 61 56 57 59 55 56 S8 55 64.0 63-3 62.2 61.8 59-5 56.1 61.4 59-7 57-8 61.3 59-3 58.3 58.3 1.0224 1.0223 1.0227 1.0227 I- 0233 I- 0233 1.0229 1.0232 1.0232 1.0230 1.0232 64.4 62. 8 61.6 60.3 59- I 1.0223 D E . do 1.0227 1. 0227 1.0229 F ...do H ...do I ...do J ...do 60.8 l.Q-_>n K ...do L |...do 1 rin 58.7 59-0 59-8 57-6 1. 0231 1.0234 1.0232 I-023J 1.0231 P do Q do S do M'an 58.53 60. 23 1.0..99 - June. — On June 5 and 6, 1908, surface and bottom temperatures were determined at 26 stations in Vineyard Sound and Buzzards Bay (tables 7 and 8; chart 214). The mean of all these 52 figures is 57.85° F., or 7.06° lower than the mean for the August observations. The relations which were found to obtain during August are, however, manifested with equal clearness in the June series, the figures being: Maximum 64. 40 Minimum 47-90 Mean for Buzzards Bay 59-88 Mean for Vineyard Sound 55-83 Mean for surface 58- 39 Mean for bottom 57- 31 46 BULLETIN OF THE BUREAU OF FISHERIES. It is likewise plain that the temperatures decline noticeably as we pass toward the open ocean, the maximum temperature being found at the head of Buzzards Bay, the minimum at the mouth of Vineyard Sound. There was, however, at the time of the June observations, no abrupt fall of temperature beyond Robinsons Hole. Annual temperature cycle. — Before discussing the probable significance of these observations upon the waters of Vineyard Sound and Buzzards Bay, mention must be made of the annual temperature cycle at Woods Hole. Table 9. — Air Temperature at Noon: Woods Hole Station. January. Februarj'- March. April. Years. Max. Min. Mean. Max. Min. Mean. Max. Min. Mean. Max. Mia. Mean. 46 46 45 47 S3, 12 10 2 14 18 30-3 32-5 26.3 29.1 37-0 • 42 52 45 41 47 21 10 8 12 II 30.7 34-6 26.6 27.0 33-2 53 55 50 54 51 29 33 21 24 24 42.7 44.9 37-1 37-9 35-3 62 65 S8 57 59 40 36 36 37 38 49.4 50.3 45-4 47-7 48.9 900 53 2 31-03 52 8 30-39 55 21 39-58 6s 36 48.33 Years. May. June. July. August. Max. Min. Mean. Max. Min. Mean. Max. Min. Mean. Max. Min. Mean. 66 76 68 69 67 49 46 54 SO 45 57.6 60.7 60. s 58-4 58.9 71 71 76 78 81 58 51 54 48 55 65.9 63-1 66.1 66.4 68. s 80 79 83 82 80 6S 64 68 63 65 71.4 72.4 74-0 74.0 70.0 78 76 79 80 82 64 57 65 60 67 71.9 70.1 72.4 70.4 75-0 76 45 59-21 81 48 66.02 83 63 72.35 82 57 71- 9S September. October. November. December. Max. Min. Mean. Max. Min. Mean. Max. Min. Mean. Max. Min. Mean. 7S 78 74 71 75- S 61 54 48 51 58 67.9 67.6 65.8 66.1 67.7 68 68 69 69 70 41 40 38 45 49 57-7 57-8 54-9 57-7 58.9 59 60 54 59 57 38 25 27 28 33 so 7 43-6 42.1 44-9 45-1 47 50 47 55 48 2 16 33.6 32- s IS j 30- 7 25 ' 39- • 9 •!3-4 78 48 67.01 70 38 57-39 60 25 45-29 55 2 1 33-83 BIOLOGICAL SURVEY OP WOODS HOLE AND VICINITY. Table io. — Water Temperature at Noon, Woods Hole Station. 47 Years. January. Max. Min. Mean. February. Max. I Min. Mean. March. April. Max. I Min. Mean. Max. Min. Mean. 1902 , 1903 1904 190s 1906 Five years 34-5 36.5 32-0 35- o 39- S 29- S 29- S 028.0 29-5 33-5 31-7 33- o 29- S 310 36.5 31- S 35-0 29- S 30.0 37-0 39- S 028.0 32-33 37- o O28.0 30.0 28. s 29.0 33- o 29-3 32-4 29. I 29-5 34- 7 42-5 32-5 I 44.0 . 34.0 39.0 i 29.5 39- 5 i 29- 5 38.0 32. s 36.6 39-6 33-8 32-9 35-2 S2.0 SO-S 45- S 48.0 48.0 41- S 44.0 36.5 39-5 37- o 45-8 46.6 41-3 42.9 42.7 O28.0 31.00 1 44.0 I 29.5 35-64 S2.0 36- s 43- 90 1902. 1903- 1904. 1905- 1906. May. Max. Min. Mean, 59- o 61. o 61- S 59- o S8-S Five years I 61.5 51.0 so. o 46-5 46- S S4-6 59-0 54. I 52.8 54-1 54-92 June. Max. Min. Mean. 65.0 62.5 69.0 66. s 68.5 69.0 58.5 59-0 58.5 57- S 58.5 57- S 62. 9 61.3 6;. 8 62. o 63. 2 62.42 July. Max. Min. Mean 69.0 70- 5 73-0 74.0 73-0 74-0 64.0 63.0 67. o 66.0 67.0 63.0 69. August. Max. Min. Mean 71.0 69.5 7S.O 73- o 74- S 74- S 68.0 63-0 69-0 67.5 69-5 63.0 69-3 67-7 70. 2 70.0 71.4 69.74 Years. 1902 1903 1904 1905 1906 Five years September. Max. Min. Mean, 70. o 69. o 70.0 69.0 71. o 71. o 65-0 63- 5 64- o 63.0 66.0 63.0 67-5 66.6 67.0 66.4 67. 20 October. Max. Min. Mean 65-0 64-0 63-0 64.0 65.0 65.0 54- o 51-5 SI- 5 54-0 56-5 SI- 5 60. 5 59-2 57-6 59- 6 60.3 59-44 November. Max. Min. Mean 55- o 53-5 52-0 54-5 54- o 55. o 38.5 40.0 44.0 42-5 38-5 52.0 47-9 46- 3 48.2 47.0 December. Max. Min. Mean, 47- S 40.0 41.0 44- S 42- 5 47-5 35- o 32-0 31-5 38-0 33-5 31-5 38-9 36.6 34-4 40.0 36.3 37-23 o Based doubtless upon an inexact observation, since this temperature is below the freezing point of sea water. Curves showing seasonal variations in the air and water temperatures at the Woods Hole station for five years are presented on chart 219. These cur^^es are based upon the noon temperatures contained in the station records from 1902 to 1906, inclusive.* The ordinate for each day is the mean of the five years' figures for that dav. Such curves do not, of course, exhibit the extreme conditions, since maximum and minimum figures are neutraUzed in the process of averaging. The water temperatures are natur- ally those which chiefly concern us at present. It will be seen that the highest point in the curve showing these is at August 12, where the mean temperature is slightly over 71 °. Reference to table 10 shows that the maximum temperature for August (and for the year) recorded during these five years is 74.5°. The lowest point in the curve is on February 19, where a mean temperature of 30° is almost reached. The minimum for the entire *> C£. Edwards in First Report U. S. Fish Commission, with which these figures agree fairly closely. 48 BULLETIN OF THE BUREAU OF FISHERIES. period is about 28.5° F.," which is the freezing point of sea water. This temperature is perhaps reached at one time or another nearly every winter. An analysis of this curve reveals several other facts worthy of mention. (We omit as irrelevant the interesting relations between the cur\^es for air and for water.) There are two comparatively level sections having a duration of about two months each, occurring in midwinter and midsummer, respectively. During each of these periods, the range of temperature is only about 3 degrees. The remainder of the year is made up of the long vernal ascent, and the somewhat more abrupt autumnal decline. During 131 days, or rather more than a third of the entire year (June 3 to Oct. 12), the temperature remains above 60°; from May 5 to November 8, the temperature exceeds 50°; while from April 3 to December 5, the curve is above the 40° line. On the other hand, from December 26 to March 14, the temperature of 35^ is not exceeded. The water here employed was that drawn from the surface at the local pier, close to the buildings of the station. This water rapidly changes with the tides which sweep through Woods Hole Passage, and therefore is not liable to the extreme fluctuations found in more inclosed areas. The figures doubtless represent fairly well the surface (and likev/ise the bottom) temperature of Woods Hole Harbor and of the adjacent shallower parts of Buzzards Bay and Vineyard Sound. The mean water temperature for this entire period of five years was 51.01° F.; the mean air temperature for the same period was 51.98°. Since these figures are based upon temperatures taken at noon, they are doubtless somewhat too high, though the error in the case of the water temper- atures is probably slight. It will be important for our future discussion to make a comparison of the water temperatures at Woods Hole and those at the United States Fisheries stations at Glouces- ter, Mass., and Boothbay, Me. For this purpose we have employed the records of only three years at each station, the same years (1905, 1906, 1907) being used in each case. Thus the figures here presented for Woods Hole necessarily diff"er somewhat from those given in the preceding table. T.\Bi.E II. — Mean Water Temperatures (Noon) at Boothbay, Gloucester, and Woods Hole FOR THE Years 1905, 1906, 1907. « Janu- ary. Febru- ary. March. April. May. June. July. August. Sep- tember. Octo- ber. Novem- ber. Decem- ber. ''33-5 36.1 33-9 ''30-3 32-7 31-2 3^-2 35-7 33-6 37-8 41.4 42.1 44. I 48.2 Si-9 51-3 56.6 61.3 5S.5 63-1 69-4 6t. 63.1 70.4 56.0 59-8 67.4 48.7 53-2 59-1 43.4 45-8 48. I 37-0 39-7 38-7 Woods Hole o Based upon records furnished by the superintendents of these stations. f> Based on two years only (1906, 1907). From the foregoing figures the following facts may be gathered: (i) That the mean water temperature for these three years was highest at Woods Hole (50.59°), next highest at Gloucester (47.95°), and lowest at Boothbay (44.44°). (2) That these differences are at a maximum during the summer months, being reduced to a minimum or even reversed during the winter months. Thus the annual range of temperature is greater as we pass to the southward. a Stated as 28' in the table. This was doubtless due to an error in the reading. BIOLOGICAL SURVEY OF WOODS HOLE AND VICINITY. 49 (3) For every month of the year the water temperatures at Gloucester are higher than those at Boothbay. On the other hand, during the months of December, Janu- ary, February, and March the Woods Hole temperatures are lower than those reported from Gloucester, despite the more northerly location of the latter station. This is probably due to the fact that the water used at the Gloucester station is in more imme- diate connection with the great reservoir of ocean water, which responds more slowly to the winter cold. Moreover, a rapid intermingling of the two is effected by the tides, which have a far greater amplitude at Gloucester than at Woods Hole." (4) During the months of May to November, inclusive, the water temperatures at Woods Hole are much higher than those of either of the more northerly stations, while the mean difference between Woods Hole and Gloucester for July, August, and Sep- tember (7.1°) is over twice as great as that between Gloucester and Boothbay (3.5°).^ This last feature of the comparison is the most important of all for our present purposes. The difference in latitude between Woods Hole and Gloucester is about 1° 7', while that between Gloucester and Boothbay is about 1° 12'. Nevertheless, the difference in water temperature between those two stations, which are separated by the peninsula of Cape Cod, is twice as great during the three months of the year when the water is warmest as that between the two stations lying to the north of Cape Cod, even though the latter are divided by a greater interval of latitude. While the waters whose temperatures are here recorded may not be entirely representative of the neighboring sea areas, and while the number of years here comprised is small, the main points in our comparison are believed to be sufficiently well established. Let us now return to a consideration of the temperature conditions at Woods Hole. Significant features of the local temperature conditions. — If we take the average of all the temperature determinations (surface and bottom) recorded on chart 211 for the 14 stations westward of Robinsons Hole, within and at the entrance to Vineyard Sound, we find the mean temperature of these waters, at practically the period of maximum temperature, to be 62.17.° At Woods Hole this temperature is exceeded during the entire period of the year between June 14 and October 6. If we consider only the figures for bottom temperature in this western area of the Sound (and these it is, in the main, which influence the bottom fauna), we find the mean to be 60.24, a temperature which is exceeded at Woods Hole, from June 3 to October 11. In Buzzards Bay, on the other hand, a temperature as low as this last was not once recorded during the August series of observations, though in one case it was found just beyond the mouth of the Bay (V). Bottom temperatures between 60° and 65° were, however, found throughout the lower third or fourth of the Bay, except near the western shore. It thus appears that the summer conditions of temperature such as obtain in the vicinity of Woods Hole during the months of June, July, August, and September do not directly affect the southwestern third of Vineyard Sound and in only a limited degree the lower end of Buzzards Bay. It will be shown that this fact is of supreme importance for the understanding of certain features of distribution. It might reasonably have been expected that the winter temperature of these outlying waters, adjacent to the open sea, would be considerably higher than that a This is in full agreement with the explanation of the relatively high winter temperatures at Gloucester and Boothbay; independently offered by Superintendents Corliss and Hahn. b This difference is likewise somewhat greater for October, and is practically the same for May. 16269° — Bull. 31, pt I — 13 4 50 BULLETIN OF THE BUREAU OF FISHERIES. elsewhere recorded within the region, owing to the conservative influence of the ocean in retaining the heat received during the summer. It would have given no surprise, therefore, to find the mean annual temperatures approximately the same throughout all these waters. Unfortunately we have no data for the coldest period of the winter. Reference to the temperature curves for the Woods Hole station shows that the water curve reaches its lowest level on February 19. It was planned, accordingly, to obtain a series of observations in Vineyard Sound and Buzzards Bay at about that date in 1 908. It is a matter of much regret that no boat was available for this purpose until a month later, when the water temperature throughout the entire region had risen to nearly 37° F. At this time, as has already been pointed out (p. 44), a great unifonnity in water tem- perature prevailed throughout the region explored, and the outlying waters, off Gay Head and Cuttyhunk, did not differ appreciably from those of the other portions of Vineyard Sound and Buzzards Bay. It will be recalled that in November there was likewise a large measure of uniformity, though at that time the outlying waters were somewhat warmer than the rapidly cooling waters of the upper half of the Bay. In the absence of further data it might be contended that at the time the November obser- vations were made the inshore temperature was just passing the ocean temperature in its annual decline, while, on the other hand, it might be supposed that the March temperatures were taken at a time when the inshore temperature curve was again about to cross that for the ocean temperature. And indeed it is possible, that in the inter- vening months the latter did remain somewhat higher than the former. But even on the impossible supposition that 36° F. represents the minimum tem- perature of these outlying waters,*^ this figure would be only about 7° higher than the lowest recorded elsewhere (i. e., the freezing point of sea water), whereas in summer the extremes of temperature varied as widely as 15°. Thus, in any case, the mean annual temperature of the bottom waters in the outlying portions of Vineyard Sound and Buzzards Bay is undoubtedly lower than that of the more inclosed areas to the northeast. For Vineyard Sound the mean bottom temperature of the stations lying to the seaward of Robinsons Hole, as based upon the four seasonal averages obtained by us, is 50.53°. The corresponding figure for the remainder of Vineyard Sound was found to be 53.31°. This difference, however, is entirely determined by the June and August results, so that for the summer months alone the difference would be about twice as great. Another plain deduction from the foregoing figures is that the total annual range of temperature in these outlying waters is far less than in the more inclosed waters of the region. For the former the temperature range is probably about 30° F.; for the latter it may reach 45° or more. The occurrence in summer of colder waters in the ocean immediately beyond the mouth of Vineyard Sound was pointed out by Verrill as long ago as 1871, and a few definite temperature figures were then presented by him. These last were also included in the chart accompanying the "Report on the Invertebrate Animals of Vineyard Sound." On September 9 the lowest figure recorded by Verrill was 57° F., which was the bottom temperature at a point several miles beyond Gay Head. Within the « Rathbun (1887) in a chart (No. 17), giving temperatures taken during five years at the Vineyard Sound Lightship, off Sow and Pigs Reef, records figures as low as 29° and 30° during January and February. For most of the time during these months, moreover, the temperature remained below 35°. These were surface temperatures, it is true, but it is hkely, as above slated, that the figtu'es for surface and bottom are not far from equal in winter. BIOLOGICAL SURVEY OF WOODS HOLE AND VICINITY. 51 mouth of Vineyard Sound, on the same day, the surface temperature was 67° F. Tem- peratures were likewise taken west of No Mans Land and south of Narragansett Bay in 29 fathoms. These agree in being considerably lower than the temperatures known to occur at the same time in the more inclosed waters of the neighborhood. The pres- ent writers have found still more extreme conditions to prevail at certain points imme- diately to the east of Cape Cod. At Crab Ledge, a few miles to the east of Chatham (chart 223), at a mean depth of 17K fathoms, two observations on August 12, 1909, gave a mean surface temperature of 65° F. and a mean bottom temperature of 47.2° F. These figures accord pretty well with some obtained at nearly the same point by Robert Piatt, United States Navy, on September 14 and 15, 1877.*^ The latter found a mean surface temperature of 60.3° F. and a mean bottom temperature (28 fathoms) of 48.2° F. It is interesting to compare the figures obtained by us on August 10 and 12, 1909, for a series of points between Woods Hole and Crab Ledge. These are presented in the following table : Pollock Rip (just ■without Nantucket Sounci) Handkerchief Shoal (eastern end Nantucket Sound) . Cross Rip (middle of Nantucket Sound) West Chop (eastern end Vineyard Sound) Depth. 8K Surface temper- ature. 63.0 '70.5 71.0 Bottom temper- ature. 62.0 60.0 ' 70.3 69.5 " The mean of two determinations on,different days. Verrill explained the low temperatures of the outer waters by invoking the aid of "an offshoot of the arctic current," which he believed to pass westward into Long Island Sound. The question whether or not there is a definite southward (and west- ward) flowing current which affects this part of the coast has already been discussed briefly on another page. No conclusive answer to this question appears to be forth- coming at present. Undoubted, however, is the fact that during the summer months there lies a comparatively cold zone between the warm coastal water and the yet warmer Gulf Stream. This may, as has been suggested, merely represent the normal ocean water which would be proper to this latitude in the absence of the Gulf Stream. If this view be accepted, the higher temperature attained during the summer months by the waters of Buzzards Bay and of Nantucket and Vineyard Sounds is simply the result of their shallowness and comparative detachment from the great reservoir of ocean water outside, just as we know that salt marshes or shallow lagoons become even warmer than this during the summer months. The question here suggests itself why the coastal waters north of Cape Cod, e. g., at Gloucester and at Boothbay, do not likewise become much warmer than they do during the summer months. We have seen (p. 49) that the relations between the temperatures at these points and those at Woods Hole are not such as are wholly explained by differences in latitude. It is highly probable that one factor in the case is the far greater depth of the waters north of Cape Cod, at slight distances from shore. For example, the 50-fathom line passes within from 5 to 10 (nautical) miles of Cape Ann and of many parts of the Maine coast; while at the nearest point it lies over 50 a These data were furnished us by the Superintendent of the Coast and Geodetic Survey. 52 BULLETIN OF THE BUREAU OF FISHERIES. miles from Marthas Vineyard. The tides, likewise, are of much greater amplitude north of Cape Cod, insuring a far more rapid intermingling of the coastal waters with those of the open sea. South of Cape Cod there is an extensive area of shoal water, much of which is pretty definitely bounded off from the open ocean. Reference has already been made to the occurrence of a net westerly tidal movement through Vine- yard Sound. This implies, of course, that the latter derives much of its water from Nantucket Sound, a broad and on the whole very shallow area of sea, pretty well shut in by land and by shoals. 5. SALINITY. Salinity or, more properly, density determinations were made along with those for temperature. The Sigsbee water cup was employed for obtaining samples from the bottom, while the surface water was merely drawn up in a pail. The salinometers employed were of the Hilgard pattern and were previously tested by the Bureau of Standards. Great care was taken to prevent the soiling of the stem by the hands, which was found to exert a marked effect upon the level reached by the instrument. A bottle of caustic soda solution, or a mixture of sulphuric acid and potassium bichro- mate, was kept at hand, and used from time to time for cleaning the stem. It was found more practicable to read from the summit of the meniscus, or cone of fluid sur- rounding the salinometer stem, than to read from the actual water level. The value of the meniscus in terms of the scale was later determined. vSince the temperature of the water is an all important factor in determining its specific gravity, as referred to distilled water at maximum density, careful record was kept of the water temperature at the time of taking the reading for density. Knowing these two factors, reduction was easily accomplished by the aid of a table furnished by the Bureau of Standards. ° The figures, as presented, represent the specific gravities which would have been obtained had the water samples in all cases been at a temperature of 15° C. Thus each figure represents the relative weight of a given sample at 15° C. compared with an equal volume of distilled water at 4° C. The density of a solution depends, of course, upon two factors, its temperature and its concentration. Having eliminated all differences due to the former factor, the figures, here given represent the concentration, i. e., the salinity of the water. The density readings here recorded were in nearly all cases made aboard ship. More precise determinations would of course have been possible if the water samples had been bottled and brought back to the laboratory where the ship's motion would not have disturbed the observations.^ And our results would have been still more precise had we resorted to the method of titration with nitrate of silver, as employed in recent hydrographic studies.^ The latter method has, however, been used by us as a check upon our specific gravity determinations, and the results of the two accord so well on the whole (see p. 54) that the figures here presented are probably exact enough to meet the demands of the present work. Our figures for density are recorded to the fourth decimal place. From comparison with the chlorine tests it seems likely that in o Various tables of this sort have been published; e. g., Libbey, 1891, p. 397; Tanner, 1S97, p. 337. f> In five cases, in which this was done, and the results of the two independent determinations were compared, a mean differ- ence of 0.00024 was found; i. e., the error affected only the fourth decimal place, or last one considered in making the reading, «See Pettersson, 1894, p. 296; also account of International Conference for the Exploration of the Sea, in Journal of the Marine Biological .Association, vol. vi, pp. 101-114. BIOLOGICAL SURVEY OF WOODS HOLE AND VICINITY. 53 some cases they are accurate only to the third decimal place. Those familiar with recent hydrographic studies will perhaps regard such figures as too rough approxima- tions to have any scientific value. This would doubtless be true if we had to do with wide expanses of the sea, containing fairly permanent currents or strata of water, the limits of which could only be ascertained by determining slight differences of salinity. But in the inclosed bays and sounds of our region the continual intermixture of the waters resulting from tides and winds would render unlikely any constant stratification on the basis of salinity, and it is certain that rapid variations occur within the same area. As was the case with the temperature records already discussed, a series of determinations having no reference to the phase of the tide are open to rather serious objections. But it would be practically impossible to make such a series simultaneously throughout so large an area, and almost equally difficult to make each of them at a corresponding phase of the tide. For these reasons, therefore, only the larger differences of water density, such as are indicated by figures in the third decimal place, seem to be of interest in attempting any correlation between this factor and the distribution of our local marine animals and plants. And it will be found later that, so far as our dredging records are concerned, even the greatest extremes of salinity which are recorded by us have little or no effect in limiting the distribution of most of the species. This statement, of course, is only intended to apply to the fauna taken by the dredge. Great numbers of littoral or shallow-water organisms, here as elsewhere, obviously thrive best in brackish water or at least in somewhat diluted sea water. The salt marshes and the estuaries, indeed, are largely populated by a fauna of their own. The figures for density are given in the same tables (i-8) as those for temperature. From the density figures those for salinity proper, or percentage of salts, may readily be obtained from the table offered by Pettersson (1894, p. 298). The following equiva- lents have been computed for such degrees of density as are to be found in Buzzards Bay and Vineyard Sound. They represent the percentages of salt by weight in a given quantity of sea water: Density. Salinity. Density. Salinity. I. 0210 2.84 I. o.->30 3- 09 1-0215 2.91 1.0235 3- 16 I. 0220 2.98 I. 0240 3' 23 I. 0225 3-03 1.0245 3- ^9 The differences of salinity, in relation to locality and season, are represented upon charts 215 to 218. Several facts of importance are to be derived from these tables and charts. (i) Even the highest figure recorded here (1.0244) is considerably lower than that found throughout the north Atlantic at great distances from land, where a specific gravity of 1.0270 to 1.0280 prevails. (2) The greatest extremes to be found among our determinations are 1.02 12 and 1.0244, representing a difference of about 15 per cent in salinity. (3) The average surface density (1.02337) is lower than the average density at tlie bottom (1.02349). This difference is more marked in the Bay than in the Sound. It is 54 BULLETIN OP THE BUREAU OF FISHERIES. manifested in six of the eight pairs of contrasted figures, the June figures (both for the Bay and Sound) being exceptions. (4) The average density for Buzzards Bay (1.02314") is lower than that for Vine- yard Sound (1.02372) and is particularly low at the head of the Bay. This condition is readily understood by reference to the estuaries which discharge into it. (5) Certain seasonal differences appear which are, perhaps, of questionable sig- nificance. In Vineyard Sound the density figures for the seasons may be arranged in the following order : June 1-02339 March i. 02358 August I. 02387 November i. 02403 For Buzzards Bay the figures can not be given for the entire area, since in March only six stations, nearly all of them in the upper half, were visited. Taking the figures for these same six stations for the four months we find the following order to obtain: March i. 02266 June I. 02273 November i. 02299 August I. 02327 The figures for the different seasons were obtained at intervals of about three months and by two different observers. Differences due to "personal equation" have thus perhaps played a part in the results. And even if that source of error were eliminated, it is quite likely that the figures for the same month in different years would not agree at all exactly. In November, 1908, eight of the determinations of the pre- ceding November were repeated. The average difference between the earlier and later figures was 4 in the fourth decimal place, i. e., a quantity in excess of some of the sea- sonal differences appearing in the foregoing tables. In order to compare the results of hydrometer readings with those obtained by titra- tion for chlorine, 17 water samples w^ere subjected to both tests.^ The chlorine deter- mination in each case was compared with the value, computed from Pettersson's table, for water of the specific gravity recorded. It was found that the actual and the expected values differed on the average by 1.5 per cent. On the assumption that the figures for the titrations were absolutely correct, which is scarcely allowable, this discrepancy implies an average error in the salinometer readings amounting to a little over 3 in the fourth decimal place. We have thus, in any case, some measure of the accuracy of the specific gravity determinations here recorded. As already stated, the fourth figure is not entirely trustworthy. It must be remembered, however, that local dif- ferences have been pointed out within our region equal to about ten times the amount of this average error. Seven water samples obtained by us in August, 1909, at points within Nantucket Sound and beyond its eastern end, yielded specific gravities varying only from 1.0237 to 1.0239. These figures are close to, but slightly lower than, those found in Vineyard Sound during the same month two years previously. a This figure is somewhat too low, since only the upper half of the Bay was represented in the March series. Here, as stated, the density is particularly low. b These titrations were for the most part made by Dr. W. M. Clark, then a scientific assistant at the Woods Hole laboratory. Chapter III.— SYNOPSIS OF ZOOLOGICAL DATA. 1. THE DREDGING RECORDS. Complete records were kept of every dredge haul of the Survey, comprising such data as the bearings, date, depth, etc., at each station, as well as a list of the aggregate fauna and flora found to occur there. It was our original expectation to publish the entire set of station records as an appendix to the present report, for it would certainly be desirable to insure the permanency of these records through printing. They are the crude data upon which most of our ensuing discussion is based, and it is highly probable that they would yield other results of value if subjected to further analysis. Here, and here only, do we find what forms of life are associated together upon a given area of the sea bottom. Owing to the voluminous character of these records, however, it has not been found practicable to publish them in their entirety, although a "List of Stations" is presented at the close of section L As regards the associations of species, we must be content at present with presenting the data in a generalized fonn, except for the reproduction of a very few complete station records by way of illustration. In all there are 458 stations, belonging to the regular series, which may be classi- fied as follows : Fish Hawk, Vineyard Sound 218 Fish Hawk, Buzzards Bay 66 Fish Hawk, Crab Ledge 7 Phalarope and Blue Wing, Vineyard Sound 77 Phalarope , Buzzards Bay 90 Total 458 With a few exceptions (see below) these stations were all dredged during the sum- mers of 1903, 1904, and 1905. The Fish Hawk was employed during all three of these seasons, the Phalarope (supplemented by the Blue Wing) during the second and third seasons. Owing, however, to an accident which prevented the use of the Phalarope along the western shore of Buzzards Bay in 1905, the latter region was not dredged until the summer of 1907. These 1907 stations have been charted along with the others and the records included in the same series. There are likewise included with the regu- lar series certain repeated stations. Owing to the somewhat tentative character of the Vineyard Sound dredgings in 1903, 34 of these earlier stations were redredged (aj)- proximately) in 1904, partly with the Fish Hawk, partly with the Phalarope. Such stations have been designated by the original number, with the addition of the Latin word "bis." The "bis" stations have all been treated as Fish Hawk stations, and a list of them is published at the end of the Fish Hawk series. The records for the occur- rence of each species at this group of repeated stations have been incorporated serially 55 56 BULLETIN OF THE BUREAU OF FISHERIES. with the others in the annotated Hst, and these records have been included in plotting the distribution charts. During the summers of 1906, 1907, 1908, and 1909 various supplementary dredg- ings were carried on with both the Fish Hawk and the Phalarope, and at least 150 sta- tions were dredged. These were in most cases more or less approximate repetitions of stations of the regular series. On most of these occasions search was made only for particular species, and no list was kept of the entire collection of organisms brought up. In the case of the hydroids, Bryozoa, and Foraminifera, however, and of unusual species belonging to any group, the records derived from these supplementary stations are to a large extent included with the others, the year of the dredging being indicated. During the summer of 1909, 26 of the earlier stations in Buzzards Bay (mainly of the Fish Hawk series) were repeated with rough approximation by the Phalarope, and fairlv full lists were made of the organisms taken at each." These lists have been appended to the regular series. Several trips were likewise made during the summer of 1907 for the special purpose of collecting algae. To what degree the earlier records have been confirmed or corrected by these sup- plementary dredgings will appear from time to time in the special discussion relating to particular species. It may be noted in passing, however, that the later operations have added very materially to the accuracy of our results as a whole. A chart (no. 226) has been prepared indicating the position and, so far as possible, the direction and extent (see p. 18) of the dredgings of the survey. Upon this chart the stations are numbered, these numbers corresponding to those given in the lists. The numbers employed are arranged consecutively according to date. They do not there- fore bear any necessary relation to the position of the stations. In order to facilitate the finding of a given station by the reader the following general statements are offered: (i) The Fish Hawk stations are all indicated by numbers of four digits, commenc- ing with 7, thus: 7521, etc. The Phalarope and Bliie Wing stations are indicated by numbers ranging from i to 167. (2) Fish Hawk stations are designated either by a circle or by a chain of two, three, or four smaller circles, connected by a straight or curved line (see p. 18). Pliala- rope and Blite Wing stations are designated by arrows, which show the direction of the haul, and, very roughly, its relative duration. These last are in all cases near shore, except for a few upon the Middle Ground shoal at the eastern end of Vineyard Sound. (3) Fish Hawk stations 7521 to 7602 are in Vineyard Sound, commencing near Nobska Point and running to the westward. They are arranged at intervals of about three-fourths of a mile along lines crossing the Sound at a distance of about i mile from one another. Near the western end of "N'^ineyard Sound three of these lines are num- bered in a reversed order, i. e., stations 7581 to 7587 are along the line connecting Gay Head and Cuttyhunk, the next stations in serial order, being upon a line passing from Nashawena to a point about i mile east of Gay Head. (4) Stations 7603 to 7609, inclusive, are at Crab Ledge (see chart 223), and are therefore not included upon the present chart. (5) Stations 7610 to 7675 are in Buzzards Bay — 7610 to 7635 are in the upper half, starting from a point near Woods Hole; 7636 to 7675 are in the lower half. a Certain groups, however, did not receive adequate attention, and comparatively few of these specimens were referred to specialists for identification. BIOLOGICAL SURVEY OF WOODS HOLE AND VICINITY. 57 (6) Stations 7676 to 7783 (except 771 1 to 7716) are in \'ineyard Sound, beginning at the western end and passing eastward, though the order is not at all regular. (7) Stations 771 1 to 7716, inclusive, do not appear upon the chart. (8) Stations i to 19, 24 to 43, and 52 to 167 were dredged by the Phalarope; 20 to 23 and 44 to 51 by the Blue Wing. (9) Stations i to 77 are in Vineyard Sound. No. i is along the shore of Nonamesset Island. The first series continues, not always in regular order, to 38, at Cuttyhunk, though 35, 36, and 37 are at Sow and Pigs Reef. Stations 39 to 43 are along the shoal Middle Ground. Stations 44 to 51 and 56 to 60 are at Gay Head ; 61 , 62, and 63 are near West Chop; 64 to 68 are along the shore of Marthas Vineyard from Prospect Hill to Cedar Tree Neck; 69 to 72 are in Vineyard Haven; while stations 73 to yy extend from Nortons Point to Cedar Tree Neck. (10) Stations 78 to 167 are in Buzzards Bay. They commence at Nashawena Island, and extend northeastward along the shores of Pasque and Naushon; the series then skips to Cuttyhunk (99 to 104), then to Weepecket Islands (105 to no), then to Cuttyhunk again (iii and 112) and to Penikese (113 to 116). Station 117 is at Unca- tena Island, and 118 to 123 are in the immediate neighborhood of Woods Hole. From this point the series extends pretty regularly up the eastern shore of Buzzards Bay, and from the head of the Bay, down the western shore, at wider intervals. The complete records of four of our stations (dredge hauls) are presented herewith. We have selected one Fish Hawk station in Buzzards Bay (7656), one Fish Hawk station in Vineyard Sound (7730), one Phalarope station in Vineyard Sound (52), and one Phalarope station in Buzzards Bay (83). In each case, that station, within each group, has been selected from which the greatest number of species was recorded. Thus, 61 species of animals and 20 species of plants were found at station no. 7656; 81 animals and 13 plants at no. 7730; 72 Animals and 14 plants at no. 52; and 68 animals and 1 1 plants at no. 83. These are accordingly not typical dredge hauls in the sense of being average ones, numerically speaking.* On the other hand, the bottoms which were traversed were probably characteristic enough of the regions which they represent. No attempt has been made by us, here or elsewhere, to count the number of indi- vid-iial organisms taken in a single haul of the dredge. Such figures are, however, so entirely dependent upon the character and size of the dredge employed, and the dura- tion of the haul, that we do not believe that the value of any results of this sort would have been commensurate with the labor involved in counting. Even these maximum figures from our dredging in Vineyard Sound and Buzzards Bay fall much below some of those off"ered by Herdman and Dawson (1902, p. 20 et seq.). For example, in three successive hauls in the neighborhood of Port Erin, at depths of 16 to 18 fathoms, these writers record 93, in, and 156 species of animals. Moreover, we are informed that these hauls are "characteristic" and not "picked" ones, being made "for the purpose of comparison with some published from other seas." Further comparisons between the faima of our region and that of the Irish Sea, in respect to wealth of species, will be found on pages 88 and 89. o The numbers lor Uicse stations arc about twice the average ones. See p. 77. 58 BULLETIN OF THE BUREAU OF FISHERIES. FISH HAWK STATION 7656. August 12, igo4. — North end Penikese Island W. by S., 3X iriiles; Dumpling Rock Light NNW. ^ W., ^yi miles; 8 fathoms; sandy mud; 7-foot beam trawl, scrape dredge; drift NE. yi mile. Animals. Hydrozoa: ?Obelia geniculata (on Laminaria). Tubularia crocea (few colonies). Bryozoa: jEtea anguina. Bugula turrita. Cellepora americana. Lepralia sp. (americana or pallasiana). Membranipora pilosa. Schizoporella unicornis. Annulata : Arabella opalina (i). Brada setosa (i). Cistenides gouldii (i tube). Clymenella torquata (several tubes). Diopatra cuprea (few tubes). Harmothoe imbricata (i tube). Lumbrineris hebes (i). Nephthys incisa (several). Nicolea simplex (2 tubes on Laminaria). Ninoe nigripes (several). Rhynchobolus americanus ( i ) . Spiochaetopterus oculatus. Spirorbis spirorbis (on Laminaria, etc.). Trophonia affinis (several). Cirrbpedia: Balanus sp. (probably ebumeus) (few). Decapoda: Cancer irroratus (several). Libinia emarginata (several large and small). Neopanope texana sayi ( i ) . Pagurus longicarpus (several in shells of Nassa). A.mphipoda: iEginella longicomis (i). Amphithoe rubricata (i). Caprella geometrica (i). Ptilocheirus pinguis (many). Isopoda: Erichsonella filiformis (i). PELECypoda: Anomia simplex. Area transversa (few shells). Astarte castanea (several shells). Astarte undata (several shells). Callocardia morrhuana (few shells). Cardium pinnulatum (few shells). Clidiophora gouldiana (few). Ensis directus (few shells). Mytilus edulis (several large and small shells). PelEcypoda — Continued. Nucula proxima. Petricola pholadiformis. Tellina tenera. Venus mercenaria (few small shells). Yoldia limatula (i). Gastropoda: Anachis avara (few shells). Astyris lunata. Crepidula fomicata (few shells and living). Crepidula plana (few shells). Littorina litorea (i shell). Tritia trivittata (several shells). Turbonilla vinse. Turbonilla winkleyi. Turbonilla sp. Cephalopoda: Loligo pealii (eggs and young). Pisces: Paralichthys oblongus (i). Prionotus carolinus. Pseudopleuronectes americanus (3). Spheroides maculatus (i). Stenotomus chrysops (many young). Urophycis tenuis (i living). Plants. PHi^OPHYCE^: Chorda filum (i). Chordaria flagelliformis (many). Desmarestia aculeata (few). Dictyosiphon hippuroides (many). Ectocarpus fasciculatus (many). Laminaria Agardhii (many). Rhodophyce^: Ahnfeldtia plicata (few). Callithamnion Baileyi (many). Ceramium rubrum (many). Champia parvula (few). Chondrus crispus (many). Cystoclonium piu-purascens (few). Cystoclonium purpurascens var. cirrhosi:rn (few). Dasya elegans (i). Phyllophora Brodiaei (many). Polysiphonia elongata (i). Polysiphonia nigrescens (few). Rhodomela subfusca (i). Rhodymenia palmata (i). Spyridia tilamentosa (few). BlOLOGICAIv SURVEY OF WOODS HOLE AND VICINITY. 59 FISH HAWK STATION 773O. August 8, 1905. — (a) Prospect Hill-Nashawena, 115° 59', Nashawena-Gay Head, 87° 59'; Q>) Prospect Hill-Pasque, 92° 27', Pasque-Gay Head, 115° 22'; (c) Prospect Hill-Pasque, 101° 57', Pasque-Gay Head, 118° 41'; 12 fathoms; hard sand; 9-foot beam trawl and mud bag. Amphipoda: iEginella longicomis (very many large and small). Ampelisca macrocephala (i). Ampelisca spinipes (3). Amphithoe rubricata (i). Byblis serrata (4). Corophium cylindricum (2). Ericthonius minax (4 males, i female). Ericthonius rubricomis (i female). Pontogenia inermis (10 small). Unciola irrorata (2 small). Isopoda: Edotea montosa (i). Erichsonella filiformis (2). Idothea phosphorea (several). Pelecypoda: Anomia simplex (many shells). Astarte undata (several shells). Callocardia morrhuana. Cardium pinnulatum (few living and shells), Clidiophora gouldiana (i living and i shell). Cyclas islandica (i shell). Di varicella quadrisulcata (i shell). Ensis directus (i shell). Lyonsia hyalina (3 shells). Modiolaria nigra (few very small living). Mytilus edulis (i living). Nucula proxima (i shell). Pecten gibbus borealis (i fragment and i shell). Pecten magellanicus (i fragment). Spisula solidissima (several shells). Tellina tenera (few living and i shell). Venericardia borealis (few shells). Venus mercenaria (i large shell). Gastropoda: Anachis avara (few). Astyris lunata. Lacuna puteola (2). Polyniccs heros (several). Tritia trivittata (few living and shells). Vermicularia spirata (i shell). Cephalopoda: Loligo pealii. TunicaTa: Amaroucium stellatum. Pisces: Pseudopleuronectes americanus (3). Raja erinacea (3). PRaja ocellata (i). Animals, foraminifera : Biloculina ringens. Discorbina rosacea. Miliolina seminulum. Rotalia beccarii. Porifera: Cliona celata (much). Hydrozoa: Eudendrium dispar. Halecium halecinum. Hydractinia echinata. PObelia geniculata. Pennaria tiarella. Bryozoa: .iEtea anguina. Bicellaria ciliata. Bugula turrita. Cellepora americana. Hippuraria armata. Lichenopora verrucaria. Membranipora tenuis. Schizoporella unicornis. Smittia trispinosa nitida. Asteroidea: Asterias forbesi (i). Asterias vulgaris (2). Henricia sanguinolenta (r large). Ophiuroidea: Amphipholis squamata. Echinoidea: Echinarachnius parma (2 shells and i living). Annulata: Diopatra cuprea (i tube). Harmothoe imbricata (i). Lepidonotus squamatus. Nicolea simplex (3). Pseudopotamilla oculifera (many tubes). ?Spirorbis spirorbis (few). CopEpoda; Argulus megalops (i). Decapoda: Cancer irroratus (several). Crago septemspinosus (i). Homarus americanus (several). Libinia cmarginata (many small). Ovalipes occllatus (few). Pagurus acadianus (several). Pagurus annulipes (several). Pagurus longicarpus (few). 6o BULLETIN OF THE BUREAU OF FISHERIES. Plants. Ph^ophyce.€ : Chorda filum (drifted fragments). Desmarestia aculeata (few). Desmarestia viridis (few). Dictyosiphon hippuroides (few). Fucus vesiculosus (drifted fragment). Sargassum Filipendula (drifted fragments). Rhodophyce^: Agardhiella tenera (few). Antithamnion cruciatum (few). Ceramium tenuissimum (few). Cystoclonium purpurascens var. (many). Grinnellia americana (i). Polysiphonia elongata (few). Polysiphonia nigrescens (many). cirrhosum PHALAROPE STATION 52. August II, 1904. — 7-(>l4 fathoms; shelly and gravelly. Animals. Hydrozoa: Tubularia crocea (few tubes). Bryozoa: Bugula turrita (many). Asteroidea: Asterias forbesi (several). Asterias vulgaris (several). Henricia sanguinolenta (2). Echinoidea: Arbacia punctulata (few). Echinarachnius parma (many). Strongylocentrotus droebachiensis (several living). Annulata: Diopatra cuprea (many tubes). Harmothoe imbricata (common). Hydroides dianthus (few). Nephthys incisa (i fragment). Nereis pelagica (several). Pista sp. (fragment of i tube). Pseudopotamilla oculifera (i). Sabcllaria vulgaris (i tube). Decapoda: Cancer irroratus (many small). Crago septemspinosus. Libinia emarginata (several small). Pagurus acadianus (2 small). Pagurus annulipes (few). Pagurus longicarpus (many). Amphipoda: Corophium cylindricum (i). Ischyrocerus anguipes (i small). Unciola irrorata (i). Isopoda: Krichsonella filiformis. Pelecypoda: Anomia aculeata (i shell). Anomia simplex (few shells). Area transversa (few living and shells). n The oc-currence of this species in the present dredge haul is inexplicable DCArcr shore, being retained in the net, perhaps, from the preceding haul. Pelecypoda — Continued. Astarte castanea (several). Astarte undata (few). Callocardia morrhuana (many shells). Cardium pinnulatum (common, living). Clidiophora gouldiana (many shells). Cochlodesma leanum (abundant). Corbula contracta (i shell). Crassinella mactracea (many living). Crenella glandula. Cumingia tellinoides (few shells). Ensis directus (small living). Lyonsia hyalina (i living). Modiolaria nigra (few shells). Modiolus modiolus (few shells). Mulinia lateralis (few shells). Mytilus edulis (few). Nucula proxima (few). Pecten magellanicus (i shell). Petricola pholadiformis (2 shells). Spisula solidissima (many shells). Tellina tenera (few shells). Venericardia borealis. Venus mercenaria (few shells). Yoldia limatula (i shell). Gastropoda: Anachis avara (several shells). Astyris lunata (many living). Busycon canaliculatum (i). Caecum cooperi. , Cerithiopsisemersonii (i shell). Crepidula convexa (several living). Crepidula fomicata (many shells). Crepidula plana (many living). Lacuna puteola (few shells). Littorina rudis (i living, 2 shells). « Polynices duplicata (few, i living). Polynices heros (few shells). Polynices triseriata (several living and shells). Tritia trivittata (living and many shells). The specimens doubtless came from much BIOLOGICAL SURVEY OF WOODS HOLE AND VICINITY. 6i Gastropoda — Continued . Urosalpinx cinereus (few). Amphineura : Chsetopleura apiculata (several). Cephalopoda: Loligo pealii (i mass of eggs). Pisces : Myoxocephalus aeneus (few). Raja sp., egg capsule (t). Plants. Ph^ophyce.®: Chordaria flagelliformis (few). Ralfsia clavata (few). RnoDOPHYCE.E: Agardhiella tenera (many). Antithamnion cruciatum (few). Corallina officinalis (few). Cystoclonium purpurascens (few). Cystoclonium purpurascens var. cirrhosum (few). Griffithsia Bometiana (few). Lithothamnion polymorphum (few). Phyllophora Brodisei (few). Polysiphonia nigrescens (many). Rhodymenia palmata (few). Seirospora Griffithsiana (many). Spyridia filamentosa (many). PHALAROPE STATION 83. July 12, 1905. — North shore of Pasque Island; 5-7 fathoms; sand. A.MIMALS. Foraminifera: Miliolina circularis. PoriFERa: Cliona celata (2 pieces). Hydrozoa: Hydractinia echinata. Sertularia sp. Thuiaria argentea. Tubularia crocea (dead tubes). Actinozoa: Astrangia danse (several small). Bryozoa: iEteaanguina. Bugula turrita. Crisia ebumea (few). Hippothoa hyalina. Lepralia sp. (americana or pallasiana). Membranipora pilosa. Membranipora tenuis. vSchizoporella unicornis. Smittia trispinosa nitida. Asteroidea: Asterias vulgaris (i small). Henricia sanguinolenta (i small). Echinoidea: Arbacia punctulata (spines). Echinarachnius parma (i shell). Annulata: Diopatra cuprea (few tubes). Harmothoe imbricata (2 very small). Hydroides dianthus (several). Lepidonotus squamatus (i). Nereis arenaceodentata (i). Nereis pelagica (i young). Pista sp. (fragments of several tubes). Spirorbissp. (2 tubes). Cirripedia: Balanus sp. (probably ebumeus) (few). Schizopod: Schizopod (undetermined). Decapoda: Crago septemspinosus (many). Homarus americanus (i fragment). Libinia emarginata. Pagurus annulipes (several). Pagurus longicarpus (common). Amphipoda: Leptochelia savignyi. Isopoda: PEdotea acuta (i). Insect a: Sarcophaga sp. larva (probably not actually dredged from bottom). PelEcypoda: Area transversa (several). Astarte castanea (few living). Callocardia morrhuana (few). Cardium pinnulatum (several shells). Clidiophora gouldiana (r living). Corbula contracta (few shells). Crassinella mactracea (several livings and shells). Crenella glandula (2 shells). Cumingia tellinoides (2 shells). Ensis directus (shells). Mytilus edulis (fragments and young). Ostrea virginica (i living). Pccten gibbus borealis (2 shells). Yoldia limatula (few, i living). Amphineura: Chaetopleura apiculata (2). 62 BULLETIN OF THE BUREAU OF FISHERIES. Gastropoda: Anachis avara (common, living and shells). Astyris lunata. Cochlodesma leanum (i shell). Crepidula convexa (i living). Crepidula fomicata (many shells). Crepidula plana (few). Eupleura caudata (several shells). Littorina litorea (i shell). Polynices triseriata (common, living and shells). Tritia trivittata (many living). Urosalpinx cinereus (few shells). Vermicularia spirata (several shells). Tunicata: Didemnum lutarium (several masses). Molgula manhattensis (2). Pisces : Myoxocephalus aeneus. Plants. PHiEOPHYCE^: Desmarestia aculeata (many). Leathesia difformis (i drift). RhodophvcEjE: Callithamnion roseum (2). Corallina officinalis (i drift). Cystoclonium purpurascens var. cirrhosum (many). Phyllophora Brodiaei (many). Phyllophora membranifolia (many). Polyides rotundus (many). Polysiphonia nigrescens (many). Polysiphonia urceolata (i). Rhodomela subfusca (i). 2. THE DISTRIBUTION CHARTS. We have deemed it advisable to publish a large number of charts portraying the distribution of species as revealed by the station records. It is not likely that the lists of station numbers given in the text for each species will often be translated by the reader into definite localities; while, on the other hand, the generalized statements of the authors are necessarily incomplete and at best do not take the place of graphic representations such as the charts. Some explanation is necessary for a proper under- standing of these last. With a few exceptions, they are based upon the records of the regular dredging stations only, i. e., those for the years 1903, 1904, and 1905.** No data derived from outside information, however reliable, have been included here, nor even data from our own shore collecting, or (exceptions aside) from our supplementary dredg- ings and repetitions of earlier stations, though, of course, such additional data have been incorporated in the text. The exceptions mentioned include the "bis" stations as a whole (see p. 55), the records from which have been plotted for all species. In the case of the Foraminifera, hydroids, and Bryozoa, many records derived from supplementary dredgings (repeated stations) during the summers of 1 906-1 909 have been plotted upon the charts. This has been considered advisable owing to the probable imperfection of the original records for all of these organisms. Such procedure is open to two objections. In the first place, the repeated stations are at best rather rough approximations to the original ones whose numbers have been given them. Even with the greatest care, it is impossible to lower a dredge at precisely the same point as on a previous occasion, and in the case of most of our repetitions, lack of time prevented the maneuvering necessary to a very exact location of the spot origin- ally charted. In the second place, the repeated stations were not distributed with any regularity throughout the region dredged, and unless due caution is exercised the results of these are likely to be misleading. Moreover, since the records from these have been plotted only for certain groups, undue emphasis has in some cases probably been thrown upon the latter. Despite theSe objections, however, we believe that the distributions a Including the completion of the western shore of Buz^jards Bay in 1907. BIOLOGICAL SURVEY OF WOODS HOLE AND VICINITY. 63 of the species in question have been portrayed more fairly, on the whole, than if the supplementary records had been omitted. Without making certain allowances one might be greatly misled by these charts. Some of the sources of possible misconception have just been referred to. For all groups the greater apparent abundance of various species in Vineyard Sound, as compared with Buzzards Bay, is frequently to be explained merely by the greater number of dredging stations in the former. The Fish Hawk was employed during two seasons upon the Vineyard Sound series of stations, while systematic dredging by this vessel in Buzzards Bay was limited to the summer of 1904. Thus there are 218 Fish Hawk stations in Vine- yard Sound and only 66 in Buzzards Bay, although the latter is a considerablv larger body of water. The concentration of stations in the Sound, so obvious upon the chart, is thus explained. The latter condition is emphasized by the inclusion in the distri- bution charts of records from the "bis" stations (see above), all of which were in Vine- yard Sound. This disparity in the thoroughness with which the two bodies of water were worked was due (i) to the fact that the earlier and more or less experimental dredgings were conducted in Vineyard Sound, and it was regarded as desirable to repeat these; and (2) to the greater uniformity of conditions throughout the bottom of Buz- zards Bay, rendering it unnecessary to dredge at such frequent inter\'als. Another point for which allowance must be made is the fact that the apparent absence of a species from a given area is in some cases due merely to the absence, for the time, of a collector accustomed to search for this particular form, or even to the lack of dredging apparatus suitable for bringing it up. Such cases, and other possible sources of error, will be discussed in their proper places in connection with particular groups of animals. Finally, reference must be made to certain spurious distribution patterns, which result, not from any defect in our own methods, but from the transportation of organic remains to points where the animals themselves had probably never lived. As an illustration of this phenomenon we m.ay mention the occurrence of shells of the common oyster in the deeper parts of Vineyard Sound, where their presence is probably to be attributed to passing vessels. Another instance is the transportation of littoral shells (e. g., Littorina litorea) by hermit crabs, and it is likely that the lighter shells of certain mollusks and the remains of various other organisms are carried to considerable distances by currents. The distribution charts are reproduced from maps plotted out by Mr. James W. Underwood and Miss Edith Chapman. These assistants employed a blank form based upon a chart prepared by the draftsman of the Bureau, Mr. W. F. Hill. The stars were first put in with a rubber stamp and then filled out with a drawing pen and india ink. Owing to the crowding of stations or the proximity of some of these to shore, the star is, in many cases, at some distance from the station to which it belongs. It has not been thought worth while to plot the distributions of any species which were taken at less than 10 of the stations. On the other hand, the distributions of all animals,'* with a few special exceptions, which were listed from 10 or more stations have been presented herewith. Thus the charts are restricted to the more representa- o This statement does not strictly hold for the plants. 64 BULLETIN OF THE BUREAU OF FISHERIES. tive species comprised in our local benthos. In many cases, however, highly instructive data have been obtained regarding forms of less frequent occurrence. Such have been referred to in the text. Records entered as doubtful have been excluded in plotting the distribution charts. In the charts for the shell-bearing mollusks and echinoderms, and for the coral Astrangia, it will be found that the stars are in many cases surrounded by circles. The circle in each case indicates that one or more living specimens were recorded from the station in question; absence of the circle implies either that the records indicate the presence of dead shells only, or that no statement has been made on the subject. 3. THE FAUNA CONSIDERED ACCORDING TO REGIONS AND HABITATS. Many of the species encountered during our dredging operations were found to have a practically unrestricted distribution within the waters explored. In the case of many other species, their distribution was found to be definitely restricted, i. e., they were adapted to particular temperatures or to particular kinds of bottom. These various types of distribution will be discussed at some length in relation to particular species which serve to illustrate them, and many cases are portrayed graphically by means of charts. But it is likewise important that a list of the more prevalent species should be presented synoptically for each subregion of our chart and for each variety of habitat. With this in view the stations were tabulated in various ways, according to the type of bottom or the like; and for each of these groups lists were prepared comprising all of those species which were taken at one-fourth or more of tJie stations in question.*^ We believe that lists thus restricted may be regarded as comprising only such species as are truly representative of these various bottoms. It must be conceded, however, that many of the less common forms which do not appear in the lists at all may be highly characteristic of one or another group of stations, and may, indeed, be limited to these. Preceding the lists for particular waters or particular types of bottom we present a table comprising those species which were taken at one-fourth or more of the total number of dredging stations of the Survey, i. e., at 115 or more of the regular stations.^ It is believed that such a list conveys a good idea of the prevailing benthic fauna of our local waters, so far as we can speak of any single prevailing fauna where the conditions differ so widely. This list will perhaps render possible the detection of future changes in the relative abundance of certain species. a At first only those species were listed which were present at half or more of a given group of stations, but it was found that all of the resulting lists were very brief, and that they omitted many highly characteristic forms. b None of the supplementary stations, except the "bis" stations of 1904. have been considered in the present computations. The inclusion of the 1909 records would doubtless change the complexion of these tables somewhat, though uot, we believe, very materially. BIOLOGICAL SURVEY OI^ WOODS HOLE AND VICINITY. 65 I. Species recorded from one- fourth (113) or more of the regular dredging stations of the Survey." Porifera: Cliona celata (171). Actinozoa: Astrangia danse (158). Bryozoa: Crisia ebiimea (201). *Bugula turrita (255). Schizoporella unicornis (197). Smittia trispinosa nitida (163). Asteroidea: Henricia sanguinolenta (118). Asterias forbesi (206). Echinoidea: Arbacia ptmctulata (156), Echinarachnius parma (170). Annulata : Harmothoe imbricata (189). Lepidonotus squamatus (165) Nereis pelagica (192). Diopatra cuprea (198). *Hydroides dianthus (237). Cirripedia: Balanus ebumeus (162). Amphipoda: Unciola irrorata (115). Decapoda: Crago septemspinosus (169). *Pagurus longicarpus (290). Pagurus atmulipes (196). Decapoda — Continued, Libinia emarginata (192). Cancer irroratus (209). Neopanope texana sayi (143). Pelecypoda: *Anomia simplex (256). Pecten gibbus borealis (162). Mytilus edulis (217). Modiolus modiolus (120). *Arca transversa (264). Nucula proxima (205). Crassinella mactracea (182). Cardium pinnulatum (219). Callocardia morrhuana (192). , Tellina tenera (193). *Ensis directus (235). Spisula solidissima (222). *Clidiophora gouldiana (234). Corbula contracta (128). Gastropoda: *Tritia trivittata (373). *Anachis avara (295). *Astyris lunata (245). Urosalpinx cinereus (156). Littorina litorea — shells otily (131). *Crepidula fomicata (326). *Crepidula plana (291). Polynices heros (165). Polynices triseriata (144). II. Species which were taken at one- fourth (33) or more of the Fish Hawk stations in Vineyard Sound. Echinoidea: Porifera: Cliona celata (76). Hydrozoa : Eudendrium ramosum (58). Hydractinia echinata (62). Actinozoa: Astrangia danse (70). Bryozoa: Crisia ebiirnea (97). Bugula turrita (135). Schizoporella unicornis (112). Smittia trispinosa nitida (84). Cellepora americana (55). Asteroidea: Henricia sanguinolenta (62). Asterias forbesi (119). Asterias vulgaris (73). Arbacia punctulata (loi). Echinarachnius parma (130). Annulata: Harmothoe imbricata (90). Lepidonotus squamatus (86). Nereis pelagica (115). Diopatra cuprea (75). Hydroides dianthus (94). Cirripedia: Balanus ebumeus (83). Decapoda: Crago septemspinosus (73). Pagurus pollicaris (70). Pagurus longicarpus (131). Pagurus annulipes (77). Libinia emarginata (99). Cancer irroratus (134). a The number in parenthesis indicates the number of stations at which the species was found. Species are starred (in the first list only), which were taken at one-half or more of the stations. 16269° — Bull. 31, pt I — 13 5 66 BULLETIN OF THE BUREAU OF FISHERIES. Amphipoda: Unciola irrorata (68). PelEC\toda: Anomia simplex (93). Mytilus edulis (136). Modiolus modiolus (85). Area transversa (116). Nucula proxima (82). Venericardia borealis (59). Astarte castanea (74). Crassinella mactracca (90). Cardium pinnulatum (66). Callocardia morrhuana (62). Tellina tencra (77). Ensis directus (94). Spisula solidissima (140). Pelecypoda — Continued . Clidiophora gouldiana (94). Corbula contracta (64). Gastropoda: Tritia trivittata (163). Anachis avara (131). Astyris lunata (116). Urosalpinx cinereus(63). Crepidula fornicata (144). Crepidula plana (136). Polynices heros (119). Cephalopoda: Loligo pealii (55). Tunic ATA : Amaroucium pellucidum (57). In a considerable measure the above list is a repetition of the first. Only four species comprised in the first list are wanting in the second, while only nine additional ones are to be found in the latter. This close agreement is doubtless due to the fact that the Fish Hawk stations in Vineyard Sound are more than three times as numerous as are those in Buzzards Bay. They thus have an undue share in determining the character of the first of our lists. III. Species taken at one-fourth (17) or more of the Fish Hawk stations in Buzzards Bay. Porifera: Cliona celata (32). Actinozoa: Astrangia danae (29). Bryozoa: Crisia ebumea (24). ^tea anguina (22). Bugula turrita (35). Schizoporella unicornis (31). Smittia trispinosa nitida (25). Asteroidea: Asterias forbesi (23). Annulata: Nephthys incisa (34). Diopatra cuprea (34). Ninoe nigripes (31). Rhynchobolus americanus (22). Chsetopterus pergamentaceus (21). Spiochaetopterus oculatus (28). Cistenides gouldii (19). Clymenella torquata (25). Hydroides dianthus (30). Cirripedia: Balanus ebumeus (36). Amphipoda: Ampelisca macrocephala (17). Ptilochcirus pinguis (26). Unciola irrorata (22). Decapoda: Crago septemspinosus (28). Pagurus longicarpus (52). Pagurus annulipes (27). Libinia emarginata (39). Cancer irroratus (26). Neopanope texana sayi (31). Pelecypoda: Anomia simplex (52). Pecten gibbus borealis (32). Mytilus edulis (17). Area transversa (50). Nucula proxima (37). Yoldia limatula (44). Crassinella mactracea (21). Cardium pinnulatum (55). Lsevicardium mortoni (26). Venus mercenaria (34). Callocardia morrhuana (56). Tellina tenera (37). Macoma tenta (19). Ensis directus (40). Mulinia lateralis (45). Clidiophora gouldiana (52). Gastropoda: Busycon canaliculatum (32). Tritia trivittata (65). Anachis avara (37). BIOLOGICAL SURVEY OF WOODS HOLE AND VICINITY. 67 Gastropoda — Continued . Astyris lunata (18). Eupleura caudata (40). Urosalpinx cinereus (18). Littorina litorea (28). Crepidula fomicata (55). Gastropoda — Continued . Crepidula plana (46). Polynices duplicata (21). Polynices triseriata (30). Cephalopoda: Loligo pealii (18). The number of species in the foregoing list (55) is slightly greater tihan that in the one immediately preceding it (51). It will be shown later that the average number of species per dredge haul was likewise somewhat greater in Buzzards Bay. This is true despite the fact that in the aggregate about 25 per cent more species were taken in Vineyard Sound than in Buzzards Bay. Of the 55 species contained in the foregoing table, 33 (55 per cent) are common to the list for the Fish Hawk stations in Vineyard Sound, while 22 are to be regarded as more particularly characteristic of Buzzards Bay. On the other hand, 18 of the more prevalent species in the Sound list do not appear in that for the Bay. Of the 22 characteristic Bay-dwelling species, 7 are annelids and 11 are mollusks; the 18 species peculiar to the Vineyard Sound list are more diversified. The Phalarope and Bhie Wing stations represent dredgings in the shoaler waters, and are for the most part much closer to land than those of the Fish Hawk. The more prevalent species from these stations will therefore be presented in separate lists. IV. Species taken at one-fourth (jp) or more of the Phalarope and Blue Wing stations in Vineyard Sound. Poripera: PGrantia ciliata (21). Cliona celata (32). Hydrozoa: Tubularia crocea (27). Actinozoa: Astrangia danse (26). Bryozoa: Crisia ebumea (50). Bugula turrita (42). Schizoporella unicornis (29). Smittia trispinosa nitida (25). Asteroidea: Henricia sanguinolenta (36). Asterias forbesi (24). Echinoidea: Echinarachnius parma (31). Annulata: Harmothoe imbricata (40). Lepidonotus squamatus (37). Nereis pelagica (51). Diopatra cuprea (35). Hydroides dianthus (47). Amphipoda: Amphithoe rubricata (26). Corophium cylindricum (21). Isopoda: Idothea phosphorea (30). Erichsonella-filiformis (25). Decapoda: Crago septemspinosus (27). Pagurus longicarpus (46). Pagurus annulipes (44). Libinia emarginata (29). Cancer irroratus (33). Neopanope texana sayi (23). Pelecypoda: Anomia simplex (41). Anomia aculeata (28). Pecten gibbus borealis (26). Mytilus edulis (42). Area transversa (36). Nucula proxima (25). Crassinella mactracea (32). Cardium pinnulatum (35). Callocardia morrhuana (20). Tellina tenera (31). Ensis directus (;^^). Cumingia tellinoides (23). Spisula solidissima (35). Clidiophora gouldiana (28). Gastropoda: Tritia trivittata (59). Anachis avara (63). Astyris lunata (57). Urosalpinx cinereus (36). Littorina litorea (19). 68 BULLETIN OF THE BUREAU OF FISHERIES- Gastropoda — Continued. Lacuna puteola (39). Crepidula fomicata (55). Crepidula plana (50). Polynices heros (27). Polynices triseriata (35). Tunicata: Amaroucium pellucidum (25). Amaroucium pellucidum constellatum (23). Didemnum lutarium (24). Pisces : Myoxocephalus aeneus (22). The number of species here comprised is very close to those in the two lists immedi- ately preceding it. Of the 54 species here present, 38 (70 per cent) were contained in the list for the Fish Hawk stations of Vineyard Sound, 16 being wanting from the latter. Conversely, the Fish Hawk list contained 13 species which do not appear in that for the Phalarope. It does not follow, by any means, that a species which is limited to one or the other of these lists is actually restricted as to depth or proximity to shore. Indeed, most of them appear with considerable frequency in the dredgings of both vessels. Of the 16 species which are confined to the Phalarope list, only 3 show a marked restriction to the vicinity of the shore line. These are Amphithoe rubricata, Lacuna puteola, and Littorina litorea. The last named, as is well known, is strictly littoral (i. e., intertidal) in its habitat. The dredging records refer exclusively to shells, most or all of which were doubtless transported from the shore by hermit crabs. On the other hand, of the 13 species restricted to the Fish Hawk list, only 6 give any evidence of a preference for deeper waters than those dredged by the Phalarope and Blue Wing. These are Euden- drium ramosum, Cellepora americana, Asterias vulgaris, Modiolus modiolus, Venericardia borealis, and Asiarte castanea. In the case of the last two species named, the avoidance of the inshore waters is quite obvious. Of the others this can not be stated as confidently. V. Species taken at one-fourth {23) or more of the Phalarope stations in Buzzards Bay. Porifera: Cliona celata (31). Hydrozoa: Hydractinia echinata (33). Actinozoa: Astrangia danse {^t,). Bryozoa: Crisia ebumea (30). Bugula turrita (45). Schizoporella unicornis (25). Smittia trispinosa nitida (29). Asteroidea: Asterias forbesi (39). Echinoidea: Arbacia punctulata (29). Annulata: Harmothoe imbricata (40). Lepidonotus squamatus (28). Diopatra cuprea (53). Pista palmata (25). Clymenella torquata (24). Hydroides dianthus (66). Cirripedia: Balanus ebumeus (27). Decapoda: Crago septemspinosus (41). Pagurus longicarpus (59). Pagurus annulipes (48). Libinia emarginata (25). Neopanope texana sayi (37). PelEcypoda: Anomia simplex (68). Pecten gibbus borealis (61). Area transversa (62). Nucula proxima (61). Yoldia limatula (26). Crassinella mactacea (39). Cardium pinnulatum (62). Laevicardium mortoni (60). Venus mercenaria (41). Callocardia morrhuana (54). Tellina tenera (48). Ensis directus (68). Cumingia tellinoides (38). Spisula solidissima (28). Mulinia lateralis (30). Lyonsia hyalina (31) Clidiophora gouldiana (59). Corbula contracta (36). BIOLOGICAL SURVEY OF WOODS HOLE AND VICINITY. 69 Amphineura: Chaetopleura apiculata (23). Gastropoda: Busycon canaliculatutn (24). Tritia trivittata (85). Anachis avara (64). Astyris lunata (54). Eupleura caudata (37). Urosalpinx cinereus (39). Gastropoda— Continued. Bittium alternatum (37). Littorina litorea (54). Crepidula fomicata (72). Crepidula convexa (32). Crepidula plana (58). Polynices duplicata (36). Polynices triseriata (30). Tunicata: Didemnum lutarium (27). The total number of species in the foregoing list (54) is exactly the same as that contained in the one immediately preceding it. In fact there has been a rather striking uniformity in the numbers comprised in these lists, ranging as they do from 46 to 55. Of the 54 species in the foregoing table, 41 (76 per cent) are common to this and to the list of Fish Hawk species in Buzzards Bay. On the other hand, a number not much inferior to this (37 = 69 per cent®) are common to the present list and to that given for the Phalarope stations of Vineyard Sound, among the latter being some which are not recorded in the other Buzzards Bay list. A few others in this list are only found elsewhere in the Fish Hawk list for Vineyard Sound. While, therefore, the Phalarope list for Buzzards Bay resembles the Fish Hawk list for Buzzards Bay more closely than any of the others, it must be pointed out that it contains a considerable number of species which are prevalent throughout the Sound, but which in the Bay are to be found only at the inshore dredging stations. This fact, which is not very strikingly illustrated by these figures, will appear much more clearly when the charts portraying the distribution patterns of certain species are scrutinized. Tables have likewise been prepared listing the "prevalent" species for each type of bottom. The same criterion has here been employed of admitting only those species which have been encountered at one-fourth or more of the number of stations belonging to the group in question. After considerable thought the following classification of bottoms has been adopted for present purposes, not as being an ideal one, but as being the most simple one possible consistent with a fair regard for accuracy. The only strictly exact classification would recognize as many types of bottom as there are combinations of ingredients listed; but such a classification would be altogether too cumbersome for the purposes of our statis- tical treatment. We realize that the grouping here employed must result in a quite inadequate characterization of the habitat of many species. A specimen may ostensibly have come from a muddy or a sandy bottom, when, in reality, it was growing attached to a shell or other solid object. We have, nevertheless, included as muddy and sandy those bottoms in which shells were likewise recorded. This has been done for the reason that shells or fragments of these were scarcely ever wholly lacking from the contents of the dredge. Again, certain living mollusks which move freely over the bottom afford support for attached organisms just as well as do dead shells. Surely the presence of such should not suffice to constitute a "shelly" bottom. The same may be said regard- ing shells occupied by hermit crabs, which abound throughout the entire region, giving support to hydroids, Bryozoa, barnacles, Crepidulae of several species, and other organisms. o Only s^i per cent of the Fish Hawk list for Buzzards Bay were common to the Fish Hawk list for \Mneyard Sound. 70 BULLETIN OF THE BUREAU OF FISHERIES. We have accordingly adopted the following classification of bottoms in the ensu- ing discussion of habitats: A. "Sand," including bottoms recorded as pure sand, or sand and shells. Bot- toms containing stones, gravel, or mud are excluded. B. "Gravel and stones," including records which list either of these ingredients singly or in combination with one another or with sand. No bottoms containing mud are here included. C. "Mud," including bottoms recorded as of mud, muddy sand, or sandy mud. Bottoms are here included in which shells are listed, but not those containing gravel or stones. Certain combinations (e. g., gravel and mud) are excluded from this classification, and records from such stations are not included in the present list. Such cases are, however, relatively very few. VI. Species taken at one-fourth (43) or more of the stations dredged on sandy bottoms. Porifera: Cliona celata (49). Hydrozoa: Hydractinia echinata (46). Bryozoa: Crisiaebumea (74). Bugula turrita (107). Schizoporella unicornis (63). Smittia trispinosa nitida (44). Asteroidea: Asterias fbrbesi (71). Asterias vulgaris (56). EcmNOiDEA: Arbacia punctulata (48) . Echinarachnius parma (loi). Annulata: Harmothoe imbricata (72). Lepidonotus squamatus (54). Nereis pelagica (72). Diopatra cuprea (72). Hydroides dianthus (61). CirripEdia: Balanus eburneus (51). Decapoda: Crago septemspinosus (80). Pagurus longicarpus (loi). Pagurus annulipes (59). Libinia emarginata (62). Decapoda — Continued. Cancer irroratus (92). Ovalipes ocellatus (43). PELEcypoda: Anomia simplex (97). Pecten gibbus borealis (52). Mytilus edulis (113). Area transversa (105). Nucula proxima (62). Venericardia borealis (49). Astarte undata (44). Astarte castanea (59). Crassinella mactracea (72). Cardium pinnulatum (83). Callocardia morrhuana (78). Tellina tenera (96). Ensis directus (84). Spisula solidissima (109). Clidiophora gouldiana (88). Corbula contracta (46). Gastropoda: Tritia trivittata (142). Anachis avara (95). Astyris lunata (94). Urosalpinx cinereus (46). Crepidula fornicata (124). Crepidula plana (iii). Polynices heros (80). Polynices triseriata (51). Of the foregoing 46 species all but 2 appear in one or both of the lists for Vine- yard Sound. On the other hand, 8 of the species do not appear in either list for Buzzards Bay, and 14 do not appear in the Fish Hawk list for Buzzards Bay. These facts follow directly, of course, from the well-known differences of these two bodies of water in respect to the character of their bottoms. BIOLOGICAIv SURVEY OF WOODS HOLE AND VICINITY. 71 VII. species taken at one-fourth {42) or more of the stations for which bottoms of gravel or stones were recorded. Porikera: Cliona celata (91). Hydrozoa: Eudendrium ramosum (43). Hydractinia echinata (43). Tubularia crocea (44). Thuiaria argentea (47). Actinozoa: Astrangia danse (98). 1 Bryozoa: Crisia ebumea (97). i^tea anguina (50). Bugula turrita (99). Schizoporella unicornis (96). Smittia trispinosa nitida (90). Asteroidea: Henricia sanguinolenta (82). Asterias forbesi (83). Echinoidea: Arbacia punctulata (80). Annulata: Harmothoe imbricata (80). Lepidonotus squamatus (87). Nereis pelagica (93). Diopatra cuprea (70). Psetidopotamilla oculifera (42). Hydroides dianthus (118). Cirripedia: Balanus ebumeus (63). Amphipoda: Unciola irrorata (46). Decapoda: Pagurus pollicaris (47). Pagurus longicarpus (106). Decapoda — Continued. Pagurus annulipes (93). Libinia emarginata (69). Cancer irroratus (71). Neopanope texana sayi (64). Pelecypoda: Anomia simplex (83). Pecten gibbus borealis (51). Mytilus edulis (74). Modiolus modiolus (69). Area transversa (81). Nucula proxima (69). Crassinella mactracea (78). Cardium pinnulatum (55). Ensis directus (86). Cumingia tellinoides (59). Spisula solidissima (84). Clidiophora gouldiana (66). Corbula contracta (55). AmphinEura: Chaetopleura apiculata (55). Gastropoda: Tritia trivittata (117). Anachis avara (127). Astyris lunata (103). Urosalpinx cinereus (79). Littorina litorea (42). Crepidula fomicata (113). Crepidula plana (103). Polynices heros (59). Polynices triseriata (48). Tunicata: Amaroucium pellucidum (49). Amaroucium pellucidum constellatum (61). Didemnum lutarium (70). Of the 54 species in the foregoing list, only 4 are lacking from one or both lists for Vineyard Sound, while 1 1 are not to be found in either list for Buzzards Bay. Thirty- seven of the species (69 per cent) are common to the list for sandy bottoms. VIII. Species take^i at one-fourth {28) or more of the stations dredged on muddy bottoms. Porifera: Cliona celata (31). Actinozoa: Astrangia danae (28). Bryozoa: Crisia ebumea (30). Bugula turrita (49). Schizoporella unicornis (35). Smittia trispinosa nitida (29). Asteroidea: Asterias forbesi (48). Annulata: Harmothoe imbricata (35). Nephthys incisa (43). Diopatra cuprea (54). Ninoe nigripes (35). Cistenides gouldii (32). Clymcnella torquata (36). Hydroides dianthus (55). 72 BULLETIN OF THE BUREAU OF FISHERIES. CiRRiPEmA: Balanus ebumeus (46). Amphipoda: Ptilocheirus pinguis (41). Unciola irrorata (32). Decapoda: Crago septemspinosus (50). Pagurus longicarpus (83). Pagurus annulipes (44). Libinia emarginata (57). Cancer irroratus (43). Neopanope texana sayi (43). PelEcypoda: Anomia simplex (74). Pecten gibbus borealis (57). Area transversa (78). Nucula proxima (74). Yoldia limatula (66). Crassinella raactracea (29). Cardium pinnulatum (79). Laevicardium mortoni (45). Pelec YPODA — Continued . Venus mercenaria (52). Callocardia morrhuana (80). Tellina tenera (63). Macoma tenta (30). Ensis directus (64). Spisula solidissima (29). Mulinia lateralis (60). Clidiophora gouldiana (80). Gastropoda: Busycon canaliculatum (43). Tritia trivittata (108). Anachis avara (67). Astyris lunata (48). Eupleura caudata (48). Urosalpinx cinereus (29). Littorina litorea, shells only (48). Crepidula fornicata (84). Crepidula plana (74). Polynices duplicata (35). Polynices triseriata (41). Of the 50 species comprised in the above Hst only two '^ are absent from that repre- senting the prevailing species dredged by the Fish Hawk in Buzzards Bay; while only 7 species in the latter list are lacking from that for the muddy bottoms. The two groups of species are thus not far from identical. On the other hand, 13 of those in the list for muddy bottoms do not appear in either table for Vineyard Sound. Thirty-three of the species (66 per cent) are common to the list for sandy bottoms, while 34 species (68 per cent) are common to that for bottoms of gravel and stones. Comparing the lists for the three types of bottom, we find 13 species which appear only in that for bottoms of stones and gravel, an equal number which appear only in the list for muddy bottoms, while 6 are peculiar to the list for sandy bottoms. Of the 13 prevalent mud-dwelling forms, all but i are annelids or mollusks. Of the 13 species peculiar to the list for gravelly and stony bottoms, 3 are hydroids and 3 are ascidians, the remainder being distributed through various phyla. The number of forms \j'hich are restricted to our list of prevalent species for bottoms of pure sand (free from mud on the one hand, and from stones and gravel on the other) is a very short one. This is due to the fact that the great majority of sand-dwelling species are not deterred by the pres- ence of a certain proportion of stones and gravel, while many of them are equally at home in sand which is somewhat muddy. In our classification, however, such bottoms have been included under "gravel and stones" and "mud," respectively. At least two of the species listed are, nevertheless, pretty definitely restricted to bottoms of pure sand. These are the "lady crab" (Ovalipes ocellatus) and the "sand dollar" {Echina- rachnius parnia). In any consideration of such tables as the foregoing, it must be borne in mind that the fact of a species being restricted to one or another of the tables does not imply that it is absent from the other types of bottom, or subdivisions of the region. Indeed, it " These two are contained in the Phalarope Buzzards Bay list. BIOLOGIC Aly SURVEY OF WOODS HOLE AND VICINITY. 73 sometimes happens that the species is recorded from an absolutely greater number of stations of another group than that for which it is here listed. Again, the caution must be repeated (cf. p. 31 , 33) that in the field a specimen was frequently recorded from a cer- tain type of bottom when it seems probable that the dredge, at the moment of taking it, was passing over a quite different type of bottom. In many parts of our local sea floor several distinct varieties of bottom may be encountered within a quite limited area. Nevertheless, we believe that real and important facts of ecology are revealed by such tabulations as the foregoing, even though these may not in themselves present a complete picture. For concrete illustrations of the assemblage of organisms which may actually occur together on a given bottom, or at least within the area traversed during a single dredge haul, the reader is referred to the tables on pages 58 to 62. Thus far the lists of "prevailing" species for one or another group of stations have had no reference to the temperature factor. It has been thought desirable, however, to present a list of those species which have been taken at one-fourth or more of the stations within the cold-water area of the region, i. e., the area throughout which the water tem- perature in summer has been found to be considerably lower than elsewhere. For this purpose the Fish Hawk stations (and these only) were chosen, lying, in Vineyard Sound, beyond (southwest of) a line drawn from Robinsons Hole to Kopeecon Point, and in Buzzards Bay below a line drawn from Barneys Joy Point to Penikese Island. One hundred and one stations were included in this area. IX. Species taken at one-fourth (25) or more of the stations in the colder waters adjacent to the open ocean. Hydrozoa : Hydractinia echinata (34). Obelia gcniculaia (27). Haleciutn halecinum (27). Bryozoa: Crisia ebumea (43). iEtea anguina (25^. Bugula turrita (70). Schizoporella unicornis (46). Cellepora americana (30). Asteroidea: Asterias forbesi (51). Asterias vulgaris (58). Echinoidea: Arbacia punctulata (25). Echinarachnius parma (70). Annul ATA : Harmothoe imbricata (39). Nereis pelagica (35). Diopatra cuprea (43). Cirripedia: Balanus ebvuTieus (37). Amphipoda: Unciola irrorata (27). jEginella longicornis (35). Isopoda: Idothea phosphorea (26). Decapoda: Crago septemspinosus (49). Pagurus acadianus (39). Pagurus longi carpus (59). Libinia emarginata (37). Cancer irroratus (75). Ovalipes oceUatus (41). Pelecypoda: Anomia simplex (54). Pecten magellanicus (26). Mytilus edulis (82). Modiolus modiolus (25). Area transversa (60). Nucula proxima (30). Venericardia borealis (63). .4^/0?-/^ undata (51). Astarte castanea (44). Crassinella mactracea (41). Cardium pinnulatum (55). Callocardia morrhuana (63). Tellina tenera (55). Ensis directus (30). Spisula solidissima (72). 74 BULLETIN OF THE BUREAU OF FISHERIES. PelEc YPOD A — Continued . Clidiophora gouldiana (58). Corbula contracta {;^^). Gastropoda: Tritia trivittata (88). Anachis avara (40). Astyris lunata (48). Crepidula fomicata (65). Crepidula plana (62). Gastropoda — Continued . Polynices heros (60). Polynices triseriata (35). Cephalopoda: Loligo pealii (37). Pisces : Raja erinacea (31). Lophopsetta maculaia (31). In the foregoing table it will be noted that only nine species (those italicized) have not already appeared in one or more of the lists for Vineyard Sound or Buzzards Bay. And not all these nine are species whose distribution has been determined by temperature ; for example, Ovalipes, Raja, and Lophopsetta (see below). Such a list is thus ill adapted to displaying the peculiarities of the fauna occupying the colder waters of the region. But an examination of the distribution charts reveals the presence of a considerable number of species which are chiefly or wholly restricted to the colder waters under con- sideration. A list of these has been given below, along with the recorded range of each upon the North American coast. It will be seen that in 15 out of 20 cases the range of these species is predominantly northward,*^ some of them, indeed, being near their southern limit of distribution. The presence of three of the others {Ovalipes ocellatus, Molgula arenata, and Lophopsetta tnaculata) is sufficiently explained by the nature of the bottom at the western end of the Sound, since these are characteristic sand-dwelling species.^ X. Species restricted to, or at least occurring predominantly in, the colder waters of Vineyard Sound and Buzzards Bay. (Ivimited to species occurring at 10 or more stations.) Ccelenterata : Eudendrium dispar. — Vineyard Sound to Bay of Fundy. (N.) Alcyonium cameum. — Rhode Island to Gulf of St. Lawrence. (N.) EcmNODERM ATA : Asterias vtUgaris. — Labrador to Cape Hatteras, but not littoral south of Woods Hole. (N.) Strongylocentrotus droebachiensis.— Circumpolar, south to New Jersey. (N.) Crustacea: Calliopius Iseviusculus. — Narragansett Bay to Greenland. (N.) Pontogenia inermis. — Vineyard Sound to Arctic Ocean. (N.) Pagurus acadianus. — Grand Bank to mouth of Chesapeake Bay. (N.) Ovalipes ocellatus. — Cape Cod to Gulf of Mexico. (S.) Moll use a: Pecten magellanicus. — Labrador to Cape Hatteras. (N.) Modiolaria nigra. — Arctic seas to Cape Hatteras. (N.) Crenella glandula. — Arctic seas to Cape Hatteras. (N.) Venericardia borealis. — Arctic seas to off Cape Hatteras. (N.) Astarte undata. — Gulf of St. Lawrence to Cape Hatteras. (N. and S.) Cyclas islandica. — Arctic Ocean to Cape Hatteras [in deep water]. (N.) Thracia conradi. — Labrador to Cape Hatteras. (N.) Buccinum undatum. — Arctic seas to Charleston Harbor. (N.) Crucibulum striatum. — Nova Scotia to Florida Keys. (S.) a See p. 184 for standard employed in grouping species as "northward ranging" or "southward ranging." b Ovalipes and Lophopsetta, indeed, are known to occur on sand flats at various points throughout the region, irrespective of temperature. BIOLOGICAL SURVEY OP WOODS HOLE AND VICINITY. 75 Tunicata: Molgula arenata. — New Haven to Nantucket. (?) Eugyra glutinans . ( N . ) Pisces : Lophopsetta maculata. — Casco Bay to South Carolina. (S.) Passing reference should likewise be made to certain species which were taken at less than lo stations, and which, therefore, are not included among those charted. Some of these species are Polymastia robusta (a sponge), Tealia crassicornis (an anemone), Ophiopholis actdeata (an ophiuroid), Thyone unisemita (a holothurian) , Pandalus lep- tocerus (a shrimp), and Hyas coarctatus (a crab). Each of these has been recorded more than once at the open ends of the Bay and the Sound, but never, so far as we know, in the more inclosed waters. For the sake of comparison with the foregoing, a list is presented herewith com- prising those species which were taken at two or more of the seven regular Survey stations at Crab Ledge, off Chatham. Here, as stated above (p. 51), the bottom temperature of the water in summer is considerably lower than at the western end of Vineyard Sound, and many degrees lower than in the greater part of the area dredged by us. XI. — Species dredged at 2 or more of the 7 Survey stations at Crab Ledge. FORAMINIFERA : Discorbina rosacea (3). PORIFERA : Polymastia robusta (5). Halichondria panicea (5). Desmacidon palmata (6). Hydrozoa : Eudendrium ramosum (2). Hydractinia echinata (7). Tubularia tenella (3). Tubularia crocea (6). Sertularella tricuspidata (3). Actinozoa: Metridium dianthus (5). Alcyonium cameum (3). Bryozoa: (Not listed for these stations individually.) Asteroidea: Henricia sanguinolenta (5). Asterias austera (6). Asterias vulgaris (7). Ophiuroidea: Ophiopholis aculeata (6). Echinoidea: Strongylocentrotug^ droebachiensis (7) . Annulata: Harmothoe imbricata (3). Nereis pelagica (5). Nothria conchylegia (2). Thelcpus cincinnatus (6). Pseudopotamilla oculifera (4). Chaetinopoma greenlandica (2). Filograna implexa (5). Amphipoda : Ericthonius rubricomis (2). Decapoda: Pagurus acadianus (6). Pagurus kroyeri (4). Hyas coarctatus (5). Cancer irroratus (3). PelEC\toda: Anomia simplex (2). Anomia aculeata (4). Pecten magellanicus (4). Mytilus edulis (2). Modiolus modiolus (6). Modiolaria laevigata (5). Venericardia borealis (3). Astarte undata (3). Cyclas islandica (2). Spisula solidissima (4). Thracia septentrionalis (a). Saxicava arctica (4). Cyrtodaria siliqua (3). Gastropoda: Coryphella salmonacea (3). Buccinum undatum (6). Chrysodomus decemcostatus (2). Tritonofusus stimpsoni (3). Boreoscala greenlandica (5). Polynices triseriata (2). Velutina zonata (2). Tunicata: Halocynthia echinata (2). Amaroucium stellatum (3). Didemnum lutarium (6). 76 BULLETIN OP THE BUREAU OF FISHERIES. Among the foregoing species, the following have been already mentioned as restricted, in Vineyard Sound and Buzzards Bay, chiefly or wholly to the colder waters adjoining the open ocean: Polymastia robusta, Alcyonium carneuni, Asterias vulgaris, Ophiopholis acideata, Strongylocentrotus droebachiensis , Pagurus acadianus, Hyas coarc- tatus, Pecten magellanicus , Venericardia borealis, Astarte undata, Cyclas islandica, Buc- cinum undatum. In reality the number of those species which are common to Crab Ledge and the colder parts of Vineyard Sound and Buzzards Bay, but which are not encountered elsewhere in local waters, is considerably greater than this brief list would imply. A contrary condition is found in the case of certain species which are of general distribution throughout Vineyard Sound, and in many cases throughout Buzzards Bay as well, but which are nearly or quite absent from just those waters to which the fore- going species seem best adapted. The following is a partial list of such, based upon an examination of the distribution charts. XII. Species which appear to be scarce or lacking in the colder waters of Vineyard Sound and Buzzards Bay. (Limited to species which occur at lo or more stations of the Survey.) Coelenterata: Astrangia danse. — Florida to Cape Cod. (S.) Thuiaria argentea. — North Polar regions to Maryland. (N.) ECHINODERM ATA : Arbacia punctulata. — Nantucket Shoals to Yucatan. (S.) ANNULAtA: Lumbrineris hebes. — Casco Bay to New Jersey. (N. and S.) Hydroides dianthus. — Massachusetts Bay to Charleston, South Carolina. (S.) Crustacea: Batea secunda.' — Local. (?) Pagurus annulipes. — Nantucket Sound to Florida. (S.) Pelia mutica. — Vineyard Sound to Florida. (S.) Neopanope texana sayi. — Cape Cod to Florida. (S.) Pycnogonida: Anoplodactylus lentus. — Long Island Sound, Vineyard Sound, Eastport, i record. (?) Tanystylum orbiculare. — Marthas Vineyard to Virginia. (S.) Mollusc a: Vermicularia spirata. — New England to West Indies. (S). Chaetopleura apiculata. — Cape Cod to West Indies. (S). Tunicata: Perophora viridis. — Woods Hole to Beaufort, N. C, and Bermuda. (S.) Styela partita. — Massachusetts Bay to North Carolina. (S.) Amaroucium stellatum. — Cape Cod to North Carolina.? (S.) Amaroucium pellucidum. — Vineyard Sound to North Carolina. (,S.) It will be noted that only one of these species has a predominantly northern range upon our coast. It is also to be pointed out that, with a single exception {Amaroucium stellatum), none of these species have been recorded by us from Crab Ledge. '^ We do not wish to lay undue emphasis upon such correspondences, however. It is likely that some of these species actually occur at Crab Ledge, in spite of our failure to find them. It is likewise probable for some of them, at least, that their distribution in o I. e., not once. We do not here refer to the above table of species taken two or more times. BIOLOGICAL SURVEY OF WOODS HOLE AND VICINITY. 77 Vineyard Sound is not determined by temperature, but by the character of the bottom. Nevertheless, after making these allowances, the significance of the facts discussed upon the last few pages can scarcely be doubted. 4. THE AVERAGE YIELD OF THE DREiXIE HAULS. Another method of portraying synoptically the general facies of our local fauna, as revealed by the dredge, is to present the average composition of the dredge hauls. This we have computed for the Survey as a whole, and for the separate groups of stations which have been distinguished above; for the animal kingdom as a whole, and for its main subdivisions. In the following tables certain groups which were represented very sparingly in our dredgings, or which were not looked for systematically, and certain others which do not properly belong to the benthos have been omitted. I. Average nutnher of genera and species of animals taken per dredge haul. Genera. Species. Survey as a whole (458 stations) 34. 3 37. o Fish Hawk, Vineyard Sound (218 stations) 33. 7 36. 5 Fish Hawk, Buzzards Bay (66 stations) 36. 3 38. 7 Fish Hawk, Crab Ledge (7 stations) 37. o 39. 7 Phalarope and Blue Wing, Vineyard Sound (77 stations) 32. i 35. 2 Phalarope, Buzzards Bay (90 stations) 36. o 38. 5 While there is a rather surprising uniformity amongst these figures, it will be noted that the average number of species is slightly greater for the Fish Hawk than for the Phalarope stations; likewise that it is greater for Buzzards Bay than for Vineyard Sound, and greatest of all for Crab Ledge. It is of interest, likewise, that the average number of genera per dredge haul is nearly equal to that of the species. This point will be discussed later. II. Average number of genera and species for the 458 regidar stations of the Survey, showing representation of each group of animals. Group. Porif era Hydrozoa Actinozoa Nemertinea . . . Bryozoa Asteroidea . . . . Ophiuroidea . . Echinoidea. . . Holothuroidea Annulata Sipunculida.. . Genera. Species. .- 7 I 4 I 4 i 4 4 04 °5 2 8 2 9 8 I 3 8 03 03 4 3 4 3 OS OS Group. Cirripedia. . . Decapoda . . . Amphipoda. Isopoda PycnoKonida Pelccypoda . , Amphineura Gastropoda . Cephalopoda Tunicata. . . . Pisces Species. In the foregoing table, it is nearly certain that the figures for. certain groups, especially, perhaps, for the Porifera, do not fairly represent the number of these forms. For this reason, indeed, the Foraminifera have been omitted altogether. As stated in another section (p. 91), the Foraminifera were looked for systematically during one season only, while the Porifera at no time received adequate attention. 78 BULLETIN OF THE BUREAU OF FISHERIES. III. Average number of species per dredge haul for the two vessels and the two bodies of water considered separately. Group. Fish Ha-wk stations. Vineyard Sound (218). Buzzards Bay (66). Crab Ledge (7). Phalarope and Blue Wing stations. Vineyard Sound (77). Buzzards Bay (90). Porifera Hydrozoa Actinozoa. . . . Nemertinea. . . Bryozoa Asteroidea Ophiuroidea . . Echinoidea. . . Holothuoridea Annulata Sipunculida. . Cirripedia Amphipoda... Isofwda Decapoda Pycnogonida. Pelecypoda . . . Amphineura. . Gastropoda . . . Cephalopoda. . Tunicata Pisces .6 0. . •S .01 •4 2- . 2 . I . 2 . 01 •5 6 01 •4 .8 I •3 .8 3 . 2 . 2 II. • 2 ■4 7- •3 ■3 •5 1. 2-3 3-9 I. I (a) 3-3 •4 0.7 .8 .6 .07 ■4 .01 <• The Crab Ledge Bryozoa have not been listed by stations. In a similar way we have represented the wealth in species of each of the types of bottom which have been distinguished (see p. 70). IV. Average number of genera and species per dredge haul for the three types of bottom. Genera. Species. Sand (170) 33. 6 36. 5 Gravel and stones (167) 35. 3 38. o Mud (112) 34. 8 37. 2 While there is here, likewise, a rather surprising uniformity among the figures, it is to be noted that the number of species is greatest for the stony bottoms and least for the sandy ones. BIOLOGICAL SURVEY OF WOODS HOLE AND VICINITY. 79 \^. Average number of species per dredge haul, showing the representation of the various groups of animals on each type of bottom. Group. Sand. Gravel and stones. o-S 1. I- 5 1.8 •3 •7 . 02 .01 2.8 3-7 •9 1-3 .08 . I I. .8 . 02 . 01 3-4 4- 7 •OS •03 •3 •4 1.6 1.6 •5 •4 3-5 3-S •05 . 2 9.8 7-7 . I •3 6-5 6.7 •9 1.9 1.4 •7 Mud. Porifera °- 5 10 0.5 Hydrozoa i- 5 i- 8 .8 Actinozoa -3 -7 -3 Nemertinea Bryozoa Asteroidea Ophiuroidea Echinoidea Holothuroidea Annulata Sipunculida Cirripedia -3 -4 -4 Amphipoda i- 6 i. 6 i. 6 Isopoda Decapoda 3-5 3-5 3-6 Pycnogonida -05 • 2 -03 Pelecj'poda Amphineura Gastropoda Tunicata Pisces To what degree such figures as the foregoing, giving the average number of species per dredge haul, represent the actual wealth in species of the various subdivisions of our local sea bottom can not be stated with certainty. Whether, for example, the greater number of species per dredge haul found in Buzzards Bay denotes an actually greater number of species per unit area of sea floor, is not self-evident. It is plain that the dredge must cut more deeply into a bottom of soft mud than into one of hard sand or gravel, and that therefore a larger proportion of burrowing organisms will be obtained in the former. It seems quite possible, therefore, that the excess in favor of Buzzards Bay has been exaggerated, or that it does not exist at all. Now, an inspection of table vi, showing the total number of species taken at each of the five groups of stations, reveals the fact that the number of species taken by the Fish Hawk in Vineyard Sound is about 25 per cent greater than that taken in Buzzards Bay. But it must likewise be borne in mind that the number of Fish Hawk stations in Vineyard Sound was over three times as great as that in Buzzards Bay, thus rendering probable the capture of a larger number of the less common species. In fact, it will be noticed that the figures expressing the total number of species for each of these groups of stations may be arranged in the same order as those expressing the number of stations in each group." We nevertheless think it likely, in view of all our data, that the actual number of species inhabiting Vineyard Sound is greater than that inhabiting Buzzards Bay. This is probably due to the fact that the bottom of the fonner » That the number of species in each case is in no sense proportional to the number of stations is, however, ciuitc plain. 8o BULLETIN OP THE BUREAU OF FISHERIES. presents a greater diversity of conditions than that of the latter, rendering it a fit habi- tation for a greater variety of Ufe. Such a view is in no way inconsistent with the supposition that the number of species per unit area is as great, or even greater, in Buzzards Bay. This matter will be referred to later. VI. Number op Species Taken One or More Times During the Dredging .« Group. Foraminifera . . Porifera Hydrozoa Actinozoa Nemertinea. . . . Bryozoa Asteroidea Ophiuroidea. . . Echinoidea . . . . Holothuroidea . Annulata Sipunculida. . . Ostracoda Cirripedia Amphipoda. . . Isopoda Cumacea Schizopoda . . . . Decapoda Pycnogonida . . Xiphosura Pelecypoda . . . . Amphineura. . . Gastropoda. . . . Cephalopoda . . Tunicata Pisces Vineyard Sound. Fish Hawk. Total . 25 6 I i(+?) Phala- rope. i(+?) J3 3 36 Total. i(+?) 384 Buzzards Bay. Fish Hawk. 38 Phala- rope. i( + ?) IS Total. i(+?) 17 Crab ledge. (") "This table relates to the "regular" stations only, mined ones in these computations. 6 Bryozoa not included. Species of uncertain identity have been included along with the deter- 5. EXPLANATION OF THE FAUNAL CATALOGUE. Part III of the present work consists of a catalogue or annotated list of the fauna of the Woods Hole region. The extent of territory comprised within the limits of the "Woods Hole Region," as here conceived, has already been indicated in chapter i, of the present volume, where we have likewise discussed the sources of information upon which the present catalogue is based. It is true that an insignificant proportion, numerically considered, of those who fre- quent the laboratories at Woods Hole at the present time are interested primarily in systematic zoology or botany. But every working biologist, whatever his specialty, BIOI.OGICAL SURVEY OF WOODS HOLE AND VICINITY. 8 1 deals with one or more species of animals or plants, which constitute, or at least fur- nish him with, the raw materials for his research. Thus, it is of advantage to all that a carefully prepared list of these organisms should be published, if regarded merely as a catalogue of available material. And it will, we trust, be of additional advantage to have at hand a single reference work which shall embody the nomenclature most recently adopted for these species by some of our most competent systematic experts. Confu- sion will, we think, be minimized by the existence of some standard, even though this standard may be a fallible one. In the present catalogue we are offering, however, far more than a mere list of species. We have gathered together all available data regarding distribution within local waters, seasonal occurrence, reproduction, etc., and have added various ecological notes, where these have seemed appropriate. It is our hope that these data may be of service to those who are in search of material for embryological or other studies. And we further hope that the decidedly meager notes which we offer may constitute a nucleus for future growth in this direction. It must be emphasized that we do not in any sense guarantee the trustworthiness of all the records herein contained. A large proportion of them have been included wholly upon the authority of others, whose names are mentioned in the text. Many species are included, indeed, which have never been seen either by the present writers or by the specialists who have collaborated with us. While such citations are, in most cases, based upon the statements of recognized authorities, it is more than possible that in some cases they rest upon errors of observation or of identification. But it would have been a very difficult task to cull out such mistakes, and we have therefore included all records based upon the statements of persons believed to be trustworthy, unless we happen to have definite evidence that these statements were erroneous. The mere failure of subsequent observers to find a species which had been included in one of the earlier lists is not to be regarded as decisive evidence of an error, in view of the known instances of change in the population of our local waters. Due credit has been given in a large proportion of cases to the authority for each statement made, the name of this person being inserted at the close of the citation. The person cited is responsible only for so much of the statement as immediately precedes his name. Independent citations are in nearly all cases separated by periods. In many instances the statement cited has never been published by the individual referred to, but has been communicated to one of the present authors orallv or recorded in manuscript. Where no authority has been indicated for a given state- ment we mean either (i) that the present authors are themselves responsible for the observation, or (2) that the fact stated is a matttr of common knowledge to a large number of obser\'ers, or (3), in certain self-evident cases, that the bibliographic reference indicates the authority for the statement. With most groups of animals, as already stated, a certain proportion of the specimens collected were referred to specialists for identification. Since the value of a record depends, in great measure, upon the trustworthiness of the identification, we have indicated in a large number of cases, the authority for the latter. The symbols (="•' and the like) denote that specimens from the localities so designated have been identified by persons mentioned in a foot note at the commencement of the list. In the case of those organisms specimens of which were invariably referred to specialists, symbols 16269° — Bull. 31, pt I — 13 6 82 BULLETIN OF THE BUREAU OF FISHERIES. have been omitted in connection with the records, the general acknowledgments in chapter iv being regarded as sufficient. In other cases, failure to mention the authority for a determination implies that the specimen was identified by one of the present authors. This is true of the great majority of readily recognizable species belonging to various phyla. It must be borne in mind that the number of specimens recorded for a given station represents, in many cases, the number saved and listed, rather than the number actually brought in by the dredge. For many animals, especially minute ones, the former figure may give no adequate idea of the relative abundance of the species in a given dredge haul. The bibliographic references under each species will be found to be very limited in number, and to include, with a few exceptions, only those works which mention the occurrence of this species within the limits of the region here under consideration. One work has been regularly included, however, even in cases where no mention was made of Woods Hole or vicinity by the authors. This is the "Report upon tlie Invertebrate Animals of Vineyard Sound" by Verrill and Smith (1873). Likewise, in the list of mollusks, we have regularly included page references to Binney's edition of Gould's "Report on the Invertebrata of Massachusetts," and for the fishes references to Jordan and Evermann's "Fishes of North and Middle America." It has not been thought worth while to cite the first description of each species nor even to refer to any description or figure. To have included these would doubtless have added considerably to the usefulness of this report, but we need only remind the reader that the search for such few bibliographic citations as are here offered required many months of thoroughly uninspiring labor. In many cases reference to original descriptions and figures may be found in one or another of the works here cited. Bibliographic lists, limited almost wholly to the works referred to in connection with the separate species, have been appended to the zoological and botanical sections of the catalogue. In order to facilitate the finding of a species which has been listed by a name unfa- miliar to the reader, a certain number of synonyms have been included in connection with the bibliographic references. Only those names are included, however, by which the species in question has been designated in the various works relating to our local fauna. The synonyms here listed are all included in the systematic index. This will probably render possible the finding of a desired species in a large proportion of cases. As respects classification and nomenclature, we have found it expedient, and indeed unavoidable, to follow within each group some one authority, this authority being, in most cases, the same person who has been responsible for the identification of our species. Only thus has it been possible to avoid a quite interminable examina- tion of the literature on our part. This precedure has frequently led to our being obliged to substitute quite unfamiliar names for ones long current among American biologists, and to our listing under separate genera species which, to everyone but the taxonomist, are scarcely distinguishable from one another as species. No one could deplore more than we do the necessity for such changes, and this regret is the keener because of the confidence we feel that many of these names are not the ones that will ultimately stand. Several years' experience in the preparation of our faunal catalogue has brought home to us in a forcible way some of the most exasperating of the evils relating to BIOLOGICAL SURVEY OF WOODS HOLE AND VICINITY. 83 zoological nomenclature. Indeed, it is upon the authors of works like this, who make extensive use of taxonomic names, while having very little share in their creation or transmutation, that these evils perhaps fall most heavily. On the other hand, we realize that there are many sides to this perplexing question, and that many of the generic and specific names in current use among Woods Hole biologists are entirely unjustified, as judged by any standard except local usage. Those who revolt because the long-cherished name of a favorite species has been replaced by a totally unfamiliar one, must be reminded that this is not always due to the caprice of some perverse "species monger." Nor are these changes in all cases due to the dis- covery that some long- forgot ten name has "priority." There are several other (legiti- mate) reasons for changing the name of a species, of which mention may be made of two. (i) Careful comparison may reveal the fact that two supposedly distinct species dwelUng in different parts of the world are, in reality, identical. One or the other name must be given up. Thus, we have over and over again been obliged to abandon names given by earlier American zoologists to species found upon the shores of the New World. We need only mention the "Spongia sulphurea" of Desor (^Clioimcelata Grant), the " Hydr actinia polydina" of Agassiz (now believed to be identical with H. echinata Fleming), or the " Ascidia tenella" of Stimpson (=Ciona iniestinalis (Linnaeus)). In such cases, the changes may at first jar upon our nerves, but they must be accepted. (2) More complete knowledge of a species may show that its systematic position has at first been misunderstood. Here, as in the first case, we are not dealing with rules of nomenclature, but with facts. If the facts demand it, the species must be assigned. to another genus. The most severe critics of our systematic brethren would hardly doubt the wisdom of removing the toadfish from the genus Gadus, to which it had been assigned by Linnaeus; nor the expediency of so restricting the genus Nautilus as to exclude the spiral Foraminif era ! Many cases are sure to arise, however, when the mere user of zoological names — and to this class belong the great majority of present day zoologists — may well query whether the more refined grouping of species could not better be carried out within the limits of the genus itself. The latter procedure has the advantage of leaving the generic name (and therefore the full name of the species) unaltered. It is not so much for the changing of their conceptions of relationship that systematic zoologists are criticised so sharply as for their persistent changing of the names which we are all obliged to use and which we must learn anew as often as substitutes are off'ered by accredited authorities. This criticism derives particular force from the fact that there is no general agreement as to how inclusive a division the genus shall be. It is safe to say that at the present time the "genera" of some groups of the animal kingdom are as inclusive as the "families" of certain others, while the "genera" of these latter may correspond more nearly to the "subgenera" of the first. It w^ill be understood without further explanation why we have not adopted the practice, current among certain systematists, of including the subgeneric name, in parenthesis, as an integral part of the name of a species. The subgenus is of interest only to the systematist, who may readily find it by reference to the appropriate sys- tematic treatise. The name of the species is complete without it, and the biologist at large should not be burdened by having to learn trinomials of this sort. 8z| BULLETIN OF THE BUREAU OF FISHEMES. 6. SYNOPSIS OF THE FAUNAL CATALOGUE. A table has been prepared showing the total number of families, genera, and species comprised in our annotated list, grouped according to the larger divisions of the animal kingdom ; likewise the number which have been recorded during our dredging operations and the number of those encountered which had not previously been listed for local waters. In this table species have been entered as doubtful, either because the determi- nation of the species was made with doubt, or because of uncertainty whether the specimens taken really came from within the region here considered." In the "undetermined" column are included species which have been referred to a genus but not to a species, provided only that no determined member of the same genus has also been listed with which the species in question may be identical. Species have been listed as "taken by dredge" which were recorded either from the regular dredging stations of the survey or from any of our supplementary stations, numbered or unnumbered. Species have been listed as "added to fauna of region" when it is believed that their local occurrence was recorded for the first time, either as a result of the survey dredging or of the other collecting operations which were carried on during these same years by members of the laboratory staff or by investigators who have cooperated in the work. In many cases, it is true, these additions to our local fauna have been announced in other publications, but their inclusion here seems none the less justifiable. Synoptic Table of Species Comprised in Annotated List. Groups of orgaaistns. Number of families repre- sented. Number of genera. Number of species (total). Deter- mined. Undeter- mined. Species taken by dredge. Species added to fauna of region. Protozoa Porifera Hydrozoa Scyphozoa Actinozoa Ctenophora Turbellaria b Trematoda Cestoda Nemertinea Nemathelminthes . Chaetognatha Oinophilea Bryozoa Asteroidea Ophiuroidea Echinoidea Holothuroidea Polychaeta Oligochata Hirudinea Sipunculida (?) 8 34 4( + I?) 9( + 2?) 7 19 (?) (?) 9 (?) 75 IS 76(+3?) 5( + i?) io(-f-3?) 7 31 IS 36( + I?) 99 I2(-|-2?) 13-H+8?) s(+i?) i4( + 3?) 8 4o( + i?) S2(+2?) 71 2S(+I?) 33( + S?) I 3 76(-^5?) 6 6 4 8(+I?) i33(+6?) n( + 3?) 28(-f-i?) 4( + 2?) 67( + i?) 6 78(+4?) 28 3(+I?) 6t-t-2?) 44( + l?) 7(+6?) o Certain spedes only recorded from beyond the 20-fathom line, and thus perhaps somewhat extralimital. are also here listed. b The species added by von Graff (1911) have been included in this table. Von Graff's families are likewise included in the computation. BIOLOGICAL SURVEY OF WOODS HOLE AND VICINITY. Synoptic Table of Species Comprised in Annotated List — Continued. 85 Groups of organisms. Phyllopoda Ostracoda Copepoda (free) Copepoda (parasitic) CJrripedia Amphipoda Isopoda Cumacea Stomatopoda Schizopoda Decapoda Xiphosura Pycnogonida Arachnida Insecta Peleci^poda Amphineura Gastropoda Cephalopoda Enteropneusta Tunicata Pisces Reptilia Aves Mammalia Total Number of families repre- sented. i(+i?) I3( + i?) 2( + 2?) l(+I?) s(+i?) (?) 472(+?) Number of genera. 2( + I?) n 22(-l-I?) 32 6 S4( + 5?) 20(+2?) 6 37(+2?) z 5(+l?) I 25 48(+i?) 2 81 4 I 18 iS8(+2?) S 44 Il( + 2?) i,o8s( + 25?) Number of species (total). Deter- mined. 2(-f-I?) 26 2S(+I?) S8(+2?) I5( + 2?) 7l(+3?) 25( + 3?) 8(-|-2?) Sl(+4?) I S( + I?) I 16 7o( + 6.i') 2 i29(+9?) 22(+5?) 247(+5?) S 75 I2( + 3?) Undeter- mined. 1.625(4-82?) Species taken by dredge. 2(+I?) i(+?) 27(+2?) 65(+2?) i4(+6?) 510(-|-22.') Species added to fauna of region. i(+.?) i7(+?) 3( + S?) 6( + i?) i84( + ?) 7. COMPARISON OF THE WOODS HOLE CATALOGUE WITH CERTAIN OTHERS. While it is no part of our present plan to enter into a historical discussion of the progress which has been made in cataloguing the marine fauna and flora of other parts of the world, it has seemed worth while to compare our own annotated list with certain others, both American and European. Accordingly, we have presented in parallel columns the number of species belonging to each group which have been listed for Vineyard Sound and adjacent waters by Verrill and Smith (1873); for eastern Canada by Whiteaves (1901); for the vicinity of Plymouth, England, by the Marine Biological Association (1904); for the Irish Sea by Herdman and his colleagues (1896); and for the Gulf of Trieste by GraefFe (i 880-1 903). The work of A. E. Verrill and S. I. Smith, which appeared in the first report of the United States Commissioner of Fish and Fisheries, was the most ambitious attempt which had yet been made to catalogue the fauna of any section of our coast. While nominally a "Report upon the Invertebrate Fauna of Vineyard Sound and the Adjacent Waters," and based primarily upon the earliest dredging operations of the United States Fish Commission, the scope of this work extended to the whole southern shore of New England, and incidentally to more distant points. The report is divided into two chief 86 BULLETIN OP THE BUREAU OF FISHERIES. sections, the first of which comprises a discussion of the fauna, according to particular habitats and types of bottom (e. g., "rocky shores of the bays and sounds," "muddy bottoms off the open coast," etc.), the second being constituted by the catalogue or annotated list, together with a considerable number of descriptions and figures. The former section contains an extensive mine of ecological facts of interest and value, and despite the somewhat loose and desultory method of treatment the work will remain a classic in American marine ecology. In all, over 650 species were listed by these authors, a considerable number of these being described as new to science. The range of each species, so far as known, was stated, along with its bathymetric distribution and other facts in its natural history. In preparing our own catalogue of the fauna, we have incorporated all the species recorded from the "Report upon the Invertebrate Animals of Vineyard Sound," excepting such as are plainly extralimital, or such as are believed to have been wrongly identified. A detailed comparison of the two lists furnishes some evidence of a certain amount of change in the composition of our fauna during the past 40 years. Examples of such changes will be discussed in their proper place. Since the publication of the report of Verrill and Smith no work has appeared upon American marine ecology of a magnitude at all comparable with it. Annotated lists of species have been published, which have amended and extended the records of that report; but these, for the most part, have been restricted to single divisions of the animal kingdom and have given the bare data of distribution, with but slight comment. Probably the most comprehensive of these recent annotated lists dealing with the marine fauna of any portion of the Atlantic coast of the American continent is Whiteaves's "Catalogue of the Marine Invertebrata of Eastern Canada." This work lists more than a thousand species of invertebrate animals, and is said to consist "of a systematic list of all the species from the eastern Canadian seaboard that have been so far identified or described, with notes on their geographical distribution and bathymetrical range." In order to compare the fauna of these two sections of the American coast, belong- ing to two recognized zoogeographical "regions," we have indicated in our table the number of species belonging to each major group, which are common to the Woods Hole and the Canadian lists. These figures are probably, in some cases, too low, owing to our failure to recognize the same species under two different names. Ever since the days of Edward Forbes the exploration of English waters by means of the dredge has been actively prosecuted, and the fauna of various sections of the coast has been catalogued. In recent years the two principal centers for English faunistic studies have been Plymouth and Liverpool. Commencing with the foundation of the Plymouth laboratory in 1887, the waters of that region have been diligently explored, and from time to time lists have been published comprising the entire known fauna and flora or particular groups of organisms." The last of these inclusive lists was published in 1904 and embraced all previous records, so far as they were believed to be authentic.'' Over 1,200 species of invertebrate animals are catalogued in this report, which includes copious notes upon local distribution, reproduction, and gen- eral ecology. a These may be found in the Journal of the Marine Biological Association, from 1887 to the present time. ft Even thb list has been supplemented to some extent. BIOLOGICAL SURVEY OF WOODS HOLE AND VICINITY. 87 In its scope this Plymouth census covers an area which "roughly speaking, .... may be said to lie within a radius of 15 miles from the laboratory," and "extends from the shore to a depth of 30 to 35 fathoms." The area is thus somewhat smaller than is comprised within the Woods Hole region," as we have defined it, though considerably greater depths have been included. But the scope of the two catalogues is fairly com- parable, save for the exclusion of vertebrates from the Plymouth list, and some instruc- tive comparisons are possible. In the Plymouth region, as in our own, systematic dredging has been carried on throughout considerable areas. Indeed the biological survey conducted by E. J. Allen ^ and his colleagues in adjacent portions of the English Channel appears to be one of the most exhaustive investigations extant of the rela- tions between fauna and bottom deposits. Commencing with 1885, another group of English biologists, under the lead of Prof. W. A. Herdman, have been engaged in a systematic study of the fauna of the Irish Sea.*^ Especial attention has been devoted to Liverpool Bay and to the vicinity of the Isle of Man, but a large part of the bottom of the Irish Sea has been explored, and the fauna and bottom deposits have been analyzed with great thoroughness. The results of this work have been communicated from time to time in the Reports of the Liverpool Marine Biology Committee, in the Transactions of the Liverpool Marine Biological Society, in the Reports of the British Association, as well as in a separate series of volumes entitled "Fauna of Liverpool Bay" (no. i-v). A complete list of the species recorded up to that date was published in the report of the British Association for 1896, and a synopsis of this list has been included in our comparative table. The greater number, at least, of the leading biological stations of the world have devoted more or less attention to the enumeration of the organisms found in their immediate vicinity. This is preeminently true of the Naples station, the pioneer among marine laboratories. One need allude only to the splendid monographs com- prised in the "Fauna und Flora" series, and to the less pretentious faunistic contri- butions published from time to time in the " Mittheilungen " of the station. So far as we know, however, no single inclusive list of species has been published which renders possible, without great labor, a comparison with the fauna of Woods Hole. At the Trieste station, maintained by the Austrian Government on the Adriatic Sea, a census of the local marine fauna has for many years past been conducted by Graeffe (i 880-1 903), and Usts of species have appeared comprising most of the chief divisions of the animal kingdom. Here, as at Plymouth, abundant data are recorded respecting reproduction and general ecology. In the last column of our comparative table we have indicated the number of species recorded by Graeffe for each group of animals. It is obvious that these various faunal catalogues differ widely from one another in respect to their scope. Three of them are restricted to the invertebrates, while in only one (that of Woods Hole) are the marine birds listed. Likewise, at Woods Hole alone, among these stations, has any serious attempt been made to list the fish parasites, either the worms or the copepods. On the other hand, the Foraminifera and some other groups have received relatively little attention in our survey. a In reality, however, the vast majority of our records relate to a region of much smaller extent. 6 See Alien (1899), p. 365-542. c Prof. Herdman had some years earlier taken part in a census of the invertebrate fauna of the Firth of Forth. (See I^eslie and Herdman, 1881.) 88 BULLETIN OF THE BUREAU OF FISHERIES. Again, the areas comprised differ widely in their extent, ranging as they do from restricted bodies of water, such as the Gulf of Trieste, to such extensive tracts of ocean as the Irish Sea or the seas bordering the eastern coast of Canada. Even the report of Verrill and Smith, despite its title, covered a much wider territory than that dealt with in the present work, and included greater depths of sea. Indeed, with the ex- ception of the waters of the Gulf of Trieste, those of the Woods Hole region, as here understood, are the most restricted among those considered in respect to bathymetric range. It would not be fair, therefore, to look to the parallel columns of this table for any really accurate comparison of the faunas of the several regions referred to, either in respect to their wealth or their composition. Especial reservation must be made in accepting the figures representing the number of species common to Woods Hole and to Canada or Plymouth. It is likely that the number of common species has been underestimated, partly owing to the difficulty, without exhaustive research, of resolv- ing the synonymy of the various species; partly to the probable identity, not yet recognized, of various European and American forms. If due caution be exercised, however, we beUeve that facts of real value may be brought out by the comparison. Species are here listed as doubtful which are either undetermined or of doubtful identity, provided that they are believed to be distinct from any others included in the same list. Varieties are omitted, except in those cases where the species is repre- sented only by one of its varieties. Synopsis op Woods Hole Marine Fauna, as Compared with that op Certain Other Regions FOR which Lists have been Prepared. Woods Hole (present report). Verrill and Smith. Canada (Whiteaves). Plymouth. Irish Sea (Herdman). Groups of organisms. Number of species. Common to Woods Hole. Niunber of species. Common to Woods Hole. Trieste (Graeffe). 99(+5?) I2( + 7?) X32(+8?) s(+i?) l4(+3?) 8 40( + l?) 52(+4?) 7i( + 3?) 25( + l?) 33( + 5?) i( + i?) 3 76(+5?) 64 36(+2?) 66 S 44 4 4 13 6 41 2 4 4 2 109 18 121 8 34 3 62( + 2?) 19 4(+i?)' 34(+6?) (2?) 2(+I?) 2 2 (+?) 239 S8 I29( + I?) 6 24 4 27 8(+9?) 6o(+i?) S(+2?) 12' 4( + i?) 9 45 64( + 2?) Actinozoa Ctenophora Trematoda Cestoda Nemertinea I3( + 5?) 2 l(+I?) 20(+I?) 7 35 5 24( + 2?) Nemathelminthes Chsetognatha I I I03(+I?) I I 136 2 Dinophilea 29( + 4?) IIS 4 4s(+2?) 28(+4?) 56 Brachiopoda Phoronis I 9 10 8 8 I 148 6 6 4 8(+i?) 5 5 4 6( + i?) 29 21 3 15 3 I05(+I?) S 3 2 4 I (i?)" 12 7 7 8 I 87(+i?) 8 I Crinoidea Polychseta 6 i33(+io?) 88( + i3?) 29 10 ^:i5 a Of 98 Woods Hole Protozoa, only 29 are Foraminifera, while all of those in the other columns belong to the latter group, b Including Polygordiidae. BIOLOGICAL SURVEY OF WOODS HOLE AND VICINITY. 89 Synopsis of Woods Hole Marine Fauna, as Compared with that of Certain Other Regions FOR which Lists have been Prepared— Continued. Groups of organisms. Oligochaeta Myzostomida , Hirudinea Gephyrea a Phyllopoda Ostracoda Copepoda (free) Copepoda (parasitic) . Cirripedia Phyllocarida Atnphipoda Isopoda b Cumacca Stomatopoda Schizopoda. Decapoda Xiphosura Pycnogonida Arachnida Insecta Pelecypoda Amphineura Gastropoda c Scaphopoda Cephalopoda Enteropneusta Tunicata Cephalochorda Pisces Reptilia Aves Mammalia Total. Invertebrates (including tunicates) Vertebrates Woods Hole (present report). 3 2( + I?) 26 25(+l?) s8(+2?) I5(+2?) 7i(+6?) 8( + 2?) 5i( + 4?) I 5(+l?) I I6( + I3?) 7o( + 6?) 2 I29(+IO?) 22(4-10?) 247( + 6?) S 75 I2(+3?) Verrill and Smith. 5(+i?) 2(+I?) l(?) l9( + 5?) 13 3l(+i2?) 21 5 I 5(+l?) 36 I l(-fl?) 2 20(+5?) 84 2 97( + l?) 20( + 5?) Canada (Whiteaves). Number of species. 5(+l?) 29( + 9?) l(+i?) 2(+I?) 7o( + 4?) 26 160 5 13 27(+i?) Common to Woods Hole. 4( + i') l(+i?) Plymouth. Number of species. 86 6 164 36 I,62S(+I2S?) 626(+69?) i,286(+ii6?) 339( + 9?) 626( + 69?) i,058( + 2i?) 36s(+4?) i.229(+3?) Common to Woods Hole. Irish Sea (Herdman). 7(+i?) = (+!?) Trieste (Graeffe). (i?) I i(+i?) 57( + i?) I9S io8(+3?) 10 207( + 3?) i,058( + 2i?) 1,229(4-3?) 162(4-17.'') 45( + l4?) 1,828(4-27?) 1,681(4-27?) 147 3 S 4 9 S6 109(4-1?) 15 I 49(4-1?) 107 5 28s 1,449(4-4?) 1,268(4-4?) iSi a Comprising both the "Gephyrea armata" and the Sipunculoidea. i> Some of the species comprised in the Trieste Ust are not marine. <• Seventy of the Plymouth gastropods arc nudibranchs. Before leaving this hasty comparison between our own biological census and a few of the similar undertakings elsewhere, reference should be made to certain works in which some features of our own survey are closely paralleled. We must mention first of all the explorations in the Kattegat of the Danish steamer Hauchs, under the charge of C. G. J. Petersen. The resemblance between the Danish project and our own lies in the successful endeavor to correlate the distribution of various species with peculiarities of bottom and of water temperature, and particularly in the presentation of a number 90 BUIvLETIN OF THE BUREAU OF FISHERIES. of charts portraying the actual distribution patterns of certain species. Unfortu- nately Petersen thought fit to plot upon each of these charts the records for a consid- erable number of species (26 in one case), thus rendering it very difficult to distinguish the distribution of any one of these, and to a large extent impairing the usefulness of the charts. Petersen's "General results" (of which an English translation is provided) includes one of the most philosophical discussions which have appeared of the factors determining the distribution of marine animals. The important paper of E. J. Allen (1899) has already been mentioned in an earlier chapter. Allen has, among other things, presented 16 charts, each portraying the distribution of several species, usually members of the same zoological class. Each species is indicated by a letter, its relative abundance at various points being denoted by the style of type. These distributions are plotted upon an identical form, having the bottom characters indicated by conventional shading. Only scattered patches are thus represented, however, and in general the charts have little in com.mon with our own. The detailed distribution of numerous marine species has likewise been ascertained by Herdman and his associates for the neighborhood of the Port Erin biological station on the Isle of Man. Seven distribution charts have been published (Herdman, 1901), each chart embracing one or more entire groups of organisms. Upon these charts each species is designated by a number, so that the total distribution of any given form may be ascertained (though rather laboriously) by finding all the various positions occu- pied by the number which has been assigned to it. Chapter IV.— THE FAUNA CONSIDERED BY SYSTEMATIC GROUPS. I. PROTOZOA. This phylum is represented in our list by 99 determined species, together with 5 others which are entered as undetermined or doubtful. Of the 99 determined species 32 are assigned to the Rhizopoda, 2 to the Heliozoa, 21 to the Mastigophora, 38 to the Ciliata, 5 to the Suctoria, and 2 to the Sporozoa. All but 2 of the rhizopods belong to the subclass Foraniinifera, of which 23 species have been encountered during our dredging, and a number of others collected on piles, etc. With the exception of two or three species, no Foraminifera had been recorded for local waters prior to the operations of the present survey. The data which we have utilized relative to the Protozoa are derived mainly from two sources. The Foraminifera were obtained during the dredging operations of 1905 and 1907, and were, without exception, identified by Dr. J. A. Cushman, of the museum of the Boston Society of Natural History. A nearly complete list of these species has already been published by Dr. Cushman (1908). The records for the other divisions were taken from the report of Calkins (1902) upon the marine Protozoa of the region, to which have been added a very few data from the writings of Peck (1894 and 1896). In our annotated list the classification which we have adopted is that of Professor Calkins, except in the case of the Foraminifera. For the treatment of the latter group Dr. Cushman is responsible. The local records for Protozoa are comparatively scanty. The report of Calkins represents the search of one investigator for a period of two months during the mid- sum.mer alone. With very few exceptions, the forms listed were taken from the local pier, close to the laboratory building. Nevertheless, as a result of this somewhat super- ficial examination, Calkins was able to record 72 species, 8 of which were described as new to science." No search was made for Foraminifera during the summers of 1903 and 1904, though Discorhina rosacea was noted on several occasions without its identity being recognized. Dr. Cushman's presence at the Woods Hole laboratory during the season of 1905 directed our attention to these organisms, and bottom samples from most of the stations of that year were examined by him personally. The dredging during that season was restricted to Vineyard Sound {Fish Hawk) and the eastern shore of Buzzards Bay (Phalarope) . Two years later, in order to obtain more complete records for the Foraminifera and certain other organisms, about 25 of the Fish Hawk stations in Vineyard Sound and about 30 of those in Buzzards Bay were revisited. Bottom samples from all these points were submitted to Dr. Cushman, who was thus enabled to provide us with important supple- mentary data. Only two species were found, however, which had not previously been recorded by us, and it is Dr. Cushman's belief that the list of local Foraminifera is toler- ably complete. But our knowledge of their distribution within the region was greatly extended by these later dredgings. We have accordingly departed from the custom, which has been followed for most other groups, of including in our distribution charts " Two of these are no longer regarded by Dr. Calkins as good species. 91 92 BULLETIN OF THE BUREAU OF FISHERIES. only data derived from the regular dredging operations of the first three years, and have plotted out the records of these supplementary dredgings in the case of the Foraminifera. The meager representation of the Foraminifera in our local fauna is realized in a striking way when the present records are compared with those for deep-sea dredging. There occurs in these waters none of the "ooze" which forms such a marked feature of the ocean bottom the world over. The maximum number of species found by the survey at any single station was 9 {Phalarope station 78), and the average number found throughout the period during which a careful examination was made " was i .4 species per dredge haul. During the Challenger dredgings, it was not uncommon to find 100 species of Foraminifera at a single station, and OA'er 240 species were found in one case. The Canadian list of Whiteaves comprises 64 members of this group, 13 of which are known to occur in our local waters; while the Plymouth list comprises 109 species, 19 of which are common to Woods Hole. The list for the Irish Sea comprises 209 species of Foraminifera. All three of these foreign surveys have extended to waters of consider- ably greater depth than any which occur within the "Woods Hole region" of the present report. The great disparity in the wealth of Foraminifera is thus largely accounted for. Distribution charts have been plotted for those 9 of our local species which were taken at 10 or more of the dredging stations. Regarding the distributions here por- trayed few definite conclusions can be offered, owing to the incompleteness of the records upon which they are based. As already stated, these organisms were not looked for during the regular dredgings of the Fish Hawk in Buzzards Bay, nor during the Phala- rope dredging in Vineyard Sound, though the former deficiency was in some measure rectified during the summer of 1907. As a consequence, one might easily be misled respecting the relative abundance of certain species on various parts of the local sea floor. For example, most of the species seem to be scarce or absent in the central parts of Buzzards Bay. This is doubtless due in part to the fact that material was examined from less than 30 stations in the deeper parts of the Bay, as compared with about 125 in the Sound. During the supplementary dredging of 1907 a number of species (Mili- olina seminulum, Polymorphina lactea, Polystomella striata punctata, and Rotalia beccarii) were encountered at Fish Hawk stations in the Bay; the two last named, indeed, being taken with considerable frequency. It does not seem unlikely, however, that the soft, black mud which prevails throughout much of Buzzards Bay is unfavorable to some species of Foraminifera, as to many other organisms of all sorts. On the other hand, with a very few exceptions, every species which was recorded from Vineyard Sound was taken with greater or less frequency along the island shores of Buzzards Bay. One feature in the distribution of nearly all the species which have been plotted is the greater frequency with which they occur at the western end of Vineyard Sound. Indeed, certain species are entirely lacking in the eastern half. So far as is known, the same degree of care was taken in preserving and examining the bottom samples through- out the whole length of the Sound during the Fish Hawk dredging of 1905. This greater abundance of Foraminifera at its western end would thus seem to be a genuine fact in distribution. Whether it is due to the character of the bottom, which is predominantly sandy in the western half of the Sound, or to the comparative absence of the swift tidal currents in the latter part can not be stated with any certainty. o Including only the Fuh Hawk and Phalarope stations of 1905. BIOI.OGICAL SURVEY OF WOODS HOLE AND VICINITY. 93 The following is a list of the Foraminifera dredged by the Surv^ey denotes species which were recorded from lo or more stations: The asterisk Astrorhiza limicola. Reophax dentalinifonnis. Haplophragmium canariense. Webbina hemispherica. Spiroculina limbata. *Biloculina ringens (chart i). Biloculina tubulosa. *Miliolina seminulum (chart 2). *Miliolina oblonga (chart 3). *Miliolina circularis (chart 4). Miliolina boueana. Miliolina venusta. Miliolina bicomis. Verneuilina polystropha. *Polymorphina lactea (chart 5). Polymorphina concava. Polymorphina rotundata. *Discorbina rosacea (chart 6). Truncatulina lobatula. *Pulvinulina lateralis (chart 7). *Rotalia beccarii (chart 8). *Polystomella striatopunctata (chart 9). Polystomella crispa. 2. PORIFERA. The treatment of the sponges constitutes decidedly the weakest spot in our report. In addition to the naturally great difficulties presented to the systematist by these animals is the fact that the group has been very largely neglected by local zoologists. Since the work of Verrill in the early seventies, in which a considerable proportion of the forms recorded were not specifically determined, no attempt has been made to list or describe the sponges of the shallower waters of the New England coast. Verrill's later studies were devoted to species taken at considerable depths and belonging to a fauna quite distinct from that under consideration. Lambe,*^ it is true, has given much attention to the Canadian sponges, some of which are identical with species included in the present work, and H. V. Wilson * has reported upon the Porto Rico forms, none of which, however, are known to occur in the Woods Hole region. The paucity of our data relating to the shallow-water species constitutes a conspicuous gap in our knowledge of the local fauna. In view of this condition of affairs. Dr. J. A. Cushman, of the museum of the Boston Society of Natural History, undertook during the summer of 1905 and during the fol- lowing winter to identify the sponges collected in the course of the Survey dredging. Twelve species were specifically determined by him with more or less certainty, four of these being forms which had been overlooked or left unidentified by Verrill at the time of the writing of the "Report upon the Invertebrate Animals of Vineyard Sound." Certain other species were provisionally assigned to genera, and an even greater number remained undetermined. It was unfortunately impossible for Dr. Cushman to continue this work after 1905, and thus the results here presented are fragmentary and perhaps not wholly consistent. In all, 14 determined species of sponges are comprised in our annotated list, the identity of which is not certain in all cases. We have also included, on the authority of Verrill and of Cushman, a number of unidentified forms, to which generic names have been provisionally assigned. The Canadian list of Whiteaves comprises 36(-i-2?) species of Porifera (identified in the main by Lambe), six of which are common to our Woods Hole list. At Plymouth only 18 sponges have been catalogued, of which four or five are common to our own o Sponges from the Atlantfc coast of Canada. Transactions of tliC Royal Society of Canada, vol. 11, sec. iv, 1896, p. 181-211. b Bulletin of the U. S. Fish Commission, vol. xx, 1900 (igoi), p. 375-411. 94 BULLETIN OF THE BUREAU OF FISHERIES. waters." Herdman records 58 species from the Irish Sea, while Graeffe lists 45 species from the Gulf of Trieste. As implied in the foregoing discussion, it is likely that the Woods Hole Ust will be greatly extended by further investigations. Referring to our dredging records for this group, the distributions of certain forms, such as Cliona celata, Microciona prolifera, Tethya gravida, and Polymastia robusta, have probably been ascertained with a fair degree of accuracy. On the other hand, it is probable that some confusion occurs between the two species of Chalina, since specimens which were listed in the field records as C. arbuscula were in a number of cases subse- quently identified as C. oculata (see catalogue). For this reason a single chart has been prepared, which includes all the records for this genus. A similar confusion exists regarding the two species of Halichondria (H. panicea and H. caduca). And in addition to these equivocal records specimens belonging to entirely undetermined species of this genus are listed from about 20 of the regular dredging stations and were doubtless taken at many others. Under such circumstances little of a general nature can be said regarding the distribution of these animals in local waters. The species having the most general occurrence was Cliona celata Grant {=Spongia sulphurea Desor), which was recorded from 171 of the regular stations. This form seems to flourish nearly as well on one kind of bottom as another, though it is much less common in the western half of the Sound than in the eastern half.'' That its scarcity in the former region is not due to the lower summer temperature of the water there is rendered probable by the fact that this species has been reported by Lambe from Prince Edward Island, in the Gulf of St. Lawrence. It has not been taken by us, however, at Crab lycdge, where many of the typical cold-water species occur and many southern ones are lacking. Microciona prolifera is not uncommon in the Sound in the form of reddish incrus- tations on the surface of stones and shells. In Buzzards Ba)^ particularly in the inshore waters, it frequently grows up into the characteristic and beautiful arborescent form. A species of Grantia, which has been regarded as G. ciliata (Fabricius) by Verrill and others, is common on piles, and one or more species of the same genus (not improb- ably identical with the foregoing) were encountered at various points in dredging (chart 10). An interesting case of restricted distribution is exemplified in the case of Polymastia robusta, for which, however, no chart has been prepared, owing to the limited number of stations from which it was recorded. This readily recognizable species was taken by us a few times at the western entrance of Vineyard Sound and in the mouth of Buz- zards Bay; likewise at five of the seven regular stations of the survey at Crab Ledge. It is thus a representative of that colder water fauna which just enters the limits of our region. So far as we know, this species has not been listed from points farther south upon our coast than Marthas Vineyard, though ranging northward at least to the Gulf of St. Lawrence. Another case of definitely restricted distribution, for which, however, no explanation can be offered at present, is that of Tethya gravida. This species, which was first described by Hyatt from specimens taken in Buzzards Bay, was encountered by us eight times, o It is stated by the authors that "the list is a very imperfect one, many common species not haxnng been identified and recorded." b The chart for this species likewise shows a considerable gap in the central region of the Bay, but specimens were later taken at several points in this area. BIOLOGICAL SURVEY OF WOODS HOLE AND VICINITY. 95 but always within a very limited area near the head of the Bay. Mr. G. M. Gray also reports finding it at Bird Island, in the same vicinity. We know of no other records of the occurrence of this species. The following is a list of the species recorded from the Survey dredgings. The asterisk denotes those which were taken at 10 or more of the stations (exclusive of Crab Ledge). Ascortis fragilis. ?*Grantia ciliata (chart 10). *Cliona celata (chart 11). Polymastia robusta. Tethya gravida. Halichondria panicea. Halichondria caduca. Chalina arbuscula. Chalina oculata. Esperella modesta. Desmacidon palmata. Myxilla sp. undet. *Microciona prolifera (chart 13). A chart (12) has been prepared based upon the equivocal records for one or both species of Chalina. Of the three determined species so common as to have been recorded from 10 or more stations, one appears to be distinctly northern, another to be distinctly southern, while the third appears to have a range of nearly equal extent in both directions. The ranges, as given by Verrill (1873), are as follows: Grantia ciliata: Rhode Island to Greenland. Cliona celata: South Carolina to Portland, Me. Microciona prolifera: South Carolina to Cape Cod. Cliona, as already stated, has since been reported from the Gulf of St. Lawrence. 3. CCELENTERATA. Our list comprises 160 determined species belonging to this phylum, together with 12 others which are undetermined or doubtful. These are assignable to 54( + 3?) families and 98(4-7 ?) genera. The representation of the various classes is as follows: Hydrozoa, 132 ( + 8?); Scyphozoa, 5(+i?); Actinozoa, i4(-l-3?); Ctenophora, 8. Among these, 28(-|-i?) of the Hydrozoa and 4(4-2?) of the Actinozoa have been encountered during the Surv^ey dredgings. The Scyphozoa and Ctenophora, owing to their pelagic mode of existence, do not figure in the dredging records, although the latter frequently and the former occasionally were taken during the reeling in of the dredge or trawl. Furthermore, a large majority, even of the fixed hydroids, comprised in our catalogue, find their proper habitat in shallower waters, where they grow attached to plants or woodwork, and are rare or absent upon the bottoms reached by the dredge. The identification of specimens concerning which any doubt was felt by the col- lectors was made by Prof. C. W. Hargitt, of Syracuse University, and Prof. C. C. Nut- ting, of the University of Iowa, to whom we again take occasion to express our thanks for their assistance. The identification of the 1903 specimens was performed by Prof. Nutting, that of the subsequent material by Prof. Hargitt. A comparison of the deter- minations made by these two authorities revealed certain differences of opinion, some of which were later adjusted. In other cases, such differences are indicated in the text. Prof. Hargitt was present at the laboratory as a member of the investigation staff dur- ing the summers of 1905 to 1909, inclusive, and the records for those seasons are doubt- less on this account more complete than during the two previous seasons of the Sur\-ey's 96 BULLETIN OF THE BUREAU OF FISHERIES. work. During these two earlier seasons it seems probable that certain minute and inconspicuous forms were overlooked by the collectors.' It is likewise probable that some closely related species were confused in the field records. This is perhaps true to some extent even of such common forms as Eudendriuni ramosum and E. dispar, though samples from many of the stations were fortunately preserv^ed for future reference. The apparent scarcity of nearly all hydroids throughout Buzzards Bay, as por- trayed by the distribution charts, may be due in some measure to the fact that no specialist in this group was present during the season of 1904, when the original Fish Hawk dredging was carried on in that body of water. We are, however, inclined to attribute a minor importance to this fact in judging of the occurrence of hydroids in Buzzards Bay, since records from 29 stations which were redredged in 1909 do not materially affect our ideas regarding the local distribution of these organisms. The data utilized in the preparation of our catalogue, aside from those derived from our own collecting operations, are based principally upon the published works of A. Agassiz (1865), Verrill (1873), Nutting (1901), and Hargitt (1901-1908). In addi- tion, special records were furnished by members of the investigation staff or by others. Particular mention must be made of some rather extensive manuscript notes kindly contributed by Prof. Hargitt. The latter authority likewise consented to revise our annotated list in respect to nomenclature and classification, though he regards these as being still to a considerable extent provisional. About 20 species new to science have been described during the past 10 years by Hargitt, Nutting, Mayer, and others from specimens taken within the limits of the present region. At least two of these {Ectopleura prolifica Hargitt and Keratosa com- plexum Hargitt) were described from specimens obtained during the course of the survey dredging; while a number of them were first collected and described during this same period, though independently of the dredging operations. Still other species {Calypto- spad'ix cerulea, O perctilarella pumila, Sertularia vershiysi, Sertularella polyzonias, Aglao- phenia minuta, Tealia crassicornis), though more or less familiar elsewhere, have been added to the known fauna of these waters through the dredging and collecting opera- tions which form the chief subject of the present volume. Verrill and Smith (1873) recorded 72 determined species of coelenterates from definitely stated points within the limits of the region, together with a considerable number of others which were doubtful, undetermined, or extralimital. Among the foregoing 72 species were 57 Hydrozoa, 3 Scyphozoa, 8 Actinozoa, and 4 Ctenophora. Certain of the species listed by Verrill (e. g., Halecium gracile, Edwardsia farinacea. and E. lineata) do not appear to have been encountered in local waters by later naturalists. Indeed, repeated search by our parties for Edwardsia lineata at points where it was said to be abundant by Verrill failed to bring to light a single specimen. On the other hand, certain species which were not listed at all in the "Invertebrate Animals of Vine- yard Sound" are now known to be common in these waters. Such are Podocoryne carnea, Lizzia grata, Tubularia couthotiyi, Staurostoma laciniata, Epenthesis jolleata, Halecium halecimim, Gonionermis murhachii, and Sagartia luciae. The last-named species we know to be a recent immigrant into these waters, which probably arrived here within the past 15 years. Indeed it has, during this briet period, become by far the most abundant of our local actinians. Whether or not any of the other species are BIOLOGICAL SURVEY OF WOODS HOLE AND VICINITY. 97 immigrants of recent standing can not be stated. We have no satisfactory evidence that such is the case. The Canadian Ust prepared by Whiteaves includes 66 Hydrozoa, 5 Scyphozoa, 44 Actinozoa, and 4 Ctenophora. Of these, 41 Hydrozoa, 2 Scyphozoa, 4 Actinozoa, and 4 (all) of the Ctenophora are common to our Woods Hole list. It is interesting that while the number of hydroids in the Canadian list is only half as great as in our own, the number of actinians is about three times as great. The catalogue for Plymouth includes 121 Hydrozoa, 8 Scyphozoa, 34 Actinozoa, and 3 Ctenophora. Of these, 34 ( + 6?) Hydrozoa,^2 (?) Scyphozoa, (2 + i ?) Actinozoa, and 2 Ctenophora are known to be common to the Woods Hole region. The Ust of Herdman for the Irish Sea comprises 129(4- 1 ?) Hydrozoa, 6 Scyphozoa, 24 Actinozoa, and 4 Ctenophora. There is a rather close agreement between the Woods Hole, Plymouth, and Irish Sea lists in respect to the number of Hydrozoa comprised. On the other hand, both of the latter Hsts agree in including a considerably greater number of actinians than have been recorded from the Woods Hole region. For the Gulf of Trieste, Graeffe catalogues 64(4-2?) Hydrozoa, 9 Scyphozoa, 29 Actinozoa, and 5 Ctenophora. In all these comparisons the differences in area and in bathymetric range among the various regions must of course be kept in mind (see p. 87). On the average 1.8 species of coelenterates were recorded for each of the 458 regu- lar stations of the Survey. The species found to be of most general occurrence was the ooral Astrangia dance, which was encountered at 158 of the stations, this being the only coelenterate which was so prevalent as to be recorded from one-fourth of the stations dredged. It is likely, however, that Hydraciinia echinata was actually present in at least one-fourth of the dredge hauls, and that it was frequently overlooked by us in listing the species in the field. Referring to the table on page 78, it will be seen that on the average nearly three times as many species of hydroids per dredge haul were recorded for the Fish Hawk stations in Vineyard Sound as for those in Buzzards Bay, while the average number of Actinozoa was the same in both bodies of water. The Phalarope stations in Vineyard Sound likewise show an excess of hydroids as compared with the stations in the Bay. From the table on page 79 it is evident that there is a greater wealth both of hydroids and of actinians on bottoms of gravel and stones than upon bottoms of mud or of pure sand. As respects Hydrozoa, the average number of species is nearly twice as great upon sandy bottoms as upon muddy ones. The distribution of most coelenterates upon the local sea floor is, we believe, almost wholly conditioned by the character of the bottom. Charts have been prepared showing the distribution, in local waters, of 10 species of Hydrozoa and 3 of Actinozoa. A list of these, with a statement of the geographical distribution of each is given below. Owing to the probable incompleteness of our earlier records for the Hydrozoa, the practice of basing our charts upon the original dredgings of the "regular" series only has not been adhered to for this group. The results of various supplementary dredgings (see p. 62) have been incorporated here as in the case of the Foraminifera and the Bryozoa. 16269° — Bull. 31, pt I — 13 7 98 BULLETIN OF THE BUREAU OF FISHERIES. These charts nearly all agree in showing the paucity of coelenterate life in Buzzards Bay, to which reference has already been made. In fact, but two species (Eudendrium ramosum and Astrangia dan species of Bryozoa, of which 27 determined species and several doubtful ones were recorded for specified points within the limits of the Woods Hole region. Only one of our local species was there described for the first time. In subsequent papers Verrill added a consider- able number of new Bryozoa to the fauna of the deeper waters off the American coast, but not more than 5 of these last fall within the limits embraced by the present report. Nickerson (1898) added a single species of endoproct (Loxosoma davenporti) to our local fauna, this being first described from specimens taken by him at Cotuit Harbor. So far as we know this is the only addition which has been made to Verrill 's lists of Bryozoa down to the time of the present Survey. Whiteaves catalogues 115 species of Bryozoa for the waters of eastern Canada. Of these species, 45 ( + 2 ?), or about 40 per cent, have been recorded from the Woods Hole region. On the other hand, these 47 species which are common to the two lists constitute nearly 60 per cent of the number comprised in our own catalogue. The Plymouth list records the occurrence of i03(+ i ?j members of this group, a number which is also considerably in excess of that recorded for the Woods Hole region. About 30 per cent of the Plymouth species (about 40 per cent, therefore, of the Woods Hole species) are common to the two lists. Herdman catalogues 136 species of Bryozoa (along with many varieties) for the Irish Sea; while Graeffe has recorded 56 species for the Gulf of Triest. It is scarcely Ukely that these figures give us any accurate idea of the relative rep- resentation of this phylum in the respective areas of sea bottom. It is not at all prob- able that the search for these organisms has been equally exhaustive at the various points named, and it is certain that the areas explored are far from being comparable in magnitude (see p. 87). We may assert in full confidence that the extension of our own dredging operations to the 50-fathom line would have very greatly increased our list of Bryozoa. The average number of species per dredge haul recorded for the stations of the regular series was 2.9. The species having the most general distribution was Bugula turrita, which was present at 255 (more than half) of the dredging stations. Those which, were encountered so frequently as to be taken at one-fourth or more of the total number of stations are : Bugula turrita (255 stations). Crisia ebumea (201 stations). Schizoporella unicornis (197 stations). Smittia trispinosa nitida (163 stations). Representatives of this group are to be found attached to almost every sort of solid object within the waters of our region. Upon stones and shells they fonn calcareous incrustations, which may be white, gray, yellow, or red in color, and are often many layers in thickness. Such are Smittia trispinosa nitida and various species of Schizopo- rella, Memhranipora, and Lepralia. Other calcareous forms (Cellepora americana, Schizoporella unicornis, and 5. biaperta) give rise to coral-like nodules or foliaceous expansions upon Hydrozoa, algae, or other Bryozoa. Erect, hydroid-like colonies, such as those of Bugula, Bicellaria, or Crisia, I04 BULLETIN OP THE BUREAU OF FISHERIES. attach themselves to various other fixed organisms, or directly to piles or stones. Flus- trclla hispida forms a thick matting over the rockweed along shore, and several species may be found upon active living animals, such as crabs. One, indeed, makes its home in the gill chamber of the blue crab {Callinectes sapidus). Various minute Bryozoa may readily be mistaken for hydroids, or may be overlooked altogether. Thus there is little doubt that many such forms escaped the collectors entirely during the earlier dredging work of the survey. With some few exceptions, the incrusting species are the ones which figure most prominently in the dredging records, colonies of this sort seldom being absent from stones or shells. Owing to the superficial similarity of several quite dis- tinct species of incrusting Bryozoa, it was our practice throughout the dredging work to save for preservation samples of even the commonest species from every dredge haul in which they occurred. Only three species of Bryozoa (Bugicla turrita, Crista eburnea, and Cellepora americana) were regularly identified by the collectors in the field, and there seems to be little probability that these were confused with any less familiar forms. All other species, so far as detected, were preserved for future examination. These were later identified by Dr. Osburn, who is likewise responsible for the classification here adopted. Charts (27-46) have been prepared showing the distribution of those species which were recorded from 10 or more of the dredging stations." Two of these species, Lepralia americana and L. pallasiana, were confused in the earlier dredging records to such an extent that it has been thought best to plot their combined distributions upon a single chart. Thus there are only 20 charts for these 21 species. Less of general interest is to be gathered from the local distribution of the Bryozoa than from that of many other groups which we have considered. Only two distinct types of distribution are to be found among those forms which have been dredged with any frequency in local waters. We have (i) species whose distribution is general, or without any definite restrictions throughout Vineyard Sound and Buzzards Bay; and (2) species found wholly, or at least predominantly, in Vineyard Sound. Not a single species has been found which appears to be restricted in any degree to the Bay. Thus the phylum has a considerably greater representation in the Sound than in the Bay. The average number of species taken per dredge haul ^ may be tabulated as follows : Vineyard Sound: Fish Hawk stations 3. 4 Phalarope stations 3.0 Buzzards Bay: Fish Hawk stations 2.7 Phalarope stations 2.0 The average number of species for the Crab Ledge stations would doubtless greatly exceed any of these figures, but unfortunately the data are not available. It is highly probable that the character of the bottom has been the chief factor in determining the results here tabulated, just as in the case of the Hydrozoa. Reference to the table on page 79 shows that the average number of species per dredge haul for o Including the supplementary stations of 1906-1909, for the same reason as already stated in the case of the Foraminifera and coelenterates. * Based upon the original stations only. Were the supplementary dredgings to be considered in this computation, it is likely that the figures for Buzzards Bay would be somewhat greater, though it is Quite improbable that they would equal those for Vineyard Soiuid. BIOI.OGICAL SURVEY OF WOODS HOI^E AND VICINITY. 105 gravelly and stony bottoms is 3.7, that for sandy bottoms being 2.8, and that for muddy bottoms being 2.0. The same fact is shown by an enumeration of those species which were taken at one-half or more of the dredging stations on each type of bottom. Four species (Crisia eburnea, Bugula turrita, Schizoporella unicornis, and Smittia trispinosa nitida) are recorded as present in more than half of the dredge hauls made upon gravelly or stony bottoms ; a single species {Bugxda turrita) is listed for as great a proportion of the dredge hauls upon sandy bottoms; while not a single species was found with sufficient frequency upon muddy bottoms to appear in this list." It is obvious, however, that no such bare characterization of the type of bottom properly describes the habitat of a fixed organism which depends for support upon the presence of some solid substratum. Now various solid objects, organic and inorganic, are commonly present, even upon bottoms of practically pure sand, and such objects frequently furnish attachment for Bryozoa. Even soft mud commonly contains dead shells or fragments of these, and some typical fixed organisms, such as the coral Astrangia and the serpulid worm, Hydroides, are consequently of frequent occurrence upon muddy bottoms. We believe, nevertheless, that the comparative paucity of Bryozoa upon such bottoms is due in part to the scarcity of suitable objects for attachment. Thus the relative infrequency of Cellepora americana and Hippothoa hyalina in Buzzards Bay is probably correlated with the scarcity of hydroids and algae. On the other hand, it seems probable that the continued deposition of silt is unfavorable to the growth of many forms, even though a suitable basis of support be present. Grouping those species which have been charted by us, according to whether their distribution is general or restricted, we may arrange them provisionally imder two heads. In making this classification, the greater absolute number of dredging stations in Vineyard Sound must be taken into account. Species having a general or unrestricted distribution in local waters. Schizoporella biaperta. Lepralia americana+pallasiana. Lepralia pertusa. Smittia trispinosa nitida. Crisia ebtimea. i^tea anguina. Bugula turrita. ?Membranipora pilosa. Membranipora aurita. | Hippuraria armata. Schizoporella unicornis. | Thus the majority of our commoner species do not appear to show any marked pref- erence for one or the other body of water. One of the foregoing species {Membranipora pilosa) appears, however, to display an avoidance of the more central regions of the Bay. In the above list it will be seen that both erect and incrusting forms are included. Species restricted wholly or mainly to Vineyard Sound. Number of stations. Bicellaria ciliata 16 Sound-1- 3 Bay. Membranipora tenuis 59 Sound-fiy Bay. Membranipora flemingii 12 Sound+ o Bay. Cribrilina punctata 12 Sound+ o Bay. Hippothoa hyalina 26 Sound+ 7 Bay. Cellepora americana 66 Sound+ 13 Bay. o It must be added, however, that the lists (pp. 70, 71 above) of species present in one-fourth or more of the dredge hauls apon these respective types of bottom comprise about equal numbers of Bryozoa. I06 BULLETIN OP THE BUREAU OF FISHERIES. At least two of the foregoing species (Membranipora tenuis and Hippothoa hyalina) , while occurring with some frequency in the Bay, are restricted for the most part to the neighborhood of land. The preponderance of some of these forms in the Vineyard Sound records is prob- ably due in part to the relative imperfection of our data for Bryozoa from Buzzards Bay. Supplementary dredgings in the Bay, during the summer of 1909, revealed the presence of a number of species not hitherto found there, and indicated that certain others were not so scarce in this body of water as had been supposed. Indeed, it has been necessary to remove certain species from this second list which had earlier been placed there. Concerning the following species it is not believed that we have sufficient data to warrant any conclusions as to their relative abundance in the Bay and the Sound : Tubulipora liliacea. Membranipora tnonostachys. Bowerbankia gracilis. As a matter of fact all three of these species are recorded from an absolutely greater number of stations in the Sound than in the Bay. One of them (Membranipora mono- siachys) has been recorded in the latter only from the stations near land. Aside from the few cases mentioned, in which the occurrence of certain species in the Bay is limited to the inshore waters, there is nothing in the distribution of any of the species, so far as shown by the charts, which can be regarded as in any sense "bathy- metric." Certain species which do not appear in our distribution charts, however, are restricted to shallow waters, or to the immediate neighborhood of land, and indeed may find their proper habitat in the littoral or intertidal zone. The most familiar instance of the last sort is the abundant Flustrella hispida, which occurs in great profusion upon the rockweeds, Fucivs and Ascophyllum. Certain other species, likewise, such as Eticratea chelata, Amathia dicholoma, and Bugula flabellata, have seldom been encountered by us except upon piles. Another species, Membranipora tehuelcha, has only been noted upon the floating gulfweed, with which it is borne passively to our waters. This, like so many other species having the same habitat, is a southern form which does not properly belong to our local fauna. Not a single instance has been found among our dredging records of a species of this group whose distribution in Vineyard Sound and Buzzards Bay appears to be determined by temperature. There dwell, however, within the outlying colder waters of the region considered by us, a considerable number of species, most of which repre- sent a strictly northern fauna, and many of which, indeed, find in Woods Hole or vicinity their southern limit of distribution. A number of these have not previously been re- corded south of Canada. A list of those species is presented, herewith, which have been taken by us at Crab Ledge or in the vicinity of Nantucket, but not within Vineyard Sound or Buzzards Bay. Data are included respecting their distribution as heretofore known. Crisia cribraria Canada. Stomatopora diastoporoides . . . British Isles, Baffins Bay, Gulf of St. Lawrence. Tubulipora atlantica North Atlantic from Labiador to Florida; Australia. Tubulipora flabellaris Northern Atlantic and Arctic seas; Greenland, Gulf of St. Lawrence, Grand Manan; Mediterranean? Gemellaria loricata Northern Atlantic and Arctic seas; Labrador, St. Georges Banks, Grand Manan. BIOLOGICAL SURVEY OF WOODS HOLE AND VICINITY. 107 Scruparia clavata British Isles, Gulf of St. Lawrence. Cellularia peachii Northern Atlantic and Arctic seas; Labrador, Gulf of St. Lawrence, St. Georges Banks. Menipea ternata Northern Atlantic and Arctic seas; Labrador, Gulf of St. Lawrence, Grand Manan. Caberia ellisii Northern Atlantic and Arctic seas; Greenland, Labrador, Gulf of St. Lawrence, Maine. Bugula cucullifera Maine, off Cape Cod. Bugula murrayana Northern Atlantic and Arctic seas; Greenland, Labrador, Gulf of St. Lawxence, New England. Membranipora cymbaeformis. . . .Nortliern Atlantic and Arctic seas; Gulf of St. Lawrence. Membranipora craticula Northern Atlantic and Arctic seas, Davis Strait, Gulf of St. Lawrence. Membranipora unicornis Northern Atlantic and Arctic seas; Greenland, Gulf of St. Lawrence, North Pacific. Membranipora arctica Cribrilina annulata "Eminently a northern form;" Spitzbergen, Greenland, Labrador, Gulf of St. Lawrence, Grand Manan. Porina tubulosa Northern Atlantic and Arctic seas; Gulf of St. Lawrence. Schizoporella auriculata Red and Mediterranean Seas to Arctic Ocean; Gulf of St. Lawrence. Schizoporella sinuosa Nortliern Atlantic and Arctic seas; Gulf of St. Lawrence. Cellepora canaliculata Gulf of St. Lawrence ; off Halifax. Mucronella pavonella Northern Atlantic and Arctic seas, Gulf of St Lawrence, North Pacific. Smittia porifera North Atlantic and Arctic seas; Gulf of St. Lawrence, Florida, South Africa, Australia. Porella propinqua Northern Atlantic and Arctic seas; Gulf of St. Lawrence, Davis Strait. Porella acutirostris Northern Atlantic and Arctic seas; Gulf of St. Lawrence. Porella concinna Arctic seas to Mediterranean, Greenland, Gulf of St. Lawrence. Rhamphostomella costata Northern Atlantic and Arctic seas; Gulf of St. Lawrence. Alcyonidium parasiticum British Isles. The following notes have been furnished by Dr. Osbtirn relative to differences of habitat displayed by different members of the same genus: Crisia. C. ebumea: Our most familiar species; abundant in shallow waters, but extending to the deepest waters of the region. C. cribraria: Found only in the outside, colder waters. Bugula. B. turrita: Abundant under all conditions in the inner waters; less common in the cold waters off shore, e. g., at Crab Ledge. B. flabellata: On piles and in shallower waters down to a few fatlioms; almost wholly confined to adlittoral zone. B. murrayana: Abundant in outer waters on stones and shells; not found in inner waters. Membranipora. M. cymbaeformis: Common upon hydroid and other stems in outside waters. M. pilosa: Common throughout our waters on shells and algae; differing in the form of tlie zooecia, according to substratum occupied. M. unicornis: On stones and shells in outer waters. M. monostachys: Throughout our waters; common, usually upon very smooth surfaces, such as inside of shells, on skate eggs, carapace of Limulus, etc. It presents differences of form, accord- ing to whether it grows in inner or outer waters. M. tenuis: Common upon stones and shells, but not in shallow waters near shore. M. flemingii: (Much as last). M. aurita: Common on stones, shells, and algae, at all depths. M. tehuelcha: Only fotmd upon drifting gulf weed. I08 BUIvIvETiN OF THE) BUREAU OF FISHERIES. Cribrilina. C. ptinctata: Common in Vineyard Sound and outer waters, on stones and shells. C. annulata: Only in outer, colder waters. Schizoporella. S. unicornis: Everywhere, forming massive colonies; less frequent in outside waters. S. biaperta: Throughout our waters, forming flat colonies on stones and shells, or (more frequently) forming fanlike expansions on algae, etc. S. auriculata: Only in outside waters. S. sinuosa: Only in outside waters. Hippothoa. H. hyalina: Of general distribution on algae, shells, stones, etc.; best developed on stems of algae and hydroids, where it forms nodular crusts. H. divaricata: Locally, not at all common and found only in the outer waters, though not else- where restricted by temperature. Lepralia. L. americana: Throughout our waters on stones and shells, especially in deeper waters. L. pallasiana: On stones, shells, piles, and eel grass; of general occurrence, but more frequent in shallow waters. L. pertusa: Of general distribution; most common on shells and pebbles. Mucronella. M. peachii: Occasional in Sound and in outside waters, forming flat crusts on stones and shells. M. pavonella: In outside waters only, forming flat colonies upon stones and shells, or rising into fan- like expansions on stems of hydroids, etc. Smittia. S. trispinosa nitida: Of very general occmrence, growing upon all sorts of objects, and forming massive nodular crusts on stones and shells. S. porifera: In outer waters, on stones and shells; smaller colonies sometimes taken in inner waters. Cellepora. C. americana: Of general distribution on stems of hydroids or algae, forming nodules or irregular masses. C. canaliculata: In outside waters, forming rounded, pisiform colonies on stems of hydroids, etc. Alcyonidium. A. verrilli: Western end of Vineyard Sound; erect and branching. A. parasiticum: In outside waters, incrusting stems and stones; argillaceous matter combined in zoarium. A. mytili: In various situations in inside waters, incrusting, not argillaceous. Bowerbankia. B. gracilis and its variety caudata: Creeping over stems of other organisms, or upon piles; occurring together. Hippuraria. H. armata: Of general occurrence; creeping upon stems, etc., or erect. H. elongata: Commensal in branchial chamber or on carapace of Crustacea. The following list comprises the Bryozoa collected by us in the course of the Sun^ey dredging. A considerable number of these species were not taken, however, at any of the regular (numbered) stations, and a good many have been recorded only from outlying points, such as Crab Ledge or the shoals to the east of Nantucket. Those species which were taken at lo or more of the stations in Vineyard Sound and Buzzards Bay are, as usual, designated by an asterisk. Pedicellina cemua. Barentsia major. Barentsia discreta. *Crisia ebumea (chart 27). Crisia cribraria. *Tubulipora liliacea (chart 28). Tubulipora atlantica. Tubulipora flabellaris. Stomatopora diastoporoides. Lichenopora verrucaria. BIOLOGICAI^ SURVEY OP WOODS HOLE AND VICINITY. 109 *iEtea anguina (chart 29). Gemellaria loricata. Scruparia clavata. Cellularia peachii. Menipea temata. Scrupocellaria scabra. Caberea ellisii. *Bicellaria ciliata (chart 30). *Bugula turrita (chart 31). Bugula gracilis uncinata. Bugula cucuUifera. Bugula flabellata. Bugula murrayana. Membranipora cymbseformis. *Membranipora pilosa (chart 32). Membranipora craticula. Membranipora lineata. Membranipora unicornis. *Membranipora monostachys (chart ^2). *Membranipora tenuis (chart 34). *Membranipora flemingii (chart 35). ^Membranipora aurita (chart 36). Membranipora arctica. Membranipora arctica armifera. *Cribrilina punctata (chart 37). Cribrilina annulata. Porina tubulosa. Microporella ciliata. Microporella ciliata stellata. ^Schizoporella unicornis (chart 38). Schizoporella auriculata. Schizoporella sinuosa. *Hippothoa hyalina (chart 40). Hippothoa divaricata. *Cellepora americana (chart 41). Cellepora canaliculata. *Lepralia americana (chart 42). *Ivepralia pallasiana (chart 42). *]vepralia pertusa (chart 43). Lepralia serrata. Mucronella ventricosa. Mucronella peachii. Mucronella pavonella. Smittia trispinosa. *Smittia trispinosa nitida (chart 44). Smittia porifera. Porella propinqua. Porella acutirostris. Porella concinna. Porella proboscidea. Rhamphostomella bilaminata. Rhamphostomella costata. Rhamphostomella ovata. Alcyonidium verrilli. Alcyonidium parasiticum. Alcyonidium mytili. *Bowerbankia gracilis (chart45). Bowerbankia gracilis caudata. Anguinella palmata. *Hippuraria armata (chart 46). *Schizoporella biaperta (chart 39). Referring to the 21 commoner species, it has not been found possible to distinguish the majority of them, according to their range, as predominantly northern or southern. This results partly from the fact that so many of the Bryozoa are surprisingly cosmo- politan in their distribution, partly from the fact that our knowledge of their distribu- tion in American waters is so meager. In a considerable number of instances it would appear from the few American records at our disposal that a species was predominantly northern or southern in its distribution, when reference to foreign records shows that such is not the case. Even those few species which we have here distinguished as pre- dominantly northward or southward ranging are so designated in a purely tentative way. Predominantly northern. Tubulipora liliacea Labrador to Long Island Sound. Bicellaria ciliata Northward on our coast to the Gulf of St. Lawrence. Membranipora flemingii Greenland to Vineyard Sound (recorded from Adriatic). Cribrilina punctata Northward on our coast to Gulf of St. Lawrence. Predominantly southern. Bugula tiurita Casco Bay to Florida. Membranipora monostachys. . . .Nantucket Sound to Beaufort, N. C. Membranipora tenuis Same as last. Hippuraria armata Same as last Three of the four last named species are ones which have only been listed from American waters. no BULLETIN OF THE BUREAU OF FISHERIES. Of very wide range in both directions. Crisia ebumea Labrador to Florida (cosmopolitan). iEtea anguina Cosmopolitan ; upon our coast recorded from points as far south as Beau- fort, N. C. Membranipora pilosa Greenland to Beaufort, N. C. (cosmopolitan). Schizoporella tmicomis Greenland to Florida (Europe and Africa). Schizoporella biaperta Greenland to Florida (Spitzbergen, Algiers, etc.). Hippothoa hyalina Greenland to Florida (cosmopolitan). Lepralia pertusa Greenland to Florida (cosmopolitan). Position doubtful, owing to insufficiency of data. Membranipora aurita Not previously recorded from America. Cellepora americana (?) Lepralia pallasiana Perhaps northern. Lepralia americana Known only from a small section of our coast. Smittia trispinosa nitida Known from only a small section of our coast (also Australia). Bowerbankia gracilis caudata . .Known only from a small section of our coast. Thus a considerable majority of these species have either an almost unrestricted range in latitude, or a range of doubtful extent. Four have been classified as predomi- nantly northern and an equal number as predominantly southern. If, however, our calculations had been based upon the entire list of local Bryozoa, including the many species (p. io6, 107) which were listed only from outlying points, we should have been led to regard our bryozoan fauna as being, on the whole, preponderatingly northern in its character. 6. ECHINODERMATA. This phylum is represented in local waters by only 24(+i?) known species. Of these, 6 belong to the Asteroidea, 6 to the Ophiuroidea, 4 to the Echinoidea, and 8 (+ i ?) to the Holothuroidea. Eighteen of these species appear in the dredging records of the Survey, as follows: Asteroidea, 6; Ophiuroidea, 5; Echinoidea, 3; Holothuroidea, 4. Data relating to several other species have, however, been furnished by various of our Woods Hole collectors. The other records for local echinoderms are based mainly upon the published statements of Verrill and of H. L. Clark. In the classification adopted by us we have followed Dr. Clark. To this authority we are indebted for the identifi- cation of many specimens, as well as for the criticism of those portions of our manu- script which relate to the Echinodermata. Verrill and Smith (1873) listed 19 species of echinoderms for Vineyard Sound and adjacent waters. Among these were comprised 5 species belonging to the Asteroidea," 4 to the Ophiuroidea, 4 to the Echinoidea, and 6 to the Holothuroidea. To these must be added i holothurian (Molpadia oolitica), which was included doubtfully, and i ophiuran (Amphiura abdita), which was reported by Verrill only from Long Island Sound, but which has since been found in Vineyard Sound and Buzzards Bay. Disre- garding the holothurian just mentioned, all of the species listed by Verrill for these waters have been taken by subsequent collectors. Except in one questionable case, our dredging operations have added no species to the known fauna of the region. This exception is the brittle star just referred o One of these, it is true C'Astcrias arenicola Stimpson"). is not now regarded as a distinct species, but is, as Verrill him- self thought likely, identical with A. forbesi. The name " green starfish," by which Verrill repeatedly refers to this species, is certainly a misnomer, so far as our local specimens are concerned. BIOI.OGICAL SURVEY OF WOODS HOI.E AND VICINITY. Ill to (Amphioplus abdita (Verrill)), which was taken at about the same time by Mr. G. M. Gray and by our own collectors on the Fish Hawk, and has since been dredged by us on several occasions." It appears, indeed, that this species is not uncommon in local waters, and the same has proved to be true of the holothurian Catidina arenata, which was previously regarded as very rare locally. Reference to the comparative table on page 88 shows that the phylum of Echino- dermata is very poorly represented in the Woods Hole region, as compared with each of the other localities which have been considered. For the phylum as a whole we have the following figures : Woods Hole, 24(+i?); Eastern Canada, 71; Plymouth, 36; Irish Sea, 35; Triest, 37. In the case of the Asteroidea and Ophiuroidea in particular, these figures are uni- formly higher for the other stations than for Woods Hole. Again, our own list is the only one among them which is completely lacking in crinoids, for even Antedon has not thus far been met with in our waters. Fourteen of our 24 echinoderms are common to Whiteaves's list for eastern Canada, while only 2 (perhaps only i) are common to the Plymouth list. In making any comparisons between these faunal lists, the usual allowance must be made for the widely different areas to which they relate, as well as to the widely different ranges in depth. Comparisons with Plymouth or with Trieste appear to be much fairer than with either of the other regions, so far as area is concerned. The average number of species of echinoderms dredged at the 458 regular stations of the Survey was i .9. The species which was encountered with greatest frequency was Asterias forhesi, which was recorded from 206 of the stations. The only ones which were recorded from as many as one-fourth of the total number of stations are : Number of stations. Asterias forbesi 206 Echinarachnius parma 170 Arbacia punctulata 156 Henricia sanguinolenta 1 18 Owing to the comparatively large size of most members of this phylum, and to the very limited number of species which occur in local waters, it seems likely that our list of echinoderms is particularly complete. If additions are made subsequently, it will probably be among the ophiuroids and the holothurians, some of which are of small size and given to burrowing or to concealment in crevices of stones, etc. It is Ukely, too, that our dredging records for this group are fairly free from errors of omission or con- fusion of one species with another. Reference should be made, however, to certain mistakes of identification, which we believe to have been made at first. (i) It is probable that during the early days of the work the younger specimens of Asterias vulgaris and A. forbesi were sometimes confused in the field. So far as this con- fusion may relate to Vineyard Sound, the results can not be serious, since our later and more accurate exploration of the Sound has shown that both species occur throughout practically its entire length. As regards Buzzards Bay, specimens of Asterias vulgaris were recorded from five stations within its interior, which it has been decided to leave out of consideration in plotting the distribution chart for this species. The records have, o See Clark, in Science, Jan. 24, 1908, and Sumner, in American Naturalist, May, 1908. According to Dr. Clark, Mr. Gray's si>ecimen was taken in Auiiust, 1907 (exact date no5 slated). Our own first specimen was dredged on Aufr. 6. iqo-:. Here, then, is a most perplexing (luestion of priority! 112 BULIyETlN OP THE BUREAU OF FISHERIES. however, been retained in the list of stations for this starfish, as given in our catalogue, though their doubtful nature has been indicated. Supplementary dredgings were made in Buzzards Bay during two subsequent seasons, partly for the purpose of testing this feature in the distribution of Asterias vulgaris. Out of a total of nearly 60 stations, starfishes of this genus were recorded for 11. These were in all cases assignable to Asterias forhesi, with the exception of a few small specimens of A. vulgaris taken at two stations situated near the island shores and not far from the mouth of the Bay. Accordingly we regard the occurrence of the latter species in the interior portions of Buzzards Bay as being extremely doubtful. (2) Doubt has been cast upon our earUest field identifications of the ophiuroids. For this reason, it has been regarded as fairer to bring together the records for the first year, except such as are based upon authoritative determinations, under the heading " ophiuroids unidentified." Such specimens were probably in most cases referable to the species Amphipholis squamata. Distribution charts have been plotted for seven species of echinoderms (charts 47 to 53).° It will be seen at a glance that only two of these species {Asterias Jorbesi and Arbacia punctulata) were encountered with any frequency in Buzzards Bay, while of these two the former alone was generally distributed throughout the central portions of the Bay. Arbacia and certain other species (notably Henricia) were found to be largely restricted, in Buzzards Bay, to the immediate neighborhood of land. For these facts, as for similar ones already discussed in our treatment of other groups, we believe that the character of the bottom is chiefly responsible. Most of our commoner local echinoderms prefer bottoms of gravel or sand to ones of mud. To this statement, it is true, exceptions are ofi'ered by some of the holothurians and ophiuroids. From the table on page 79 it will be seen that the average number of species of echinoderms per dredge haul, taken upon bottoms of gravel and stones, is 2.2; that for sandy bottoms being 2.0, and that for muddy bottoms being only 1.2. The different classes, however, do not agree in these preferences. The figures both for holothuroidea and ophiuroidea are greatest for muddy bottoms; but, owing to their infrequent occur- rence in the dredge hauls, they do not seriously affect these averages. The relative wealth of the echinoderm fauna upon different types of bottom is shown in another way by an enumeration of the species which were taken in one-fourth or more of the dredge hauls made upon bottoms of each type (p. 70, 71). In the list for sandy bottoms are comprised 2 asteroids and 2 echinoids; in that for gravelly and stony bottoms, 2 asteroids and i echinoid ; in that for muddy bottoms, a single asteroid and no echinoids. Similarly, 3 asteroids and 2 echinoids appear in the list of species (p. 65) taken at one-fourth or more of the Fish Hawk stations in Vineyard Sound, while only I asteroid and no echinoids appear in the corresponding list for Buzzards Bay. The lists for the Phalarope stations in the two bodies of water do not show as great differ- ences, since the conditions in the "adlittoral" region are more nearly similar throughout, but the preponderance is nevertheless somewhat in favor of Vineyard Sound. A species which is restricted more than any other to bottoms of pure sand * is the "sand dollar," Echinarachnius parma. Character of the bottom, rather than tempera- a In the case of the charts for shell-bearing organisms, the occurrence of living specimens at a given station has been indicated by a circle surrounding the star. Among the echinoderms this practice has been followed only in the case of the two sea urchins, Arbacia and Strongylocentrolus . these being the only ones which would be likely to leave behind enduring remains. It has been assumed for these two that all the field records relate to living specimens unless the contrary is expressly stated. 6 The dead tests are of more general occurrence, owing probably to the fact that they may be drifted by tidal currents. BIOLOGICAIv SURVEY OF WOODS HOLE AND VICINITY. 113 ture, is probably responsible for the greater prevalence of this species in the western half of Vineyard Sound, where, as we have pointed out elsewhere, certain typical sand- dwelling species find their most congenial habitat. On the other hand, certain less frequent species (not among those charted) were dredged chiefly upon muddy bottoms. Particularly worthy of mention is the holo- thurian Caudina arenata, which was taken by us seven times in Buzzards Bay and only once in Vineyard Sound. The part played by temperature in determining distribution is rather strikingly illustrated by some members of our echinoderm fauna. The local distribution of the two commoner species of Asterias is quite in keeping with what we know of the ranges of these two forms upon our coast. A glance at charts 48 and 49 shows us that whereas Asterias forhesi has a practically unrestricted distribution in local waters, A. vulgaris , on the contrary, is most prevalent in the colder portion of Vineyard Sound. Indeed, there is seen to be a progressive concentration of the distribution symbols as we pass from the eastern to the western end of the Sound, while in the Bay the records are con- fined to the neighborhood of the open ocean. It is likewise worth noting in this con- nection that the latter species was recorded from all seven of our regular dredging stations at Crab Ledge, while Asterias forhesi was recorded but once. As stated by Clark, the range of the latter species upon our coast is from "Maine to the Gulf of Mexico," but it is said to be "rare or local north of Cape Ann." It is pri- marily a shallow water form, which does not appear to pass beyond depths of 25 or 30 fathoms. A. vulgaris, on the other hand, ranges from Labrador to Cape Hatteras, though it is " rarely seen in shallow water '■= * * south of the Woods Hole region." It is recorded from depths as great as 358 fathoms. Such natural expectations as to distribution in local waters are not, however, realized in the case of another starfish, Henricia sanguinolenta. This species, also, is listed as "littoral only as far south as the Woods Hole region," while, to the northward, it extends to Greenland. The dredging records show it to be abundant throughout the length of Vineyard Sound and, indeed, to be rather commoner in the eastern (warmer) half. It is likewise recorded from scattered stations in Buzzards Bay, even well toward its head. For this species, then, temperature seems to be a minor factor in determining the distribution in local waters. Of considerable interest are the relative distributions of our two local sea urchins, Arhacia punctulata and Strongylocentrotus droebachiensis . The former species appears to be of general occurrence throughout Vineyard Sound, except for the portion adjoining the open ocean. In Buzzards Bay it occurs as far as the upper end, but it seems here to be restricted largely to the vicinity of land. Strongylocentrotus, on the other hand, occurs in greatest abundance in the western portion of Vineyard Sound, though occa- sional specimens have been taken as far eastward as West Chop. In Buzzards Bay it is found only near the extreme lower end. Again, Strongylocentrotus was taken at all seven of the stations at Crab Ledge, while Arbacia was not found there once. The latter species occurs locally at all depths, even up to the low- water mark. The former species, on the other hand, is rarely if ever taken at such slight depths, except in northern waters.** We have very few records of its occurrence in less than 5 fathoms, a Verrill. it is true, states that this species occurs "at low water on the outer rocky shores." This can not be a common occur- rence locally, however. 16269° — Bull. 31, pt I — 13 8 114 BULLETIN OF THE BUREAU OF FISHERIES. and in the great majority of cases (72 per cent) it was taken at depths greater than 10 fathoms." Comparing the range of these two species upon our coast, we find that Arbacia is said to occur from "Nantucket Shoals and Woods Hole to west Florida and Yucatan" (Clark), i. e., our region lies at its northern limit of distribution. The range of Strongy- locentrotus, on the other hand, is said to be "circumpolar; southward in the western Atlantic to New Jersey (not in shallow water south of Cape Cod)." That Arbacia is not adapted to enduring temperatures lower than those generally prevailing in our local waters during the winter months is indicated by the fact that a large proportion of these urchins seem to have been exterminated in Vineyard Sound during the winter of 1903-4. This winter was an extremely severe one, the ice being greater in quantity and lasting longer than for many years previously. Even Woods Hole passage, where the tidal currents are extremely swift, was frozen over so firmly that Mr. Vinal Edwards accomplished the astonishing feat Of walking over to Nona- messet Island. Reference to the temperature tables for the Woods Hole station (p. 47) shows that the mean water temperature for January and February, 1904, was 29.3° F., as compared with 32.3°, the mean of these two months for the other four years comprised in the table. Now the sudden and extreme scarcity of Arbacia in Woods Hole Harbor and else- where in the summer of 1904 was noted by local collectors generally, and we are informed by the curator of the Marine Biological Laboratory, Mr. George M. Gray, that this species did not for several years resume anything like its former abundance in local waters.*' Fortunately we are in possession of definite data on this subject, based upon a comparison of our dredging records for the summers of 1903 and 1904. As has been stated on page 55, a considerable number of the 1903 stations were repeated in the following summer for the sake of comparisons and verifications. In the two parallel columns below we present the records for Arbacia, obtained during these two seasons, in that part of the Sound (the eastern two-thirds) in which the stations were duplicated: 1903. 7522 (many living). 7523 (several living). 7524 (very abundant, living). 7526(2). 7529 (few). 7530 (abundant). 7531 (i dead). 7532 (many). 7533 (fc^' many spines). 7534 (numerous). 7535 (few shells, many spines). 7537 (many, rather small). 7539 (few). 7540 (few). 1904. 752 ibis (fragments and spines). 7522bis (none). 7523bis(i spine). 7524bis (none). 753obis (none). 753 ibis (few fragments). 7532bis (few spines). 7533bis (i small living). 7534bis (few spines). 7535bis (many spines). 7536bis (many spines). 7537bis (none). 7538bis (spines and fragments). 7539bis (none). " This despite the fact that hardly more than a third of our stations were in waters as deep as that. b In 1908 and 1909 we were able to obtain large quantities of these urchins in Vineyard Sound by means of tangles. BIOIvOGICAI. SURVEY OF WOODS HOLE AND VICINITY. 115 7541 (few). 1903. 7543 (fragment). 7545 (numerous living). 7546 (few living). 7549 (many living). 7550 (fragments). 7551 (few living). 7552 (few). 7554 (i small dead). 7555 (numerous). 7556 (few). 7557 (i shell). 7558 (many living). 7559 (few living). 7561 (about 2 bushels). 7562 (few living). 7563 (many living). 7564 (many living). 7566 (many spines). 7567 (many spines). 7568 (many spines). 1904. 754ibis many spines). 7S42bis several spines). 7543bis ( none). 7545bis fragment of shell and many spines) 7546bis ^spines). 7547bis ^several living and fragments). 7549bis Jew fragments and spines). 755obis few spines). 755ibis I living, several fr agments). 7552bis 'few spines). 7553bis few spines). 7554bis none). 7556bis (many fragments and spines). 7562bis (none). 7563bis (spines and fragments). 7564bis (many spines). 7569bis (spines). Thus in 1903 the presence of living specimens is expressly recorded in 12 out of 36 stations at which Arbacia occurred, and it is certain that they were present at many of the other stations, perhaps in all cases where the contrary is not explicitly stated. Such records as "few," "many," or "2 bushels" certainly refer, for the most part, to living specimens. We may state confidently, therefore, that living sea urchins of this species, sometimes in large numbers, were taken at from one-half to two-thirds of the stations in question. In 1904, on the other hand, living specimens (never in large numbers) were recorded from only 3 of the 23 stations at which Arbacia or its remains were taken. In all other cases the records are for spines and fragments. '^ Further- more, this condition was equally manifest during the succeeding season. Stations 7735 to 7757 (dredged in 1905) cover practically the same region of the Sound as stations 7521 to 7569. At these 23 stations of the later year spines (in one case fragments) are recorded in 12 cases; in not a 'single case was a living Arbacia taken. Reference to the complete station list for this species shows that throughout the Sound as a whole (sta- tions 7678 to 7783) living specimens of Arbacia were taken but 5 times during the summer of 1905, and that never more than 2 (in four cases a single one) were taken at one time.'' 1 The number of records for spines only would have been somewhat Ereatcr, it is tnic, during the summer of 1903, had the sand, etc., brought up by the dredge, been searched as carefully that year as during subsequent seasons. *> It is to be noted in the case of Strongylotrolus, likewise, that a large proportion of the later (1905) records (7678 to 7752) indicate the presence of spines and fragments only, while living specimens alone were noted in 1903. This last circumstance was, however, doubtless due in considerable measure to the fact that the loose spines of the green urchin were overlooked during the first season (see preceding footnote). The absolute number of stations from which living specimens are recorded in 1905 (counting as living all those not listed as "fragments" or "spines") was 8, as compared with 10 during the summer of 1903. Moreover, at 4 out of 5 of the "bis" stations (1904) at which this species was taken the records indicate living specimens. Thus it seems unlikely that Strongylocentrotus was unfavorably affccled during the winter which wrought such havoc with Arbacia. The same may be said of the "sand dollar," Echinarachnius. We find no evidence of any destruction of this species at that time. Il6 BUIvIvETiN OF THE BUREAU OF FISHERIES. How the severe cold prevalent during the winter under consideration could have resulted in the death of organisms dwelling in several (sometimes many) fathoms of water is difficult to see. With animals so situated an actual freezing seems to be out of question, and the temperature to which they were subjected on this occasion was only a few degrees lower than that ordinarily endured by them in the winter. Further- more, it must be pointed out that the peculiarities in the local distribution of Arhacia correspond to known differences in summer temperatures, not winter temperatures. As has been shown above (p. 50), it is likely that in winter all our waters attain practically the same temperature at the coldest period of the year; and indeed it is the shallower, more inclosed waters, such as those frequented by Arhacia, which are the ones to respond most quickly to the winter cold. Further consideration will be given to this subject in chapter v (p. 177). In addition to these illustrations, which have been discussed at length, we find several other instances among this group of species whose distribution in local waters is certainly related to temperature. Thus Asterias austera, Solaster endeca, and Gor- gonocephalus agassizii, which reach their southern limit of distribution in this region, have been taken by us only at Crab Ledge; while Asterias tenera, though recorded from points as far south as New Jersey, is predominantly a northern form, and locally is only known from outlying points such as Crab Ledge and Sankaty Head. Again the brittle star Ophiopholis aculeata and the peculiar little holothurian Thyone unisemita, the first of which, at least, is known to be a predominantly northern form, have only been recorded by us from the western end of Vineyard Sound and from Crab Ledge — a not unusual combination, as we have seen. Although it is a problem to what degree depth, as such, can be regarded as a factor in determining the distribution of marine animals, we find of course many species which appear to show marked preferences for the deeper or the shoaler waters of the region. Among the echinoderms, it has already been pointed out that the sea urchin Strongylo- cenfro^Mi- occurs in Vineyard Sound chiefly at depths of 10 fathoms or more. The same is true to a less extent of Asterias vulgaris."- Now both of these have already been mentioned as northern forms, which are restricted in large measure to the colder waters of the region. Their avoidance of the shoaler waters near land is probably dependent upon their preference for lower temperatures. Some of our local holothurians have a converse type of distribution; i. e., they show a decided preference for extremely shallow waters. To what degree this fact is related to temperature, and to what degree it depends upon the character of the bottom, in which they burrow, need not be considered here. One of this group, Thyone briareus, was dredged by us several times but never far from land, and its more characteristic habitat is probably in waters which are not accessible to the dredge at all. The following is a list of the echinoderms which were taken by us in the course of the Survey dredging. The asterisk denotes as usual those species which were encountered at 10 or more stations in Vineyard Sound and Buzzards Bay, and for which, consequently, distribution charts have been plotted. a To a certain degree Henricia sanguhwlenta is more prevalent in the deeper waters. Only 7 per cent of our records for this species are from depths less than 5 fathoms, although 24 per cent of all our stations were at depths not exceeding that figure. BIOI^OGICAL SURVEY OF WOODS HOLE AND VICINITY. I I Solaster endeca. *Henricia sanguinolenta (chart 47). Asterias austera. *Asterias forbesi (chart 48). Asterias tenera. *Asterias vulgaris (chart 49). Ophiodenna brevispina. Ophiopholis aculeata. *Arnphipholis squamata (chart 50). Amphiophis abdita. Gorgonocephalus agassizii. *Strongylocentrotus droebachiensis (chart 51). *Arbacia punctulata (chart 52). *Echinarachnius parma (chart 53). Cucumaria pulcherriraa. Thyone briareus. Thyone unisemita. Caudina arcnata. Considering the 7 more prevalent species of local echinoderms, we may group them, as usual, according to their range upon our coast, as predominantly northern or southern. The distributions here stated are those given by Clark. Predominantly northern. Henricia sanguinolenta " Greenland and Labrador to Connecticut, off New Jersey and even Cape Hatteras." Asterias vulgaris " Labrador to Cape Hatteras; but south of the Woods Hole region rarely seen in shallow water. ' ' Strongylocentrotus droebachiensis . . "Circumpolar; southward in the western Atlantic to New Jersey (not in shallow water south of Cape Cod)." Predofninantly southern. Asterias forbesi "Maine to the Gulf of Mexico, rare or local north of Cape Ann. " Arbacia punctulata " Nantucket Shoals and Woods Hole to West Florida and Yucatan. " Of uncertain position. Amphipholis squamata Arctic Ocean to West Indies and South America. (Australia; Mediterranean Sea.) Echinarachnius parma On our coast, from Labrador to New Jersey (also Red Sea). It is obvious that no fair opinion can be formed regarding the zoogeographical position of our local echinoderms from a consideration of these few species. According to Clark, 5 of the 6 true starfishes of the region are northern, though the Asteroidea are the only group which show this preponderance of northern forms. 7. ANNULATA AND SIPUNCULIDA. ANNULATA. Of the Annulata proper 148 determined species are recorded, to which number must be added 4 undetermined species and a few others which are doubtfully to be included in this list. These species represent 109 genera and 40 families. Of the total number of species recorded, 83, or more than 50 per cent, were taken during our own dredging operations; 46 others are recorded for local waters on the authority of persons who have participated in the work of the Sur\-ey, while 30 species are included wholly on the authority of published statements. The great majority of the segmented worms here recorded belong to the subclass Polychaeta, of which about 135 species have been listed for the region. In addition to these, however, are 11 species of Oligochaeta and 4 of the Hirudinea. Only a single new species (Arabella spinifcra Moore) has been described from speci- mens taken during the Survey dredging. A number of species hitherto unrecorded locally have, however, been added to the known fauna of the region. Such are Myxicola steenstrupii, Pista intermedia, Polycirrus phosphoreus, Spiochcctopteriis oculatus, Spirorbis Il8 BULLETIN OF THE BUREAU OP FISHERIES. tuhceformis, and some or all of the following:" Amphitrite cirrata, Chcetinopoma green landica, Cirratulus cirratus, Glycera capitata and Praxilella zonalis. Verrill and Smith (1873) listed 70 determined species of Annulata from specified localities lying within the limits of our region, and some 5 others whose range, as stated, would include Woods Hole and vicinity. Our present list thus comprises about twice as many representatives of this phylum as were catalogued for the region in the "Report upon the Invertebrate Animals of Vineyard Sound." More than 20 other determined species, however, were recorded at that time by Verrill for adjacent portions of the Atlantic coast ; while in later papers he added many more to the fauna of the Woods Hole region itself. Most of those species of our own list which are not comprised within the various papers of Verrill have been recorded upon the authority of Dr. J. P. Moore, who has devoted some years to a systematic study of the Woods Hole Polychseta. Some of these, as above stated, were first taken during the survey dredging operations, while a yet greater number were collected independently by Dr. Moore before the latter opera- tions were commenced. It is understood that Dr. Moore has noted the occurrence of a number of species which are not included in this report, but these records are unfor- tunately not available at present. Except in the case of certain familiar and easily determined forms, all of the annelids from the dredging collections were identified by the last-named zoologist, to whom we are likewise indebted for the revision of our check list of species. This authority is also responsible for the terminology adopted, though not, of course, for all the statements in the text. Our list of Annulata considerably exceeds that given by Whiteaves for eastern Canada. Of the 105 Polychseta comprised in the latter catalogue, 29, or somewhat more than one-fourth, appear to be common to the Woods Hole region. None of the other groups of segmented worms have been considered by Whiteaves. The total number of annelids listed in the Plymouth catalogue is surprisingly near to that in our own. The number of Polychseta is somewhat greater (148) in the former; the number of Oligochseta being smaller (only 3). Of the Plymouth Annulata, 10 of the Polychseta and i of the Oligochseta appear to be common to Woods Hole. Herdman has listed 9o(-f 2?) members of this phylum for the Irish Sea; while Grseffe records 142 species for the Gulf of Trieste. Certain defects of method must be taken into account in judging of the complete- ness of our dredging records for the annelids. As is well known, a large proportion of the species burrow in the sand or mud, in some cases quite deeply. When disturbed, they retreat hastily from the surface. In order to obtain such forms without mutila- tion, or in many cases even to obtain fragments of them, it is necessary to dig deeply into the soil. Dredges such as those employed in the present work removed, at best, but a few inches from the surface of the mud and sand, giving the burrowing worms an ample opportunity to escape. An impressive instance of the incompleteness of our records for some of these bur- rowing annelids is furnished by the case of Diopatra cuprea. This species, as is well known, constructs a parchment-like tube, extending down some feet into the ground. The terminal, exposed portion of the tube is reinforced by any small bits of solid matter which happen to be at hand, e. g., pebbles, shell fragments, or bits of eel grass. By the exercise of considerable care the living worm may be dug up in shallow water. But a These species were all dredged during the course of the survey. Whether or not they had previonsly been collected inde- pendently by Dr. Moore is not known. • BIOLOGICAIv SURVEY OF WOODS HOLE AND VICINITY. I19 although we have encountered these tubes (or rather short segments of tubes) at 198 stations throughout Vineyard Sound and Buzzards Bay, we have not a single record of having taken even the anterior portion of the worm itself in the course of our dredg- ing. Our records for Chcetopierus pcrgamcntaceus, Clymenella torquata, Melinna niacu- lata, and the two species of Pista likewise relate almost exclusively to tubes; although the first two of these species, at least, may be readily collected by digging in shallow water. It is highly probable also that some small and inconspicuous species were pretty constantly lost or overlooked in the process of washing large quantities of mud or sand, particularly as we were seldom assisted in the field by anyone having an ade- quate knowledge of this group." Mistakes due to the actual confusion of one species with another in the field records are probably particularly infrequent for the annelids, in as much as nearly all of the specimens were reserved for identification by Dr. Moore. The one known case in which a certain degree of confusion exists is that of the small tube-dwelling worms of the genus Spirorhis. It was not at first realized that several species of closely similar appearance existed within the limits of the region dredged, and for this reason it was not thought necessary to save samples from every dredge haul. It has consequently been found necessary to list a considerable proportion of our specimens merely as "Spirorhis sp. undetermined;" and it has not seemed worth while to present the distribution charts for any members of the genus, although at least one of these {S. tuhccjormis) is known to have been taken at more than 10 stations. On the average, 4.3 species of Annulata were recorded for each of the Survey dredge hauls. The species found to have the most general distribution was Hydroides dianthus, which was taken at 223 of the 458 stations. Those encountered so frequently as to be taken at one-fourth of the total number of stations were : Hydroides dianthus (223). Diopatra cuprea (198). Nereis pelagica (192). Harmothoe imbricata (189). Lepidonotus squamatus (165). As might have been readily inferred from the habits of this group of organisms, the character of the bottom was found to be the dominant influence in determining their dis- tribution. Now, we have seen that the bottom of Buzzards Bay, as a whole, is muddy, whereas most portions of Vineyard Sound, however much they differ in other respects, agree in the scarcity of mud. Accordingly we find it possible to divide the majority of the annelids from the Survey dredgings into predominantly Bay-dwelling and predom- inantly Sound-dwelling forms. As judged by our dredging records, members of this phylum are encountered with considerably greater frequency in Buzzards Bay than in Vineyard Sound. ^ The average number of species taken per dredge haul for each body of water and for each vessel may be tabulated as follows : Vineyard Sound : Fish Hawk stations 3.5 Phalarope stations 4.6 Buzzards Bay: Fish Hawk stations 6. 2 Phalarope stations 4-6 o To obtain satisfactory results, portions of the bottom material should be covered with sea water and left standing in dishes for some hours. b This statement is in no way inconsistent with the fact that the total number of species recorded for the Sound as a whole is considerably greater than that recorded for the Bay (p. 80). I20 BULLETIN OF THE BUREAU OF FISHERIES. It is to be noted that this preponderance in favor of the Buzzards Bay stations relates only to those of the Fish Hawk. It is in the deeper portions of the Bay, where the Fish Hawk dredgings were made, that the mud predominates. Elsewhere the bot- tom agrees more closely with that of Vineyard Sound. These same facts are shown by a comparison of the lists of "prevalent" species for the different groups of stations (p. 65-71), i. e., the lists of those species which were taken at one-fourth or more of the stations belonging to each group. Thus the list for the Fish Hawk stations of Vineyard Sound contains five species; that for the Fish Hawk stations of Buzzards Bay, nine species. The list for the Phalarope stations in Vineyard Sound contains five species; that for the Phalarope stations of Buzzards Bay, six species. With reference to the wealth of annelid life upon the three types of bottom which we have considered, we have the following figures, representing the average number of species per dredge haul: Sand, 3.4; stones and gravel, 4.7; mud, 5.2. To what extent the greater wealth of annelid life upon muddy bottoms is actual and to what extent it is apparent can not be stated. Soft mud is of course cut into much more deeply with the dredge than is sand or gravel, and thus a larger proportion of the burrowing worms would be collected from the former type of bottom, even if they were equally common upon both. Those species which were taken in one-fourth or more of the dredge hauls made upon sandy bottoms are : "■ Harmothoe imbricata. Hydroides dianthus. Nereis pelagica. Lepidonotus squamatus. Diopatra cuprea. It will be seen that this list comprises exactly the same species as were recorded for one-fourth or more of the total number of stations. It likewise comprises the same species as are to be found in the lists for both the Fish Hawk and Phalarope stations in Vineyard Sound. The following is a list of prevalent species (according to the same standard) taken upon bottoms of gravel and stones: Hydroides dianthus. Harmothoe imbricata. Nereis pelagica. Diopatra cuprea. Lepidonotus squamatus. Pseudopotamilla oculifera. The only one of these which was not comprised in the preceding list is the last one named. The corresponding list for muddy bottoms is as follows: Hydroides dianthus. Harmothoe imbricata. Diopatra cuprea. Ninoe nigripes. Nephthys incisa. Cistenides gouldii. Clymenella torquata. Three of the foregoing species {Hydroides, Diopatra, and Harmothoe) were comprised in all of the preceding lists, and indeed they may be regarded as almost ubiquitous in local waters. The other four are to be regarded as characteristic of muddy bottoms, and indeed all of the seven appear among the "prevalent" species for the Fish Hawk « In this and all similar lists, the species are arranged in the order of frequency. BIOI^OGICAL SURVEY OF WOODS HOLE AND VICINITY. 121 stations in Buzzards Bay. The latter list is seen to be the most extensive one, so far as annelids are concerned. It will be found upon p. 66 and need not be repeated here. Distribution charts (54-82) have been prepared for those 29 species (exclusive of Spirorbis) which were taken at 10 or more dredging stations. With respect to their distribution in local waters, we may arrange the species in the five following groups: Species nearly or quite restricted to Vineyard Sound. Xumber of stations. Eulalia annulata 17 Sound+ai Bay. Leprsea rubra 22 Sound+ i Bay. Polycirrus eximeus 10 Sotmd+ o Bay. These species and some less frequent ones which might have been included are recorded almost exclusively from bottoms of sand or gravel. It is perhaps worth noting that the three listed are ones which are found most commonly in the interstices of the sandy ascidian, Atnaroucium pcUucidum. Polycirrus eximeus is recorded by us only from the eastern half of the Sound. Species occurring predominantly in Vineyard Sound, though more or less common in Buzzards Bay. Number of stations. Harmothoe imbricata 122 Sound+60 Bay. Lepidonotus squamatus 113 Sound+44 Bay. Nereis pelagica 152 Sound+23 Bay. Lumbrineris hebes 15 Sound+ 5 Bay. Pseudopotamilla oculifera 59 Sound+i8 Bay. Sabellaria vulgaris 60 Sound+12 Bay. Reference to the charts shows that in the case of four of these six species, their occurrence in Buzzards Bay is in a large degree restricted to the inshore stations. This is a type of distribution which has been met with frequently, being exemplified by animals belonging to nearly all phyla. The comparative scarcity of mud at these inshore stations of the Bay is doubtless responsible for this peculiarity in their distri- bution. .Species nearly or quite restricted to Buzzards Bay. Number of stations. Nephthys incisa 46 Bay+3 Sound. Ninoe nigripes 38 Bay+i Sound. Rhynchobolus americanus 22 Bay+2 Sound. Chaetopterus pergamentaceus 43 Bay+o Sound. Spiochc-etopterus oculatus 35 Bay+2 Sound. Pista intermedia b 18 Bay+2 .Sound. Melinna maculata 16 Bay+o Sound. Cistenides gouldii 37 Bay+o Sound. Maldane elongata 16 Bay+o Sound. species occurring predominantly in Buzzards Bay, though taken occasionally in Vineyard Sound. Number of stations. Pista palmata h ,3 Bay + 7 Sound. Ampharete setosa 15 Bay+ 5 Sound. Clymenella torquata 50 Bay+io Sotind. Trophonia affinis 17 Bay+ 4 Sound. o At mouth of Bay. 6 Mostly inshore stations. 122 BULLETIN OF THE BUREAU OF FISHERIES. With a very few exceptions the last two lists comprise species which primarily inhabit muddy shores and bottoms. In the case of certain species {Clymenella and Rhynchoholus) it is to be noted that the few records of their occurrence in Vineyard Sound refer to areas whose bottoms are known to be partially muddy. This type of distribution is not, however, wholly intelligible in the case of Clymenella torquata, since it is known to occur in abundance in shores of pure sand. Unlike most of the foregoing species, Pista palmata and P. intermedia appear to be restricted, both in the Bay and in the Sound, to the adlittoral zone. They are found upon various types of bottom, including muddy ones. Platynereis megalops might perhaps have been included, in the last of the foregoing lists, since it was recorded more frequently (absolutely as well as relatively) from Buzzards Bay. Like the two species of Pista, it was taken much more often at the inshore stations. As the last of our groups with respect to distribution, we have : Species exhibiting no evident preference for one or the other body of water. Number of stations. Nephthys bucera 6 Sound -f- 5 Bay. Marphysa leidyi 7 Sound + 5 Bay. Diopatra cuprea 105 Sound+86 Bay. Arabella opalina 27 Sound+17 Bay. Parasabella microphthalmia 6 Sound+ 6 Bay. Hydroides dianthus 130 Sound+93 Bay. The distribution of most of these last species seems to be entirely independent of the character of the bottom. Two of them {Diopatra and Hydroides) are among the most ubiquitous of our local Annulata, though it is possible that the distribution of Diopatra is not so general as the wide-spread occurrence of its tubes would lead one to suppose. Regarding three of the foregoing species the records are too meager to permit of our forming any conclusions of value. Nephthys hucera is probably not of general occur- rence in the Bay, since it is known to be predominantly a sand-dwelling species. The temperature factor, which has been shown to be such an important one in determining the distribution of many species belonging to other groups of organisms, probably applies to certain of the local annelids, though it appears to play a relatively insignificant part with respect to the species for which charts have been plotted. The only case among the latter which seems to fall under this head is that of the serpulid worm Hydroides dianthus. The absence of this species from the western portion of Vineyard Sound is a conspicuous feature in its distribution, especially when coupled with the fact that it has not once been recorded from Crab Ledge, despite the favorable bottom at the latter point. It is of probable significance in this connection that Hydroides is predominantly a southward-ranging species, which may, on this account, be poorly adapted to the colder waters of the region. The case resembles that of the coral Astrangia (p. 99) and that of the sea urchin Arbacia (p. 113), which have already been discussed from this point of view. So far as our records go, however, there are in Vineyard Sound none of those characteristic cold-water species which are confined to the neighborhood of the open ocean. But there are a number of species of annelids recorded from the Crab Ledge stations alone among the dredgings of the survey. For most of such species Cape Cod is believed to lie at the southern limit of distribution. Some of these are included in the following table. The statements as to range have been furnished us by Dr. Moore. BIOLOGICAIv SURVEY OF WOODS HOLE AND VICINITY. 123 Northern types taken only at Crab Ledge. Ammotry-pane fimbriata Gulf of Maine to Vineyard Sound. Amphitrite cirrata Northern Europe to Crab Ledge. Chaetinopoma greenlandica Northern seas, south in deep water to Massachusetts. Eunoe oerstedi Greenland to Vineyard Sound. Filograna implexa North Atlantic, south to Nantucket; off Sankaty Head. Glycera capitata Northern Europe to Crab Ledge. Nothria conchylegia North Atlantic, south to Cape Cod. Myxicola steenstrupii North Atlantic, south to Massachusetts. Thclepus cincinnatus North Atlantic, south to Massachusetts. The low temperature of the bottom waters at Crab Ledge was considered on p. 5 1 and has been referred to elsewhere in our discussions of distribution. Attention has already been called to the fact that a number of our charted species of annelids are recorded primarily from the inshore (adhttoral) stations, both in the Bay and in the Sound. This is true of Pista palmata, Pista intermedia, Parasabella microph- thalmia, and in a lesser degree of Platynereis megalops. The same phenomenon is exhibited by certain less common species, such as Sthenelais picta and Dodecaceria coralii. All of these species were recorded wholly or chiefly from the Phalarope and Blue Winq stations. On the other hand, certain species appear at first sight to show a tendency exactly the opposite of that manifested by those just mentioned. These others were encoun- tered with considerable frequency during the Fish Hawk dredging, but were seldom taken by the Phalarope. Examples of such species are Eulalia annulata, Nephthys huccra, Ninoe nigripes, Arabella opalina, and Rhynchobolus americanus. As a matter of fact, however, the last two species, at least, are known to be common along shore, where they may be dug up with the spade. Their absence from the Phalarope records is very probably due to the failure of the dredges employed on the latter vessel to cut deeply enough into the bottom. Indeed, it is quite possible that this same explana- tion will hold for most of the cases in which species of Annulata seem to be restricted to the Fish Hawk stations. And, in general, when we are considering any case in which a given species has been obtained almost exclusively by one or the other vessel, the question must be asked whether the personal element may not have played a part in determining this result. It has been stated that the Fish Hawk and Phalarope dredgings were under the super- vision of different persons. As is well known, different observers see different things, depending upon what has especially been brought to their notice. We do not believe however, that much importance need be attached to this source of error in considering most of the species which have been listed here. In the case of certain of those which have been mentioned as having a predominantly adlittoral habitat (e. g., Pista inter- m,edia), it is noteworthy that even the Fish Hawk stations at which they were taken were mainly near shore. A considerable number of the Annulata, the names of which appear in our faunal catalogue, are strictly intertidal in their habitat, or at least are confined to the shallow waters just below the tidal limits. Such forms hav^e naturally not been taken with the dredge, although many of them are common enough in their proper habitat. E.xamples of species such as these are Podarke obscura, Nereis limbata, Scoloplos fragilis, Amphi- trite ornata, Notomasius luridus, Arenicola cristata, Arenicola marina, Spirorbis spirorbis. 124 BULI^ETIN OF THE BUREAU OF FISHERIES. and all of the Oligochseta so far as listed. As has already been stated, it is likely that most of the benthic species extend nearly or quite up to the littoral zone ; and indeed they often occupy the latter as well. On the other hand, many of our local Annulata are pelagic during a part, at least, of their existence. This is true of the larvae of nearly all the Polychaeta, and holds for the sexual phase of many adult worms, particularly the SylHdae and Nereidse. One highly modified and typically pelagic fonn, Tomopteris helgolandica, is taken in the local tow during the winter and spring, sometimes occurring in abundance. Two exotic species, which may perhaps be termed pelagic, were found upon floating timbers among goose barnacles. These are Amphinome pallasii^ and Hipponoe gaudichmidi. A few of the more striking examples of a difference of habitat being shown by different members of the same genus are as follows: Nephthys. N. incisa: Frequents bottoms of soft mud. N. bucera: Frequents sandy bottoms. Nereis. N. pelagica: Clear waters, non-muddy bottoms. N. limbata: Strictly littoral, preferring foul and brackish waters. N. virens: Diverse habitat. Cirratulus. C. grandis: Shores and deeper waters in sand and gravel. C. parvus: Deeper Avaters only, in colonies of Amaroucium pellucidum. Amphitrite. A. ornata: Inner waters of region, strictly littoral. A. brunnea and A. cirrata: Only recorded from Crab Ledge. Pista. P. palmata: Said to frequent purer waters and cleaner sand than P. intermedia. Spirorbis. S. spirorbis: On rock-weed, littoral. S. tubseformis: On Phyllophora and Chondrus, from adlittorai zone to greatest depths of region. S. quadrangularis: At Crab Ledge only. S. stimpsoni: At Crab Ledge only. S. fewkesi: From algse in deeper waters of Vineyard Sound. The following species of Annulata were taken during the dredging operations of the Survey: Autolytus omatus. Eusyllis fragilis. Odontosyllis lucifera. Paedophylax dispar. Syllis pallida. Trypanosyllis sp. *Eulalia annulata (chart 54). Eulalia gracilis. Eulalia pistacia. Eumidia americana. Phyllodoce catenula. Eunoe oerstedi. *Harmothoe imbricata (chart 55). *Lepidonotus squamatus (chart 56). Lepidonotus sublevis. Sigalion arenicola. Sthenelais gracilis. Sthenelais picta. *Nephthys bucera (chart 57). *Nephthys incisa (chart 58). Nereis arenaceodentata. Nereis dumerilii. *Nereis pelagica (chart 59). Nereis virens. *Platynereis megalops (chart 60). *Marphysa leidyi (chart 61). *Diopatra cuprea (chart 62). Nothria conchylegia. *Arabella opalina (chart 63). Drilonereis longa. a This, we learn, is known to be littoral in the West Indies. BIOLOGICAL SURVEY OF WOODS HOIvE AND VICINITY. 125 *Ampharete setosa (chart 73). *Melmna maculata (chart 74). *Cistenides gouldii (chart 75). Capitella sp. Ammotrypane fimbriata. Ophelia denticulata. *Clymenella torquata (chart 76). *Maldane elongata (chart 77). Praxilella zonalis. Scalibregma brevicauda. Brada setosa. *Trophonia affinis (chart 78). Euchone elegans. Myxicola steenstrupii. *Parasabella microphthalmia (chart 79). ^ *Pseudopotamilla oculifera (chart 80). Protula sp. Chaetinopoma greenlandica. Filograna implexa. *Hydroides dianthus (chart 81). Spirorbis quadrangularis. Spirorbis spirillum (probably taken more than ten times). Spirorbis tubseformis. *Sabellaria vulgaris (chart 82). Ichthyobdella funduli. *Lumbrireris hebes (chart 64). Lumbrineris tenuis. *Ninoe nigripes (chart 65). Euglycera dibranchiata. Glycera capitata. *Rhynchobolus americanus (chart 66). Scoloplos fragilis. Scoloplos robustus. Polydora concharum. Scolecolepis viridis. Spio sp. undet. *Ch3etopterus pergamentaceus (chart 67). *Spioch3etopterus oculatus (chart 68). Ammochares artifex. Cirratulus cirratus. Cirratulus grandis. Cirratulus parvus. Cirratulus tenuis. Dodecaceria coralii. Amphitrite cirrata. ^Leprsea rubra (chart 69). Nicolea simplex. *Pista intermedia (chart 70). *Pista palmata (chart 71). *Polycirrus eximeus (chart 73). Thelepus cincinnatus. Sabellides pusilla. If we classify our 30 commoner species of bottom-dwelling annelids as predomi- nantly northern or southern, according to their known range upon our coast, we have the following groups:*^ Predominantly northern. Harmothoe imbricata Circumboreal ; south on our coast to New Jersey. Lepidonotus squamatus Both sides of North Atlantic; Greenland to South Carolina : also reported from north Pacific. Nephthys incisa Spitzbergen to Long Island Sound. Nereis pelagica Greenland and Labrador to Beaufort, N. C, becoming smaller and less common south of Vineyard Sound. Ninoe nigripes Eastport, Me., to Block Island. Predominantly southern. Eulalia annulata Provincetown, Mass. , to New Jersey. Nephthys bucera Massachusetts Bay to Charleston, S. C. Platynereis megalops Cape Cod to Beaufort, N. C. Marphysa leidyi Massachusetts to North Carolina. Diopatra cuprea Cape Cod to Charleston, S. C. Arabella opalina Massachusetts to Porto Rico. Rliynchobolus americanus Massachusetts to Charleston, S. C. Chaetopterus pergamentaceus. . .Cape Cod to West Indies. Spiocha^topterus oculatus Wellfleet, Mass., to Virginia. Lepraea rubra Massachusetts to North Carolina. Pista palmata Cape Cod to Virginia. o The ranges are stated upoa the authority o( Dr. Moore. 126 BUIylvETlN OF THE BUREAU OF FISHERIES. Polycirrus eximeus Cape Cod to Beaufort, N. C Ampliarete setosa New Haven to east of Falmouth. Melinna maculata Woods Hole to Virginia. Cistenides gouldii Casco Bay to North Carolina. Clymenella torquata Eastport, Me. , to Porto Rico. Maldane elongata Massachusetts to North Carolima. Trophonia affinis Massachusetts Bay to southern New Jersey. Parasabella microphthalmia. . . .Massachusetts Bay to Beaufort, N. C. Hydroides dianthus Casco Bay (in sheltered places) and Massachusetts Bay to Charleston, S. C. Spirorbis tubseformis Vineyard Sound to New Haven. Sabellaria vulgaris Provincetown to Beaufort, N. C. Having a range of approximately equal extent ?wrth and south. Lumbrineris hebes Casco Bay to New Jerse}'. Pseudopotamilla oculifera Bay of Fimdy to Virginia. Of doubtful position. Pista intermedia Cape Cod to Block Island. It w^ill thus be seen that a large majority of the more prevalent benthic species of Annulata found in this vicinity are predominantly southern in their range, while of the iew species whose range is predominantly northern all but two have a range which extends far to the southward of Woods Hole. SIPUNCULIDA. So far as known, this group of worms has a scant representation in our local fauna. Only three determined species are included in our list, of which only one {Phascolion strombi) was encountered with any frequency in the dredge. This was mainly recorded from the inshore stations of Buzzards Bay, though taken elsewhere on a number of occasions (chart 83). On account of its peculiar mode of life it was probably fre- quently overlooked during the earlier days of our dredging. This worm, according to Gerould, is "found all along the eastern coast of North America from off Virginia northward to Labrador." Since it occurs in such widely different latitudes as the West Indies and the northern coast of i^sia, the distribution of this species can have little relation to temperature. Another of our local sipunculids {Phascolosoma verrillii Gerould) has been taken on a very few occasions only. It was apparently obser^^ed by Verrill, though not described by him. 8. ARTHROPODA. With a few exceptions the phylum Arthropoda is represented in our marine fauna by the class Crustacea alone, the members of which occupy somewhat the same position in the life of the sea as do the insects upon land. The total number of Crustacea thus far listed for this region is about 300, which is a larger number than is recorded for any other class of animals or even for any entire phylum besides the Arthropoda. There are comprised in our catalogue 289 definitely determined species of Crustacea, together with 3 which are undetermined and 18 which have been determined with doubt. Of these, 1 26 ( + 6?) are to be assigned to the subclass Entomostraca and 163(4- 15 ?) to the subclass Malacostraca. Since the former subclass comprises for the most part small BIOLOGICAL SURVEY OP WOODS HOLE AND VICINITY. 1 27 and inconspicuous forms, it is likely that the list of these is far less complete than that for the latter group, which comprises, for the most part, species of moderate or large size. It is the Malacostraca, likewise, which are chiefly represented in our dredging records; indeed, we should say exclusively represented but for the ever-present barnacles. Owing to the magnitude of this class and to the fact that different sections have been treated by different specialists, it seems best to consider the orders separately. I. PHYLLOPODA. The Phyllopoda are represented in our list by two members of the Polyphemidae, which were identified by Mr. R. W. Sharpe among material collected with the townet at Woods Hole, and by a species of Ariemia, which was observed by Verrill in "salt vats " at Falmouth, and is perhaps not to be included in our marine fauna at all. One or more species of Polyphemidae are at times excessively abundant in the Woods Hole plankton, and it is likely that our phyllopod fauna is far more extensive than the present meager records would imply. II. OSTRACODA. Twenty-six species of ostracods have been identified by Dr. Cushman'^ among specimens collected in the vicinity of Woods Hole. Of these, 21 were recorded from the Sur\^ey dredgings. Since this group had never been studied locally prior to the work of Dr. Cushman, all of these 26 species may be regarded as additions made to our local fauna through the operations of the Survey. Ten of them were described for the first time by Dr. Cushman from specimens dredged or otherwise collected during the summer of 1905. Mr. R. W. Sharpe, who has examined large quantities of townet material collected in Woods Hole Harbor, believes that he has met with "perhaps 20 forms, certainly new to oar shores, and mostly new to science." Thus far, however, he has not published descriptions of any of these local species. Reference to the comparative table on page 88 shows that 29(-|-9?) species of ostra- cods have been listed for eastern Canada, 6 for Plymouth, 57(+i?) for the Irish Sea, and 9 for the Gulf of Trieste. It is likely that these numbers represent the relative thor- oughness of the search which has been made for these organisms rather than the relative wealth of species at these points. Ten of the Canadian species are known to be common to Woods Hole, but so far as we may infer from the lists there are no species com- mon to Woods Hole and Plymouth. None of the Ostracoda were recorded from a sufficient number of dredging stations to warrant our plotting distribution charts for them. Moreover, they were only sought for during one season of the regular dredging work of the Survey ^ and consequently we have a very imperfect idea of their distribution in local waters. From our records the ostracods appear to be chiefly restricted to the western end of Vineyard Sound, and it seems likely that their scarcity in the eastern part is in a considerable measure real, since bottom samples from the entire length of the Sound were examined by Dr. Cushman. » A list of these has already been published in ProccedinKS of the Boston Society of Natural History, vol. 32, 1906. ' A few additional records were obtained in 1907. 128 BUI^LETIN OF THE BUREAU OF FISHERIES. III. COPEPODA. These fall into two rather natural subdivisions, including the free-living and the parasitic forms, respectively, though the line of division is not strictly a taxonomic one. The list of free-living copepods, including 25 {+1 ?) species, is derived from the pubUshed reports of W. M. Wheeler (1900) and of R. W. Sharpe (i9io).« Wheeler listed 30 spe- cies for the "Woods Hole Region," though the majority of these were recorded only from waters lying well without the limits of the region considered in the present report. Mr. Sharpe examined collections taken by himself in the tow net throughout the season of 1908, as well as material which had already been gathered by the schooner Gramptis and by Mr. V. N. Edwards. He has catalogued 60 species, of which, however, more than half are extralimital. The parasitic copepods of this region, of which 58(4-2?) species are comprised in our catalogue, have been listed by S. I. Smith (in Verrill and Smith, 1873), R. Rathbun (1884-1887), M. J. Rathbun (1905), and by C. B. Wilson in a series of recent papers. We are indebted to the last-named authority for examining the manuscript of our annotated list of this group, as well as for furnishing a valuable set of notes which have been incor- porated in the latter. The nomenclature and the classification adopted are his. Scarcely any copepods, either free or parasitic, are recorded in the Canadian cata- logue of marine invertebrates. The Plymouth list comprises 24 free-living species and one parasitic. Herdman has listed 195 copepods (chiefly free-living) from the Irish Sea, while Graeffe's catalogue for the Gulf of Trieste includes 56 free-living copepods and no parasitic species. Here again, it is quite unlikely that these figures are at all indic- ative of the actual wealth of the copepod fauna at the respective points. IV. CIRRIPEDIA. Of this order, 17 species are listed for the region, though two of these are included somewhat doubtfully. Of these only two {Balanus eburneus and B. porcalus) , and possibly a third {B. crenatus), have been taken during our Survey dredging. Most of the species listed in the catalogue have, however, been collected at one point or another by our parties. One species, Chthamalus stellatus, although very abundant at present, seems to have escaped the notice of local zoologists and had not apparently been recorded for New England waters until attention was recently called to it by one of the present writers.'' Another {Balanus tintinnahulum) had not, so far as we know, been definitely recorded for points within the region. This last is, however, an exotic form, and is not, probably, to be included in our fauna. Verrill and Smith (1873) Usted 13 species of barnacles, most of which, however, were not recorded from definitely indicated points within the limits of our region. All but one of our 17 species are included by Miss Rathbun in her "List of the Crustacea," though not in all cases recorded for strictly local waters. Scant attention has been given, however, to the sessile barnacles of our coast, and it is not unlikely that further studies will considerably increase the number of known species. Notwithstanding this probable incompleteness of our list, it will be seen a The list of Rhode Island species prepared by Williams (1906) has not been considered here, since the records relate only to Narragansett Bay. b Science, Sept. 17, igog. (See also footnote on page 190 of this report.) BIOLOGICAL SURVEY OF WOODS HOLE AND VICINITY. 1 29 (p. 89) that a greater number of cirripedes have been catalogued from Woods Hole than from any of the other stations considered in our table. Only 10 species each have been listed by Whiteaves, Herdman, and the Plymouth laboratory, while 15 have been recorded by Graeffe. Six of the Canadian species and 4 of those listed for Plymouth are common to our Woods Hole catalogue. The barnacles, particularly the sessile forms, are a very bafiiing group to the tax- onomist, and it must be admitted that our local collections have not received the treat- ment which they deserv^e. During the greater part of the Survey dredging separate specimens were preserved from each station at which barnacles were taken. A large proportion of these specimens were immature, many others were waterworn and imper- fect. The small collection made during the summer of 1903 was examined by Dr. H. A. Pilsbry, who furnished a list of identifications covering this earlier period. The survey was unable to obtain the services of this speciaUst in determining the barnacles dredged during the subsequent seasons of the work.'* This task was finally undertaken by the senior author of this report, who offers his results with considerable reser\'ation. Atten- tion must be called to the frequently reiterated statements of Darwin, the chief monog- rapher of this group, respecting the high variability and the indefinite limits of the species of Balanus. As evidence of the impossibility of distinguishing these species by external characters, he writes (Monograph of the Cirripedia, vol. 11, p. 187) : "After hav- ing described nearly 40 species, and when my eye was naturally able to appreciate small differences, I began carefully to examine varieties of B. tintinnahidum, amphitrite, impro- visus, porcatus, vestitus, etc., without even a suspicion Xhdit they belonged to these species, at that time thoroughly well known to me." It must be added, however, that the case is far less difficult to one who deals with a very few species occupying a very limited area. Unless certain species which have never been reported from the Woods Hole Region are nevertheless common here, our determinations are probably correct in the great majority of cases. By far the larger proportion of specimens coming from the Survey dredgings which have been examined have been referred to Balanus eburneus. Large specimens of this species, found upon the bottom of a boat and elsewhere, have been studied carefully, with reference both to the internal and external structure of the shell. The same careful examination was extended to certain of the specimens coming from the dredgings. None of the latter, however, nearly equaled in size the examples taken from woodwork in shallow water, and are probably for the most part immature. The longitudinal striation of the terga is faintly indicated, or altogether wanting, and the general shape of the opercular plates differs from those taken from adult specimens. It must be confessed, therefore, that general appearance and the process of elimination have led us to our decision in regard to most of these specimens. They are ob\4ously not to be referred to Balanus balanoides, for they have a shelly base, and differ in other conspicuous ways. Moreover, the latter species is strictly intertidal in its habitat. Nor are they to be assigned to Balanus crenatus, B. porcatus, or, indeed, to any of the other species which have thus far been recorded from this region. At least one source of serious confusion seems to be possible, however. Darwin tells us that "diagnosis o We are indebted to him, however, for the identification of a considerable number of stalked barnacles of the genera Lepas and Conchoderma. 16269° — Bull. 31, pt I — 13 9 I30 BULLETIN OF THE BUREAU OF FISHERIES. is most difficult without long practice" between immature specimens of B. eburneus and the young of B. improvisus. According to both Darwin and Gruvel, the latter species is recorded from Nova Scotia and the coast of the United States, though no definite localities are stated. Thus it does not seem unlikely that this species occurs in our local waters and that it may have hitherto been confused with Balanus eburneus. Barring this possibility, however, of a confusion with some closely similar species which has not been recorded from local waters, it is probable that nearly all of the barnacles dredged by the Survey are to be assigned to Balanus eburneus. Acting upon this suppo- sition, we have plotted out a single distribution chart based not only upon the specimens which have been identified as Balanus eburneus but upon those which, owing to imma- turity or poor preservation, could not be identified with confidence. The two sets of records have, however, been separated in the faunal catalogue. The chart (84) shows us that this species is of general occurrence and of considerable abundance throughout both the Sound and the Bay. It was recorded from 157 stations, or somewhat more than one-third of the total number dredged. The specimens which were dredged were commonly attached to stones or shells, very frequently to shells which were occupied by hermit crabs. This last circumstance may account, in some measure, for the very general distribution of this species upon the local sea floor. Balanus eburneus occurs at all depths within our region, even extending up to the neighborhood of the low-water mark, where its zone overlaps that of B. balanoides."' The range of Balanus eburneus, according to Darwin, is from Massachusetts ("about lat. 42° ") to Venezuela and the West Indies. It thus falls within the class of southward- ranging species. Barnacles of one (perhaps two) other species were dredged by us. Large specimens of Balanus porcaius were taken at Crab Ledge, and at least one specimen of this same species was taken in Vineyard Sound. Other worn shells, which are believed to be those of either B. porcaius or B. crenatus, were dredged on several occasions in the Sound. The latter species was said by Verrill to be "abundant" in Vineyard Sound, but this is directly contradicted by our own experience, though we have found it growing in considerable numbers upon piles at Vineyard Haven. Above low- water mark Balanus balanoides occurs in prodigious profusion, being one of the most abundant and conspicuous members of our littoral fauna. With it upon rocks and piles, though commonly at a somewhat higher level, is to be found Chthamalus stellatus, which is likewise abundant and generally distributed along our shores locally. A number of species of stalked barnacles of the genera Lepas and Conchoderma are included in our list. Several of these species, notably Lepas fascicularis, L. hilli, and L. anatifera, are sometimes found in considerable profusion. They are, however, pelagic organisms which find their proper home in the open sea. o We have found Balanus balanoides, B. eburneus, B. crenatus, and Chthamalus stellatus growing together on a single piece of bark removed from a wharf pile at Vineyard Haven. BIOLOGICAL SURVEY OF WOODS HOLE AND VICINITY. 131 V. AMPHIPODA. Locally, at least, the amphipods are by far the most abundant of the Malacostraca, both in respect to the number of individuals and of species. Seventy-one determined species are recorded for the region, to which number must be added 6 which are listed as undetermined or are doubtfully to be included in this list. These species belong to 54(+5?) genera and 22(4-2?) families. Of the total number of species recorded, 35, or about one-half, have been taken during our own dredging operations; 26 others have been identified from shore or townet collections made during the progress of the sur\^ey; while the remainder are recorded solely upon the authority of published statements. None of the species encountered during the present work have been described as new to science, though it is believed that the collections contain one or more unde- scribed species. About nine species have been added to the fauna of the region either through our dredging operations or through the identification of material in the posses- sion of the laboratory. Verrill and Smith (1873) listed 31 species of amphipods, of which only 16 were determined species recorded for specified localities within the region. Many of the others must, however, have been observed in local waters, although the ranges were stated in general terms. Holmes (1905) lists 79 determined species of amphipods, some of which were first described in his report of that date. From this number, however, must be deducted about 20 species which were not recorded for points within the area at present under consideration. Miss Rathbun, in her "List of the Crustacea," includes over 100 species and varieties for the whole of New England, but a considerable proportion of these are extralimital as regards our present region. The list of invertebrates for eastern Canada comprises 70(4-4?) species of amphi- pods, a number almost identical with our own. Of these, 20 are known to be common to the two lists. The Plymouth catalogue records 52 members of this order, of which only 7 or 8 appear to be common to our Woods Hole fauna. Herdman catalogues 129 species for the Irish Sea, while Graeffe lists 49(-|- 1 ?) for the Gulf of Trieste. Since the amphipods are contained very largely in the sand and mud brought up by the dredge, the completeness of the record for any region depends, of course, upon the character of the bottom sample obtained and upon the thoroughness mth which it is subsequently washed. Thus in the first season (1903) few amphipods were listed, owing to the imperfect methods then employed. Another possible source of error is the likelihood of free-swimming species from any depth being caught in the dredge during the passage of the latter through the water after leaving the bottom. Thus, some of those amphipods which constitute at times such an important element in the plankton may figure as bottom dwelling species in the records. It is believed that cases of this sort are comparatively few, however, owing to the probability that these free-swimming species would pass out through the meshes of a dredge net. With a few exceptions no effort was made to identify the amphipods in the field, but the specimens from each station were preserved for future determination. For the identification of many of these we are under obligation to Prof. S. J. Holmes, to whom we are likewise indebted for a critical examination of our check list of amphipods. The greater part of the work of identification was, however, performed by Dr. Cole. A 132 BUI.I.ETIN OF THE BUREAU OF FISHERIES. large collection of specimens taken by Mr. Edwards with the tow net, or gathered by the Survey parties during the shore collecting, has been identified for us by Dr. B. W. Kunkel. A few of the readily recognizable forms (e. g., Unciola irrorata) were frequently listed in the field. Unfortunately during the first season all the Caprellidae were recorded by the collectors as "Caprella geometrica." Since some other members of this genus have Jaeen recorded from the region, and particularly since the allied .-Eginella longicornis is found with great frequency, such records are, of course, equivocal, and they have been changed to "Caprellidse sp." Later dredgings have, however, resulted in differentiating to some degree the distributions of these species, but not sufficiently to warrant our plotting out a separate chart for each. We have consequently prepared a single chart showing their combined distribution. On the average 1.6 species of amphipods are recorded for each of the Survey dredge hauls. The species found to have the most general distribution was Unciola irrorata, which was taken at 115 of the regular dredging stations. No other member was encountered at as many as one-fourth the entire number of stations. The most salient fact respecting the distribution of the bottom-dwelling amphipods in local waters is the paucity of species in Buzzards Bay as compared with Vineyard Sound. In fact, of the 19 species for which distribution charts have been plotted, only 2 are shown to be of greater abundance in the Bay, while not more than 2 others seem to be present in about equal numbers in the two bodies of water. We may for con- venience group the species as follows with reference to their comparative abundance in one or the other body of water. Species wholly or chiefly restricted to Vineyard Sound. Sound Bay stations. stations. Lysianopsis alba 11 2 Haustorius arenarius 11 i Byblis serrata 16 4 Calliopius laeviusculus 15 o Pontogenia inermis 25 2 Batea secunda 24 i Gammarus annulatus 9 i Elasmopus Isevis 30 3 ? Autonoe smithi (data too few) 12 5 Amphithoe, rubricata 32 9 Jassa marmorata 16 i Ericthonius minax 31 r Corophium cylindricum 59 7 .^ginella longicornis 1 ^_ Caprella geomtrica J ' Species chiefly restricted to Buzzards Bay. Ampelisca macrocephala 4 27 Ptilocheirus pinguis 14 42 Species of nearly unrestricted distribution. Ampelisca spinipes 32 23 Unciola irrorata 70 40 BIOLOGICAL SURVEY OF WOODS HOLE AND VICINITY. 1 33 With the exception of those four species comprised in the last two lists, the amphi- pods, when recorded from Buzzards Bay at all, were nearly always taken in the vicinity of land, i. e., at the adlittoral stations. In a large proportion of cases the Bay stations were near the passages connecting with Vineyard Sound, or close to the lower end of the Bay.<^ On the other hand, even within the Sound, certain species are found not to have an unrestricted distribution. For example, Haustorius arenarius, Byhlis serrata, Calliopius IcBviusctdus , Pontogenia inermis, and Jassa marmorata are in large degree restricted to the western half of the Sound, while Lysianopsis alba, Batea secunda, and Autonoe smithi are for the most part restricted to the eastern half. One of the two predominantly Bay -dwelling species (Ampelisca macrocephala) and perhaps also the other {Piilocheirus pinguis) appear to be in some measure restricted in the Sound to points where the bottom is muddy. The difiference between the Bay and the Sound in respect to tneir amphipod faunas, and in considerable measure the local distribution within each of these bodies of water, are for the most part explainable by reference to the character of the bottom. Just such types of distribution have already been encountered in the case of other groups and need not be discussed here. Certain cases which appear to be explainable by reference to temperature will be considered shortly. An interesting feature respecting the amphipod life of the Bay and the Sound appears when we consider the average number of species taken per dredge haul for each body of water and for each vessel. The figures are as follows: Vineyard Sound: Fish Hawk 1,8 Phalarope i. g Buzzards Bay: Fish Hawk 1.3 Phalarope i. i While these figures were considerably higher for the Sound stations than for the Bay stations, there is nothing like the disproportion which might have been expected in view of the fact that the number of predominantly Sound-dwelling species which were shown upon our charts was so much in excess of {7^2 times) the number of predominantly Bay-dwelling species. Again, the average number of species per dredge haul is the same (1.6) for each of the three types of bottom distinguished. And when we consider the fists of "preva- lent" species for the various groups of stations, we find that only such one (Unciola inoratd) occurred at one-fourth of the Vineyard Sound stations of the Fish Hawk, while three species (Ptilocheirus pinguis, Unciola irroraia, and Ampelisca macrocephala) occurred at an equal proportion of Buzzards Bay stations. This condition seems to be only explainable on the supposition that while the number of species which inhabit Vineyard Sound is greatly in excess of the number found in Buzzards Bav, such species as do occur in the latter are of much more general prevalence throughout its extent. A discussion of similar phenomena has already been given in chapter in. Two apparent cases of distribution in relation to temperature are Calliopius Iccvius- culus and Pontogenia inermis, which occur, so far as our dredging records show, primarily <• In some cases, just without. Here and elsewhere stations have been classed as Bay or Sound stations which lay on the Bay or Sound sides, respectively, of Sow and Pigs Reef, cxtcndinK from the end of Cuttyhunk Island. 134 BULLETIN OP THE BUREAU OF FISHERIES. in the colder region of the Sound. Both of these are predominantly northern species, as will be seen by reference to the table on page 135, giving the ranges of some of the local amphipods. It must be added, however, that the first species is taken throughout the year in the surface tow at Woods Hole and has been collected along shore at various local points even in midsummer. In the case of two other species, Byblis serrata and Haus- torius arenarius, there appears to be likewise to some extent a preference for the western extremity of Vineyard Sound. Neither of these, so far as known, are predominantly northern species, and it is Ukely that the character of the bottom is the determining factor in their distribution, particularly since Haustorius is known to be abundant on sand flats near shore. Its preference for the western portions of the Sound is thus com- parable with that of the lady crab, Ovalipes ocellatus. A few species, on the other hand, appear from our rather meager records to occur predominantly in the warmer waters of the reoion. Such are Lysianopsis alba, Batea secunda, and Autonoe smithi. All of these have been recorded only for the immediate neighborhood of Woods Hole, and their general distribution is unknown. Little stress is to be laid upon any of these cases, however, especially since a number of other species which here reach their north- em or their southern limit are distributed locally without any apparent reference to temperature. Amphithoe rubricata alone, among those species whose distributions have been plotted with any degree of completeness, seems to be restricted to the littoral and adlittoral zones. It is recorded chiefly from the inshore stations dredged by the Pha- larope and Blue Wing, and the comparatively few Fish Hawk stations at which it was taken are all in the neighborhood of land. The following amphipods were recorded during the Survey dredging, those taken at 10 or more stations being designated as usual by an asterisk: PTalorchestia megalophthalma (perhaps not from bottom). Anonyx nobilis (generic name questionable). *Lysianopsis alba (chart 85). *Haustorius arenarius (chart 86). Phoxocephalus holboUi. Paraphoxus spinosus. *Ampelisca macrocephala (chart 87). *Ampelisca spinipes (chart 88). *Byblis serrata (chart 89). Stenothoe minuta. Sympleustes latipes. ^Calliopius Iseviusculus (chart 90). *Pontogenia inermis (chart 91). Dexamine thea. *Batea secunda (chart 92). Gammarus locusta. *Gammarus annulatus (chart 93). *Elasmopus laevis (chart 94). Gammarellus angulosus. Microdeutopus danmoniensis. *Autonoe smithi (chart 95). *Ptilocheirus pinguis (chart 96). Podoceropsis nitida. *Amphithoe rubricata (chart 97). Amphithoe longimana. Sunamphithoe pelagica. Ischyrocerus anguipes. *Jassa marmorata (chart 98). Grubia compta. Ericthonius rubricornis. *Ericthonius minax (chart 99). *Corophium cylindricum (chart 100). *UnicoIa irrorata (chart loi). *.(Eginella longicomis] , , ^ ,,„ ,,., ,,, ^^ * ,, * ,. Kchartio2, Caprellidaesp. ). ^Caprella geometrical BIOLOGICAIv SURVEY OF WOODS HOLE AND VICINITY. 1 35 The 19 commonest species of amphipods are herewith grouped with reference to their known range upon our coast. The ranges stated are those given by Holmes (1905). Northward, ranging. Ampelisca macrocephala Off Halifax to Newport. Calliopius laeviusculus Greenland to Narragansett Bay. Pontogenia inermis Arctic Ocean to Vineyard Sound. Ptilocheirus pinguis Labrador to New England. Amphithoe rubricata Labrador to Newport. Unciola irrorata Greenland to New Jersey. ^ginella longicomis Greenland to Narragansett Bay. Soulhuard ranging. PHaustorius arenarius Cape Cod to Georgia, Norway, British Isles. Elasmopus laevis Provincetown, Mass., to New Jersey. Ericthonius minax Vineyard Sound to Great Egg Harbor, N. J. Corophium cylindricum Provincetown, Mass., to New Jersey. Caprella geometrica Southern coast of New England to Virginia. Of uncertain position. Lysianopsis alba Woods Hole. Ampelisca spinipes Long Island Sound, Woods Hole. (Norway.) Byblis serrata Woods Hole, Newport. Batea secunda Woods Hole. Gammarus annulatus Vineyard Sound, Gloucester. Autonoe smithi Vineyard Sound and Buzzards Bay. Jassa marmorata Woods Hole region. Thus there seems to be a sHght excess of northern over southern species among those 19 amphipods which we have dredged most frequently. Little importance is to be attributed to this fact, however, in considering which element is preponderant in our fauna, particularly since for more than one-third of these commoner species the range is not known with any degree of completeness. VI. ISOPOD.\. This order is represented in the local fauna by 25 or more species, of which 10 were recorded from our dredging stations and at least 7 more were taken by col- lectors from the laboratory during the progress of the Survey. One of these (Erich- sonella attenuata) is here recorded for the first time for this region. Our knowledge of this group in New England waters is due chiefly to the labors of O. Hargcr and Dr. Harriet Richardson. To the latter authority we are indebted for the identification of some of our earlier specimens, though the greater part of the material was determined by Dr. Osburn. The nomenclature employed by Miss Rich- ardson has been adopted by us without modification. Twenty-one species of isopods were listed by Harger in the "Invertebrate Animals of Vineyard Sound," of which only a small proportion were at that time recorded for definitely stated points within the limits of the region. In a later paper (18S0) the group was treated much more fully by this writer. 136 BULLETIN OF THE BUREAU OF FISHERIES. The Canadian list of Whiteaves records about the same number of isopods (26) as have been listed for Woods Hole. Of these, nearly half (12) are common to the two lists. A somewhat greater number (30) is comprised in the Plymouth list, of which only 5 appear to be common to our local fauna. Twenty-four species have been recorded by Herdman for the Irish Sea, while Graeffe lists 51 species, some of which, however, are terrestrial. The representation of this order in our dredgings is very slight. The figure repre- senting the average number of species per dredge haul is only 0.4, while not a single species was taken with sufficient frequency to occur at one-fourth or more of the sta- tions. The species having the widest occurrence was Idothea phosphorea, which was taken at 72 of the regular stations. Only four species of this order were dredged by us with any frequency, and one of these (Idothea haltica) probably finds its more proper habitat among rockweed and eelgrass, whether growing alongshore or floating at the surface. It is thus possible that all of the specimens which were dredged by us actually came from floating material of this sort.** One of the other species, Lepiochelia savignyi was only taken at 11 stations, and these were all inshore stations of the Phalarcpe series. The species is abundant among floating weed, upon piles, etc., and probably does not belong to our deeper water fauna. The two remaining species (Idothea phosphorea and Erichsonella jilijormis) appear with considerable frequency in our dredging records. Of these the latter appears to be of pretty general distribution, occurring with nearly the same relative frequency in the Bay and the Sound, while the former is in a large degree restricted to the Sound, appear- ing in the Bay records only from stations near the lower end, in the vicinity of land.* Isopods dredged by the Survey. *Leptochelia savignyi (chart 103). Cirolana concharum . Chiridotea ceeca. Idothea metallica. *Idothea baltica (chart 104). *Idothea phosphorea (chart 105). Edotea acuta. Edotea montosa. *Erichsonella filiformis (chart 106). Stegophryxus hyptius. Of the four commoner species, one (Idothea phosphorea) may be regarded as pre- dominantly northern, having a range upon our coast which is stated by Miss Richardson as "coast of New England to Halifax, Nova Scotia, and the Gulf of St. Lawrence." Two of the species may be regarded as predominantly southern, as follows: Leptochelia savignyi Provincetown, Mass., to southern New Jersey (England to Senegal). Erichsonella filiformis Nantucket Sound to Florida and the Bahamas. One of the species (Idothea haltica) may be regarded as cosmopolitan, having been recorded from points as widely removed as Java and the Baltic Sea. On our coast it is said to range "from Nova Scotia and Gulf of St. Lawrence to North Carolina." « Miss Richardson gives the bathymetric range of this species as " surface to 119 fathoms." *• Our 1909 dredgings confirm these-statements as to both species. BIOIvOGICAI, SURVEY OF WOODS HOLE AND VICINITY. 1 37 VII. SCHIZOPODA, CUMACEA, STOMATOPODA. Little attention has been given to the local representatives of the first of these groups since the work of S. I. Smith in 1879. The majority of the determined species of Schizopoda in our list are included solely upon the authority of Prof. Smith and of Miss Rathbun. Schizopods teem in the local plankton at certain seasons of the year, and specimens are occasionally taken in the dredge, though it is not at all certain that such specimens are actually brought up from the bottom. Only one species from our dredging collections (Nyctiphanes norvegica) has been definitely identified, since we have unfortunately been unable to find anyone who would undertake the task of determining our local Schizopoda. It will be seen that this order has a greater repre- sentation in each of the foreign lists which have been summarized in our comparative table. In the Plymouth list, indeed, the number is nearly five times as great. Members of the order Cumacea are rather common in the Woods Hole plankton, and have occasionally been met with during the dredging. Dr. W. T. Caiman (1912) has recently prepared a report upon the Cumacea of the U. S. National Museum. Eight of these species are recorded from definite points within the Woods Hole Region, two of them, indeed, being described from specimens obtained locally. One determined species {Leptocuma minor) was taken during the Survey dredging. The Stomatopoda are represented in our waters by three species, of which only one (the common "Squilla") is at all familiar. None of these species occur, however, in the dredging records. VIII. DEC APOD A. This group, comprising the largest and most familiar of our Crustacea, is represented locally by 55 species, including four which are listed doubtfully. These are assignable to 20 families and 37( + 2 ?) genera. Of the total number of species listed by us, 27( + 2 ?), or almost exactly one-half, were taken during the survey dredging. Many others were collected by our parties along shore, upon gulfweed, or elsewhere, while a few are recorded wholly on the authority of previous writers. Several of the species (Poriunus ordwayi, AreiKBus cribrarius, Palcemon leniiicornis, and perhaps Dissodactylus niellitcE) had not, so far as we know, been previously listed for the shores of New England. The published sources of information respecting the occurrence of this group are many. The chief contributors, so far as our New England species are concerned, have been S. I. Smith and M. J. Rathbun. Smith, in the "Report upon the Invertebrate Animals of Vineyard Sound," listed 36 species of decapods, of which not over a third were definitely recorded for specified points within the region, while at least 5 were extralimital. In her "List of the Crustacea" ("Fauna of New England" series), Miss Rathbun has included all but four of the decapods comprised in our own list, together with many others which are peculiar to more northern waters. Whiteaves lists 34 decapods for the waters of eastern Canada, of which 12 are common to the Woods Hole region. The Plymouth catalogue contains 71 representa- tives of this order, of which only 3 appear to be common to our Woods Hole fauna. Herdman lists 6i decapods for the Irish Sea, while 73 are comprised in Graeffe's catalogue for the Gulf of Trieste. 138 BUI.LETIN OF THE BUREAU OF FISHERIES. Most of the decapods collected by us, being of large size and having rather obvious specific distinctions, were listed with full confidence in the field. The others were, for the most part, referred to Miss M. J. Rathbun, to whom we are likewise indebted for criticizing our check-list of local decapods and for information generously given through- out the progress of this work. To Dr. R. P. Bigelow we are indebted for the identifica- tion of a number of specimens collected during the first season of the dredging work. Errors due to the confusion of one species with another in our dredging records are probably negligible in extent, excepting, perhaps, such as may relate to the small crabs of Panopeus group (now split into several genera). Upon this point the reader is referred to the statements made under the head of Eury panopeus depressus, Neopanope texana sayi, and Hexapanopeus angustijrons in the annotated list. It seems possible that specimens identified by the collectors as "Panopeus sayi" were in some cases referable to one of the other species. It is probable, however, that the great majority of these crabs actually belong to the species last named, since none of the others are comparable with it in respect to frequency of occurrence. The examination of a large number of our specimens by INIiss Rathbun indicates that Eurypanopeus depressus is at present comparatively rare in these waters, being by no means the common species which one would infer it to be from the statements of Smith. The average number of species of decapods recorded by us from the 458 regular stations of the Survey is 3.5 per dredge haul. By far the most prevalent single species was Pagurus longicarpus, which was recorded from 290, or over 60 per cent, of the stations. Those species which were dredged at one-fourth or more of the total number of stations (arranged in order of frequency) are: Number of stations. Pagurus longicarpus 290 Cancer irroratus 209 Pagurus annulipes 196 Libinia emarginata 192 Crago septemspinosus 169 Neopanope texana sayi 143 For the various groups of dredging stations and for the various types of bottom the averages are surprisingly uniform. The following figures are taken from the tables on pages 78 and 79: Vineyard Sound: Fish Hawk 3. 8 Phalarope 32 Buzzards Bay: Fish Hawk 3.4 Phalarope 32 Type of bottom : Sand 3.5 Stones and gravel 3-5 Mud 3. 6 The lists of "prevalent" species for these different groups of stations are likewise surprisingly uniform in respect to the species comprised. Of the 6 species listed for one-fourth or more of the total number of stations, 3 appear in all seven of the lists of "prevalent" species; 2 others appear in all but one of these lists, while the remaining species appears in five of the seven lists. The lists of "prevalent" species for the three types of bottom comprise 5 species each. Of these, 4 are common to all three lists. BIOI/OGICAL SURVEY OF WOODS HOLE AND VICINITY. 1 39 Of the 13 species for which distribution charts have been presented, 8 are of more or less general occurrence throughout the Sound and the Bay, so that their distribution bears little apparent relation to the character of the bottom. For this reason no such sharp division between Bay-dwelUng and Sound-dwelHng species can be made here, as was possible, for example, with the Annulata. The species whose distribution is most clearly determined by the nature of the bottom is the "lady crab," Ovalipes ocellatus. It will be seen from the chart that this crab is for the most part restricted to the western half of Vineyard Sound, where the bottom is known to consist for the most part of clear sand. That this peculiarity in the distribution of Ovalipes is related to the character of the bottom is shown by the fact that it was dredged by us several times near the head of Buzzards Bay, i. e., in the warmest waters of the region, while it is a matter of common knowledge that this species frequents sandy bottoms in shallow water. Other species which appear upon the chart as restricted wholly or chiefly to Vineyard Sound are Pinnotheres maculatus, Cancer horealis, Pelia mutica, and Pagurus acadianus. The first of these is commensal in the mussels. Modiolus modiolus and Mytilus edulis and in the common scallop, Pecten gibhus. The distribution is thus dependent upon that of the hosts. The most frequent host, Modiolus modiolus, was, however, very scarce in Buzzards Bay, while Mytilus was found living only near the lower end. The occurrence of this species in the dredging records is likewise dependent, of course, upon whether or not the mussels from a given station were opened and examined for the crabs. This was probably done more commonly in Vineyard Sound than in Buzzards Bay. Pinnotheres has been taken by us at two supplementary stations in the Bay, on one occasion in Pecten, on the other in Modiolus. Cancer horealis was recorded from only one regular station in the Bay," and its occurrence there is certainly infrequent. It is most common at the western end of Vineyard Sound, though taken sparingly throughout its length. The absence of this species from the Bay is probably due in part, at least, to the temperature factor. Pelia mutica is much less common in the Bay than in the Sound, and its occurrence in the former is restricted mainly to the inshore stations. The distribution of this species displays certain other peculiarities which will be discussed under the head of temperature. Pagurus acadianus was not recorded once from the Bay, nor indeed was it recorded from the eastern half of Vineyard Sound. Here, too, temperature rather than bottom seems to be the determining factor. As is well known, the distribution of many of the littoral species of decapods is conditioned by the character of the shore. Certain forms (e. g., the fiddler crabs) are chiefly confined to muddy situations; others {Palcemonetes vulgaris and Hippolyte zostericola) are found mainly in the beds of eel grass, while the common "Hip pa" burrows in the sand at low-tide mark, etc. It is therefore rather surprising to find how few of the deeper water species are distributed in accordance with the character of the bottom. Much more striking, on the other hand, are the examples of distribution in accord- ance with temperature. While many of our species display no restriction whatever in relation to this factor, certain others are pretty definitely limited to the colder waters of the region, while others still appear to avoid these colder waters, although elsewhere " Later at two supplementary stations near the lower end. 140 BULLETIN OF THE BUREAU OF FISHERIES. of general distribution. These types will be considered separately. The ranges here stated have been furnished by Miss Rathbun. Species found predominantly in the colder "xnters. Pagurus acadianus From the Grand Bank of Newfoundland to the mouth of Chesapeake Bay. Cancer borealis Nova Scotia to deep water off South Carolina. Considering the range in latitude alone, it is questionable whether we may fairly assign either of these species to the "northern" group. In both cases, however, it is possible that their occurrence in southern waters is restricted to considerable depths. Two other species (not plotted) w-hich were taken by us only at the open ends of Vineyard Sound and Buzzards Bay and at Crab Ledge are Hyas coarctaius and Pandalus leptocerus. These may, perhaps, be regarded as predominantly northern species, though they are recorded (depth not stated) for points far to the southward on our coast. Species which seem to avoid the colder waters, though elsewhere of general occurrence. Pagurus annulipes Nantucket Sound to Indian River, Fla. Pelia mutica Vineyard Sound to West Florida. Neopanope texana sayi ProvincetoAvn to East Florida. Another species, Pagurus pollicaris, might perhaps be added to this list. This hermit crab, it will be seen, was not recorded from the stations at the extreme western end of Vineyard Sound, though elsew^here prevalent. The case is not so striking, how- ever, as those mentioned previously. The range of this latter species is said to extend from Cape Cod Bay to South Carolina. None of these four species are recorded by us from Crab Ledge. All show, or appear to show, an avoidance of the coldest waters of Vineyard Sound, and all are predomi- nantly southern in their distribution upon our coast. It seems quite likely, therefore, that temperature has been the factor responsible for the peculiarities in their local distribution. Mention may appropriately be made here of certain species from southern waters which do not properly belong to our local fauna at all. Among these are four crabs {Planes minutus, Portunus sayi, Portunus ordwayi, and Aren<£us cribrarius) and two shrimps {PeruBus hrasiliensis and Latreutes ensijerus). In nearly all cases these species have been found upon the floating gulf weed (Sargassum bacciferum), which is the home of so many waifs from the far south. On the other hand, several shrimps of the genus Spirontocaris , which are known to be representatives of a northern fauna, have only been taken from the outlying colder waters of the region. Very few species among those dredged by us showed any evident restrictions as to depth. This statement does not hold, however, for Ovalipes ocellatus, Cancer borealis, and Pagurus acadianus. All of these were dredged most frequently at depths of 10 fathoms or more, despite the comparatively small number of dredging stations at which such depths were recorded. Ovalipes, as we have seen, is by no means to be regarded as a deep-water crab, since it is known to be common on sand flats in shallow water. The greater average depth of the stations from which it was recorded results from its BIOLOGICAL SURVEY OF WOODS HOLE AND VICINITY. 141 prevalence in the middle of the Sound near the western end. The bottom here is largely of clean sand and many typical sand-dwelling species, such as Echinarachnius parma and various flounders, consequently flourish in this area. Cancer borealis and Pagurus acadianus, on the other hand, are probably limited to the deeper waters on account of the lower temperatures prevalent there. The latter species was taken only four times by the Phalarope, though dredged at 41 of the Fish Hawk stations in Vineyard Sound. Among our local decapods we find a number of cases where interesting differences of habitat are displayed by the various species within a genus. Only a few such may be mentioned here. The differences in habitat shown by the two local members of the genus Cancer have already been referred to. These differences seem to relate to tem- perature, depth (if this is really an independent factor), and perhaps to character of bottom. One Lihinia (L. eniarginata) is of almost universal occurrence throughout both the Bay and the Sound; the other (L. duhia) appears to be restricted to shallow, inclosed waters. Although it is known to be abundant at some of these points, we do not have a single authentic record of its occurrence in the dredgings." The difference displayed by the various local representatives of the genus Pagurus have likewise been discussed in another connection. The almost complementary character of the distribu- tion patterns for P. acadianus and P. annulipes is especially to be noted. The following decapods were taken with the dredge during the operations of the Survey. The asterisk, as usual, denotes species which were recorded from 10 or more dredging stations. For all of these, charts have been plotted. Pandalus montagui. Pandalus leptocerus. Hippolyte zostericola. Spirontocaris grcenlandica. Spirontocaris pusiola. *Crago septemspinosus (chart 107). *Homanis americanus (chart 108). Callianassa stimpsoni. *Pagurus pollicaris (chart 109). *Pagtirus acadianus (chart no). *Pagurus longicarpus (chart in). Pagiirus kroyeri. *Pagtirus annulipes (chart 112). Heterocrypta granulata. Hyas coarctatus. Grouping, as usual, the more prevalent species according to the extent of their known range upon our coast, ^ we have — Predominantly northern forms. Homarus americanus Labrador to New Jersey. Pagurus acadianus Grand Bank of Newfoundland to the mouth of Chesapeake Bay. (Northern?). « A few small specimens were thus identified at first, but further quite extensive collecting has thrown doubt upon these determinations. 6 We are indebted to Miss Rathbun for these statements as to range. *Pelia mutica (chart 113). *Libinia emarginata (chart 114). PLibinia dubia (very young). *Cancer irroratus (chart 115). *Cancer borealis (chart 116). PCallinectes sapidus (fragment). *Ovalipes ocellatus (chart 117). Panopeus herbstii. *Neopanope texana sayi (chart 118). Hexapanopeus angustifrons. *Pinnotheres maculatus (chart 119). Pinnixa chsetopterana. Pinnixa sayana. Dissodactylus mcllitse. 1^2 BUIvLETIN OF THE BUREAU OV FISHERIES. Predominantly southern forms. Pagurus pollicaris Cape Cod Bay to South Carolina. Pagurus longicarpus Cape Ann, Mass., to Texas. Pagurus annulipes Nantucket Sound to Florida. Pelia mutica Vineyard Sound to West Florida. Libinia emarginata Casco Bay to West Florida. Ovalipes ocellatus Provincetown to the Gulf of Mexico. Neopanope texana sayi Provincetown to East Florida. Pinnotheres maculatus Cape Cod to Texas. Of approximately equal range north and south. Crago septemspinosus East Florida; Arctic Alaska. Cancer irroratus Labrador to South Carolina. Cancer borealis From Nova Scotia to deep water off South Carolina. Thus, as in the case of the Annulata and indeed of the majority of other groups, the commoner local Decapoda are predominantly southward ranging species, while only two of them are to be regarded as predominantly northern. Of these two, indeed, one is only doubtfully so classified, while both of them occur far to the southward of the Woods Hole region. The inclusion of various stragglers, both from the north and south, would, of course, increase both lists, but much the same proportions would probably be main- tained. IX. XIPHOSURA. This order has been established to include the genus Limulus, a group of organisms having both crustacean and arachnidan affinities. Limuhis polyphemus, our only American species, was very seldom taken during the surv^ey dredgings, being primarily a shallow-water animal. With respect to its distribution, it is predominantly a south- ward-ranging form, occurring, according to Verrill, from Casco Bay to Florida. It has not been recorded for Canadian waters. X. PYCNOGONIDA. Of the sea spiders only 6 species appear in our catalogu'^, and of these 6 one is per- haps extralimital. Our knowledge of the New England species is due in large measure to the labors of E. B. Wilson, supplemented recently by the studies of L. J. Cole. Only two of the species {Tanystylum orbiculare and Anoplodactylus lentus) appear with any frequency in the dredging records. The local distributions of these two species, so far as these are shown by our dredgings, are represented in charts 1 20 and 121. Both species are seen to be confined almost exclusively to Vineyard Sound, and both (partic- ularly Anoplodactylus) appear to be restricted to the eastern half of the Sound. One might reasonably expect to find a more exact correlation between the distribution of these species and the distribution of the hydroids among which they live. But little correlation is to be observed, so far as oUx charts go. The smaller and less conspicuous of these two pycnogonids {Tanystylum orbicu- lare) was probably frequently overlooked in listing the contents of the dredge, and it is likely, therefore, that this species is of more frequent occurrence than appears from our records. Its distribution, likewise, may be somewhat more general. This class is represented in our list by a smaller number of species than have been recorded for any of the other stations considered in our comparative table." To what Except Trieste, where apparently no record has been kept of the Pycnogonida. BIOLOGICAL SURVEY OF WOODS HOLE AND VICINITY. 1 43 degree this is due to the small number actually present in our local waters and to what degree it is due to an insufficient search can not be stated. The ranges of our two commoner species, as stated by Wilson, are: Tanystylum orbiculare From off Marthas Vineyard to Virginia. Anoplodactylus lentus Long Island Sound; Woods Hole; Eastport, Me. (i record), a Thus the former appears to be a predominantly southern form, while for the latter the data are insufficient to warrant us in assigning to it a range. One pycnogonid, which was taken upon the gulf weed on a number of occasions, is Endeis spinosus Montagu. This, like the gulfweed fauna in general, is doubtless an exotic species which comes to us from southern waters. Its presence on the weed is rather unexpected, considering the ordinary habitat of this species in European waters. XI. INSECTA AND ARACHNIDA. There are, of course, very few strictly marine insects in existence, and it is doubt- ful whether any of our local species can be so regarded. The thysanuran species Anurida maritima is, however, perhaps as nearly marine as are certain of our littoral Crustacea. Verrill and Smith record having taken in the vicinity of Woods Hole a number of insect larvae, which appear to have been living in sea water. One of these was described by Packard as a new species. Most of the insects listed in that report were, however, beach-dwelling species, which seldom or never enter the water. The Hst prepared by the writers comprises for the greater part species taken in brackish ponds in the neighborhood. Many of these were larvae, and about half of them have not been determined specifically. In many, if not most, cases these insects are ones which are known to dwell in fresh-water ponds as well as brackish ones. It has been thought worth while to include them here, however, since no list has ever been published of our local brackish-water insects. The single arachnid here listed {Cherries ohlongus) is scarcely to be regarded as marine, though it has been taken under stones along shore, near low- water mark. 9. MOLLUSCA. Mollusks, or their shells, have commonly constituted by far the most conspicuous feature of the organic contents of the dredge. In respect to the number of species likewise, the mollusks have generally preponderated, there frequently being more rep- resentatives of this group contained in a given dredge haul than of all the other phyla combined. Likewise the total number of molluscan species recorded in the course of our dredging operations is considerably greater than that of even the Crustacea, though the latter group preponderates as regards the number recorded for the region as a whole. It must be stated, however, that the vast majority of specimens taken were merely dead shells, and that many species were rarely or never taken in a living condition. This preponderance of molluscan remains in our dredging records is obviously due to the enduring character of the exoskeleton of these animals, which insures the accumulation of shells, even in the case of the less common species. Another fact which results directly from the one just mentioned is the relatively great frequency with which most of the molluscan species were dredged. Of the 127 species which appear in our dredg- ing records, 68, or more than half, are recorded from more than 10 stations each, while o This is to be regarded as a doubtful record. 144 BUIyl/ETIN OF THE BUREAU OF FISHERIES. 23 of these mollusks appear in the list of species which were taken at one-fourth or more of the total number of stations. Thus exactly one-half of the latter list is consti- tuted by Mollusca. We regard our molluscan records as being, on the whole, relatively complete and comparatively free from error. The species are for the most part large and easy of identification. Fortunately for the collectors, systematic conchology is based largely upon shell characters, so that the determinations could commonly be made with a high degree of confidence in the field. The few cases among the larger species in which confusion was believed to be possible were early recognized, and we believe that errors respecting such forms were nearly always avoided except at the beginning of the work. Wherever doubt was felt, and especially in the case of the smaller species, specimens were preserved for identification by specialists. We were fortunate enough to have the assistance of such well-known authorities as Dr. W. H. Dall and Dr. Paul Bartsch in the identification of the less familiar species of shell-bearing mollusks. We are like- wise indebted to Dr. Dall for the critical examination of our manuscript check list and for supplying us with the ranges of distribution which are given below. The classi- fication and terminology adopted are his.'^ The nudibranch mollusks, on the other hand, including many specimens taken in the townet, as well as those which were dredged, were identified by Dr. F. M. MacFarland, of Stanford University, and Dr. MacFarland has likewise kindly revised that portion of the manuscript devoted to this group. Certain sources of error have, notwithstanding, to be considered in the records for the Mollusca. Some of the minute forms representing the genera Turhonilla, Odostomia, C(2cum, Cylichna, etc., were doubtless frequently overlooked, as likewise such small species as Astyris lunata, Lacuna puteola, Triforis nigrocinctus, and Bittium nigrum. During the first season's work, especially when less thorough methods of sifting the bottom deposits were employed, it is likely that the records for these forms were much less complete than they were later. Again, the failure to use a canvas mud bag and the consequent escape of the finer components of the bottom material doubtless resulted in many cases in the loss of these small mollusks. As already mentioned, it was found that during the rather experimental earlier work of the Survey certain forms having a close superficial resemblance had been con- fused with one another. Since it is believed that these ambiguities have in most cases been eliminated by special dredgings at the points in question, they can not seriously affect the value of our results. Some of the smaller species of Natica (Polynices) were, it is believed, wrongly identified in the field, and in such cases these records have been entered merely as "Polynices sp." Even Polynices triseriata was not during the first season always listed separately from Polynices heros, of which species it has often been regarded as a variety or even as an immature stage. In consequence of this the records for P. heros are doubtless somewhat fuller than they should be, those for P. triseriata being correspondingly curtailed. In a few cases, notably with the small shells of the genus Turhonilla, confusion was brought about by our failure to recognize the presence of several species among the specimens taken. Instead of preserving samples of Turhonilla shells from every station at which they were encountered it frequently happened that the collectors chose speci- o Except that we have retained the Amphineura in a separate class. Dr. Dall has recently expressed the belief that they constitute "at most an order." BIOLOGICAL SURVEY OF WOODS HOLE AND VICINITY. 1 45 mens from one of the dredge hauls, believing these all to be of one species and therefore regarding them as representative of the specimens taken from various other dredge hauls. Since an examination by Dr. Bartsch revealed the presence at times of three or four species of Turhonilla from a single dredging station, it is obvious that such rec- ords as are not based directly upon preser\^ed material taken at one station are worth- less so far as specific names go. It has been necessary, therefore, to record a large proportion of our Turbonillas merely as "Turhonilla sp.;" and thus our data for this interesting genus are in a large degree rendered valueless. There are some other possible sources of error in interpreting our records which have no relation to defects of method. For example, for certain of the gastropods the apparent distribution is doubtless much more extensive than the actual one, owing to the transportation of their shells by hermit crabs. This is notably true of the intro- duced periwinkle, Littorina litorea, which is typically and indeed almost exclusively a littoral (intertidal) species. Nevertheless the shells of this mollusk were found at 131 stations, occurring even at depths of 10 or 15 fathoms. Other gastropods whose shells are most commonly occupied by the paguri are Tritia trivittata, Anachis avara, Ilyanassa obsoleta, Polynices heros, P. triseriata, P. duplicata, Busycon canaliculatum , B. carica, Urosalpinx cinereus, and Etipleura caudata. To what extent the distribution of these species, as plotted in the charts, has been the result of transportation by hermit crabs is impossible to state. It is not recorded in all instances whether or not a given shell was inhabited by one of the crabs, and in any case the presence of the latter in a shell would not by any means prove that this had been carried to any great distance beyond the point where the mollusk lived. In the case of certain thin shells of light weight it is quite probable that the tidal currents have often been instrumental in carrying them beyond the original habitat of the animal, though we can not, of course, assume this in any single case. Man, like- wise, has almost certainly been responsible for the occurrence of the shells of one species, at least, in unexpected localities. The large oyster shells which have been taken not infrequently in various parts of the main channel of Vineyard Sound have probablv been cast overboard from passing vessels, since living oysters of our American species are not known to occur in such situations. In the charts for the Mollusca, as for other shell-bearing organisms, we have indi- cated the known presence of living specimens at a given station by means of a circle surrounding the star. It must not be inferred, however, that only dead specimens were taken at the other stations. Absence of the circle denotes either that the occur- rence of shells only was specified or merely that living specimens were not recorded. ° It is quite certain that living mollusks were of much more frequent occurrence in our dredge hauls than the circles upon the distribution charts would imply. This is prob- ably particularly true of the small gastropods. Indeed, the chiton Chaetopleura apicu- lata, which was seldom taken except alive, was not commonly designated as liAang or dead in the dredging records. For this reason, it has been necessary to omit the circles from the chart. For the remainder of this discussion it will be best to consider the classes of Mollusca separately. « For certain mollusks we have employed the circle whenever the nature of the record rendered it probable that livinR speci- mens were taken, even thoui;h tliis was not expressly stated. For exami)lc, the note "on [or in) hermit crab shells." when applied to C repidula, has been rccardcd as equivalent to a record of living specimens. 16269° — Bull. 31, pt I — 13 10 146 BULLETIN OF THE BUREAU OF FISHERIES. I. PELECYPODA. Of the bivalve mollusks 70 ( + 6 ?) species have been recorded belonging to 3 1 fami- lies and 48(4- 1 ?) genera. Of these, 57 species were taken during the Survey dredging and 6 of them were new to the region when first collected by us. So far as known no species new to science have been found. Verrill and Smith in 1873 listed 84 species of lamellibranchs, of which, however, only 61 were recorded for specified points within the Woods Hole region, although the stated ranges of 12 others would render their occurrence here probable. In subsequent papers Verrill added greatly to our knowledge of the north Atlantic Mollusca, but most of these later papers dealt chiefly with collections made in much deeper waters. Before Verrill, Gould (1841, 1870) had catalogued the Mollusca of this state in his well-known "Report on the Invertebrata of Massachusetts." There were here included a large proportion of our Woods Hole species, though comparatively few definite records are offered by Gould relating to the occurrence of mollusks within our region. It is worthy of note that, although our list of local Pelecypoda is probably fairly complete, it is considerably exceeded by that comprised in each of the other fauna! catalogues which have been summarized in our comparative table. Thus the Canadian list contains 100 species, the list for Plymouth 86, that for the Irish Sea io8( + 3?), and that for the Gulf of Trieste 107. Thus, even in those cases where the areas comprised are roughly comparable, the other regions exceed our own in the wealth of species. Of the 100 Canadian species 55 ( = 55 per cent of Canadian list, or about 75 per cent of our own) are common to the Woods Hole region. On the other hand only 5 of the 86 Plymouth species are known to be common to our own fauna. "^ On an average 9.2 species of bivalve mollusks were taken per dredge haul at all of the 458 regular stations of the Survey. This figure is considerably larger than that repre- senting any other class of organisms. The single species which was taken most fre- quently was Area transversa, which was recorded from 264 of the stations. The following is a complete list of those species which were taken at one-!fourth or more of our dredging stations, the species being arranged in order of frequency : Number of stations. Area transversa 264 Anomia simplex 256 Ensis directus 235 Clidiophora gouldiana 234 Spisula solidissima 222 Cardium pinnulatum 219 Mytilus edulis 217 Nucula proxima 205 Tellina tenera : . . 193 Callocardia morrhuana 192 Crassinella mactracea 182 Pecten gibbus borealis 162 Corbiila eontracta 128 Modiolus modiolus 120 « As already pointed out, a careful study of synonymy might result in somewhat increasing this number. BIOLOGICAL SURVEY OF WOODS HOLE AND VICINITY. 1 47 A Study of the distribution charts shows us that, whereas a considerable number of our local lamellibranchs are of very general distribution throughout Vineyard Sound and Buzzards Bay, a yet greater number show de/inite restrictions in relation either to the character of the bottom or to temperature. The part played by the bottom in determining the wealth of lamellibranch life is indicated to some extent in the figures representing the average number of species per dredge haul taken upon the three chief types of bottom. These are: Gravel and stones, j.-]\ sand, 9.8; mud, ii.o. These figures are quite in accord with those giving the average number of species per dredge haul in the Sound and the Bay: Vineyard Sound : Fish Hawk 8. 2 Phalarope 7. ^ Buzzards Bay: Fish Hawk n. 5 Phalarope n. 6 It is not evident, however, why the Phalarope stations of the Bay, which, on the whole were decidedly less muddy than the Fish Hawk stations, should none the less show a larger number of species. The lists of "prevalent" species for the three types of bottom (i. e., those present at one-fourth or more of the stations) display a degree of uniformity which was unexpected in view of the above shown differences in the w^ealth of species per dredge haul. The number of prevalent species (16) is the same for sandy as for muddy bottoms, while 13 such species are listed for bottoms of gravel and stones. Of these, 9 are common to the three lists. Passing to a consideration of the charts (122-160) we find a considerable variety among the distribution patterns, but it seems possible to reduce these to comparatively few types. These last are not, however, to be distinguished sharply from one another. Of general distribution. Anemia simplex. Pecien gibbus borealis (scarce, however, in center of Bay). Asca. transversa. Nucula proxima. Cardium pinnulatum. Callocardia morrhuana. Tellina tenera. Ensis directus. Clidiophora gouldiana. General in the Sound; common in the Bay, but restricted to inshore stations. Crassinella mactracea. Divaricella quadrisulcata (only 20 stations altogether). Cumingia tellinoides (not exactly general in Sound, and some records for middle of Bay). Spisula solidissima (some records for middle of Bay). Cochlodesma leanum. Corbula contracta. General in the Sound; in the Bay, restricted to lower half. Mytilus edulis. Astarte castanea. Petricola pholadiformis. 148 BULLETIN OF THE BUREAU OF FISHERIES. Restricted wholly or chiefly to the Sound. Anomia aculeata. Pec ten magellanicus. Modiolus modiolus (a few inshore stations in Bay). Crenella glandula. Area ponderosa. Venericardia borealis. Thracia conradi. Restricted wholly or chiefly to the Bay. Area pexata. Yoldia limatula. Solemya velum (confined to inshore stations). Lsevicardium mortoni (most abundant at inshore stations). Venus mercenaria. Tagelus gibbus (confined to inshore stations). Macoma tenta. Mulinia lateralis. Mya arenaria (confined to inshore stations) . It will be noted that even some of those species which are restricted to Buzzards Bay {Solemya velum, Tagelus gibbus, Mya arenaria) are found there only at the inshore stations. Another species which is, on the whole, restricted to these stations, both in the Bay and the Sound, is Lyonsia hyalina. An analysis of our records shows that certain species appear to exhibit marked preferences as to the depth of the water which they occupy. The following, for example, are in considerable degree restricted to depths of 5 fathoms or less : Pecten gibbus. Tagelus gibbus. Area pexata. Lyonsia hyalina. Solemya velum. Mya arenaria. Four of these six species are those which have just been mentioned as restricted to the inshore stations. Species which were dredged most frequently at depths of 10 fathoms or more" are: Pecten magellanicus. Astarte undata. Modiolus modiolus. Astarte castanea. Modiolaria nigra. Cyclas islandica. Crenella glandula. Thracia conradi. Venericardia borealis. With the exception of the two species of Astarte, all of those comprised in this last list will be found in the list of predominantly northern species given below. And, with the exception of Astarte castanea and Modiolus modiolus, all are more or less restricted to the colder portions of the Sound and the Bay.^ Reference to the charts shows that the remaining seven species occur wholly or predominantly in the western half of Vineyard Sound and the lower end of Buzzards Bay. Five of these species {Pecten magellanicus, Crenella glandula, Venericardia borealis, Astarte undata, and Cyclas islandica) were like- wise taken at Crab Ledge, where, as we have seen, many of our typical colder water a Depths of lo fathoms or more were recorded at only 36 per cent of the 458 stations. All these species were, nevertheless, dredged an absolutely greater number of times at such depths. b" As stated above (p. 28), the western half of Vineyard Sound is little if any deeper than the eastern half. The greater average depth at which these species occurred results from the fact that they were rarely taken near shore. Thus they figure but little in the Phalarope dredgings. BIOLOGICAL SURVEY OF WOODS HOLE AND VICINITY. 149 Species are to be found. And six of them are comprised in the list of predominantly northern species given below. Interesting comparisons between the distributions of different members of the same genus may be made for the genera Anomia, Area, Astarte, and Pecten. The case of the two local species of Astarte is peculiar inasmuch as there is nothing in their ranges, so far as we know, which gives a clue to the differences which they display in their local distribution. Certain species among the lamellibranchs dredged by us have never been taken in a living condition. Of these the most striking examples are Area ponder osa and Thraeia conradi. The former, indeed, has never been recorded living, so far as we know, north of Cape Hatteras, although fairly fresh shells have sometimes been found. It seems likely that both of these species may bury themselves too deeply in the bottom to be taken by the dredge. Those species which were taken at 10 or more dredging stations have, as usual, been grouped, so far as possible, into predominantly northern and predominantly southern forms. The ranges given for the Pelecypoda and for the mollusks in general are those stated by Dall.*^ Predominantly northern (/j). Anomia aculeata (chart 124). . . .Arctic Ocean to Cape Fear. Pecten magellanicus (chart 125) . Labrador to Cape Hatteras. Mytilus edulis (chart 127) Arctic Sea to North Carolina. Modiolus modiolus (chart 128). .Arctic Sea to North Carolina (Florida?). Modiolaria nigra (chart 129) Arctic Sea to Cape Hatteras. Crenella glandula (chart 130). . .Arctic Sea to Cape Hatteras. Nucula proxima (var. trunculus Dall) (chart 134) Nova Scotia to New York. Yoldia limatula (chart 135) Arctic Ocean to North Carolina. Venericardiaborealis (chart 137) Hudson Strait to off Hatteras. Cardium pinnulatum (chart 142) Labrador to Cape Lookout. Cyclas islandica (chart 144). . . .Arctic Ocean to Cape Hatteras (at latter point in deep water only). Spisula solidissima (chart 153). .Labrador to Cape Hatteras. Thraeia conradi (chart 155) Labrador to Cape Hatteras. Predominantly southern (ig). Ostrea virginica (chart 122). . . . Prince Edward Island to West Indie.s. Anomia simplex (chart 123) Cape Sable to Martinique. Pecten gibbus borealis (chart 126) Nova Scotia to Tampa, Fla. Area ponderosa (chart 131) Provincetown to Yucatan. Area transversa (chart 132) Cape Cod to Mexico. Area campechiensis pexata (chart 133) Cape Cod to Texas. Crassinella mactracea (chart 140) Cape Cod to Florida. Di varicella quadrisulcata (chart 141) Cape Hatteras to Brazil. (Woods Hole region.) Laevicardium mortoni(chart 143) Nova Scotia to Venezuela. Venus raercenaria (chart 145). . .Nova Scotia to Yucatan. " Dr. Dall has kindly furnished us with some unpublished notes, which modily to some degree the ranges as stated in his '.'Preliminary Catalogue of the .Shell-bearing Marine AloIIusks." I50 BULLETIN OF THE BUREAU OF FISHERIES. Callocardia raorrhuana (chart 146) Prince Edward Island to Florida. Petricola pholadiformis (chart 147) Prince Edward Island to Nicaragua. Tagelus gibbus (chart 148) Cape Cod to Brazil. Tellina tenera (chart 149) Prince Edward Island to Barbados. Macoma tenta (chart 150) Cape Cod to Haiti. Cumingia tellinoides (chart 152) Cape Cod to south Florida. Mulinia lateralis (chart 154). . . .New Brunswick to Texas. Lyonsia hyalina (chart 157) . . . .Nova Scotia to Texas. Corbula contracta (chart 159). . .Cape Cod to Jamaica. Of approximaiely equal range north and south (7). Solemya velum (chart 136) Nova Scotia to North Carolina. Astarte undata (chart 138) Gulf of St. Lawrence to Cape Hatteras. Astarte castanea (chart 139). . . .Nova Scotia to New Jersey and off Hatteras (deep). Ensis directus (chart 151) Labrador to Texas. Cochlodesmaleanum (chart 156) Nova Scotia to Hatteras. Clidiophora gouldiana (chart 158) Nova Scotia to New Jersey (North Carolina?). Mya arenaria (chart 160) Arctic Sea to Miami, Fla. It will be seen that exactly one-third of these species have been listed as predomi- nantly northern, while very nearly one-half are to be regarded as southern. The seven remaining species are not assignable to either division. The following species are recorded from our dredgings, but were not taken frequently enough to warrant us in plotting their distributions : Pecten islandicus. Modiolus demissus. Modiolaria Igevigata. Nucula delphinodonta. Astarte quadrans. Aligena elevata. Phacoides filosus. Cardium ciliatum. Gemma gemma. Tellina tenella. Siliqua costata. Thracia septentrionalis. Periploma papyracea. Saxicava arctica. Cyrtodaria siliqua. Pholas costata. Zirphsea crispata. Teredo navalis. Most of these species appear to be actually rare within the region. Several of them, on the contrary (Modiolus demissus, Gemma gem,fna, Teredo navalis) are extremely abundant in their proper habitats, though rarely taken with the dredge. II. AMPHINEURA. Of the Amphineura, or chitons, only two species are found in this region. One of these, Trachyderm^n ruber, is quite rare locally. We have met with it but twice in dredging, only a single specimen having been taken on each occasion. Both were found near the lower end of Buzzards Bay. This species is essentially a northern one, being said to range from the Arctic Sea to New York. The other, Chcetopleura apiculafa, is scattered pretty generally throughout the eastern half of Vineyard Sound and along the shores of Buzzards Bay (chart 161). Its scarcity in the western portion of the Sound and its apparent absence from the deeper waters of the Bay are perhaps due chiefly to the character of the bottom. As is well known, the chitons adhere to solid objects, such BIOLOGICAL SURVEY OF WOODS HOLE AND VICINITY. 151 as stones and shells.'' On the other hand, it is not improbable that the temperature factor has been partly responsible for the distribution of Chceto pleura in Vineyard Sound, as in the case of a number of other southern species which appear to avoid the colder waters of the region. Like those which have previously been discussed, CluBtopleura was not recorded by us from Crab Ledge. The range of this species, as stated by Dall, extends from Cape Cod to Haiti. Our region thus lies at or near its northernmost limit of distribution. III. GASTROPODA. Of the Gastropoda we have recorded 123 determined species, together with 10 which were doubtful or undetermined. Sixty-four ( + 2 ?) of these species were encoun- tered during our Survey dredgings, and at least 1 7 are believed to have been previously unrecorded for the region. Verrill and Smith, in their Vineyard Sound report, listed 93 species, of which, however, only 65 were definitely recorded for specified points within the region, although the ranges of 20 more, as stated by them, would include the Woods Hole region. The completeness of Verrill's list, as regards our more familiar species, renders conspicuous two exceptions. One is our now abundant periwinkle, Littorina litorea, which did not reach Woods Hole in its southward migration until the year 1875; the other is Lacuna puteola, an allied species though quite a minute one, which is likewise very common here at the present time. Whether or not this latter moUusk is also a comparatively recent immigrant can not be stated. It has long been known in the British Isles. In the case of the gastropods, as in that of the lamellibranchs, our list of species is greatly exceeded by all of the other faunal catalogues which have been summarized in our comparative table. The difference in favor of the Plymouth catalogue is due largely, if not wholly, to the inclusion of a greater number of nudibranchs. It is not unlikely that sufficient attention to our local nudibranchs on the part of a specialist would result in adding considerably to the number of species recorded for the region. As regards the shell-bearing species, however, we believe our list to be relatively complete for local waters. The average number of species of gastropods taken per dredge haul for the 458 regular stations of the Survey was 6.8. This figure is only exceeded by that for the Pelecypoda. Those species which were so common as to be recorded from one-fourth or more of our dredging stations are listed herewith in the order of frequency: Number of stations. Tritia txivittata 373 Crepidula fomicata 326 Anachis avara • 295 Crepidula plana 291 Astyris lunata 245 Polynices heros 165 Urosalpinx cinereus 1 56 Polynices triseriata 144 Littorina litorea (shells only) 131 o Its apparent scarcity, even upon the stony bottoms off the shores of Cuttyhunk and Gay Head, renders the alternative explanation more likely f or these points. 152 BULLETIN OF THE BUREAU OF FISHERIES. As in the case of the lamellibranchs, the average number of gastropod species taken per dredge haul was considerably greater for Buzzards Bay than for Vineyard Sound. This statement applies equally to the Fish Hawk and the Phalarope stations. The average number for dredge hauls upon muddy bottoms (7.8) is likewise seen to exceed that for the other types of bottom, though the difference is much less pronounced than for the bivalve mollusks; while the figure for sandy bottoms (6.5) is seen to be practically the same as that for bottoms of gravel and stones (6.7). The difference, in this respect, between the two chief classes of mollusks is doubtless due to the fact that the Pelecypoda comprise a considerable proportion of burrowing forms. Reference to the tables giving the "prevalent" species for each type of bottom shows that there are 8 such species recorded for sandy bottoms, 9 for gravelly and stony ones, and 1 1 for muddy ones. Of these, 7 species (or their shells, at least) are common to the three lists. Charts 162 to 188 portray the distribution of most of those species which were recorded from 10 or more of our stations in Vineyard Sound and Buzzards Bay. The exceptions are Natica pusilla, for which no chart has been presented, owing to the ambiguity of many of the records (see p. 144), and certain species of Turbonilla, several of which were doubtless taken with considerable frequency. Owing to a confusion, already referred to, in our original records we have devoted a single chart to all the members of this genus, so far as recorded by us. In respect to their distribution in local waters, we may group the gastropods in much the same way as has already been done for the pelecypods. Of general distribution. Busycon canaliculatum . Tritia trivittata (commonest recorded species). Anachis avara. Urosalpinx cinereus (comparatively few in middle of Bay). Turbonilla sp. sp. Crepidula fomicata. Crepidula plana. Poljmices duplicata, Polynices triseriata. General in Sound; in Bay mainly confined to inshore stations. Astyris lunata. Cerithiopsis emersonii (hardly general in Sound). Vermicularia spirata (hardly general in Sound; mostly confined to eastern half). Restricted mainly or wholly to Sound. Buccinum undatum. Crucibulum striatum. Polynices heros. Restricted mainly or wholly to Buzzards Bay. Tomatina canaliculata. Cylichnella oryza. Busycon carica. Ilyanassa obsoleta (mostly in upper half of Bay). Eupleura caudata (in Sound, mainly near shore). Bittium altematum (adlittoral). Caecum cooperi (adlittoral). The last two species {Bittium altematum and Ccecum cooperi) were confined almost wholly to the inshore stations of the Bay. Two other species. Lacuna puteola and Crepidula convexa, while found alike in the Sound and the Bay, are restricted in both largely BIOIvOGICAI. SURVEY OF WOODS HOLE AND ^^[CINITY. 1 53 to the inshore stations. The case of Crepidula convexa is peculiar, inasmuch as the two other local species of Crepidula are both of very general distribution. The distribution of this species is particularly unintelligible, in view of the fact that none of our hermit crabs, upon whose shells it finds lodgment, are in any degree restricted to the shallower waters along shore. Yet this mollusk was recorded from 45 of the Phalaropc and Blue W^in^ stations, as compared with only 16 Fish Hawk stations; and of these last, indeed, there is reason for regarding a considerable number as doubtful. This species is known to be the commonest Crepidula upon the smaller hermit crabs in shallower waters near shore, but it is difficult to understand why this mollusk is not more frequently carried by its hosts into the deeper waters as well. As in the case of the Pelecypoda, certain species of gastropods are restricted to the colder waters of the Sound. The only two to be mentioned are Buccinum undatum and Crticibulum striatum. The former was likewise taken at 6 of the 7 regular stations at Crab Ledge, and is known to be a predominantly northern species. Such is not true of Crucihulum, however, and we are at a loss to explain this peculiarity in its local distribution. Both of these species (and these alone among the gastropods) were taken pre- dominantly at depths of i o fathoms or more. In fact Crucibulum was dredged only once by the Phalarope, and was never taken in less than i o fathoms of water. Certain species among those charted are seen to be less common, or to be wanting altogether, in the western half of the Sound, although present in the eastern half. Such are Cerithiopsis enters onii and Vermicularia spirata. Two others (Eulima conoidea and Seila terebrans) might also be mentioned here, though neither has been taken with sufficient frequency to warrant our drawing any general conclusions. The distributions of two species of gastropods as portrayed upon our charts are obviously largely fictitious. We refer to Littorina litorea and Ilyanassa obsoleta, both of which are known to be restricted, when living, to the immediate vicinity of the shore. The broadcast way in which the shells of these species, particularly the former, are strewn around the local sea floor testifies strongly to the part played by hermit crabs in transporting them. Several genera comprise species which display among themselves interesting differ- ences of habitat. Such are Busycon, Crepidula, Littorina, and Polynices. For most of these the differences may readily be seen by reference to the charts. The case of Crepi- dula has just been discussed; that of Polynices receives some mention in chapter V (p. 186). As regards Littorina, only one species is represented upon our chart, and this latter in no way represents the distribution of the living animals. In the catalogue of species (section iii), however, the differences in their respective habitats have been briefly indicated. A glance at the subjoined lists shows that our local assemblage of gastropods, or at least the commonest and most representative among them, are even more dominantly southern than are the pelecypods. Of the 27 species there considered, 22 are to be regarded as southern, 3 as northern, while the remaining 2 are not to be assigned to either category. Predominantly northern (3). Buccinum undatum (chart 166) . . . .Arctic Sea to Charleston Harbor. Polynices heros ("chart 187) Labrador to Virginia. Polynices triseriata (chart 188) Labrador to off Hatteras. 154 BULLETIN OF THE BUREAU OF FISHERIES. Predominantly souUiern (22). Tomatlna canaliculata (chart 162). .Portland, Me., to Haiti. Cylichnella oryza (chart 163) Cape Cod to Charleston, S. C. Busycon canaliculatum (chart 164) . .Beverly, Mass., to Gulf of Mexico. Busycon carica (chart 165) Cape Cod to St. Thomas, West Indies. Tritia trivittata (chart 167) Nova Scotia to St. Augustine, Fla. Ilyanassa obsoleta (chart 168) Nova Scotia to Tampa, Fla. Anachis avara (chart 169) Casco Bay to Florida Keys. Astyris lunata (chart 170) Cape Ann to Brazil. Eupleura caudata (chart 171) Cape Cod to West Indies. Urosalpinx cinereus (chart 172). ...Prince Edward Island to St. Augustine, Fla. Eulima conoidea (chart 173) Hatteras to West Indies. (Woods Hole region.) Sella terebralis (chart 175) Massachusetts Bay to Haiti. Cerithiopsis emersonii (chart 176). . .Cape Cod to Grenada, West Indies. Bittium altematum (chart 177) Prince Edward Island to Louisiana. Caecum cooperi (chart 178) Cape Cod to Jamaica. Vermicularia spirata (chart 179) . . . .New England to Bahia, Brazil. Crucibulum striatum (chart 182) . . . Nova Scotia to Florida Keys. Crepidula fornicata (chart 183) Prince Edward Island to New Granada. Crepidula convexa (chart 184) Nova Scotia to Florida; (Texas?). Crepidula plana (chart 185) Prince Edward Island to Bahia, Brazil. Natica pusilla Eastport, Me., to Florida. Polynices duplicata (chart 186). . . .Massachusetts Bay to Mexico. Of approximately equal range, north and south. Littorina litorea (chart 180) Nova Scotia to Cape May, N. J. Of doubtful position. Lacuna puteola (chart 181) Woods Hole region; Stonington, Conn.; England. The following is a list of species which were recorded with relative infrequency (at less than lo stations) during the dredging- Cylichna alba. Haminea solitaria. Cratena pilata. Coryphella mananensis. Coryphella salmonacea. Doto coronata. Mangilia cerina. Drillia sp. Chrysodomus decemcostatus, Tritonofusus islandicus. Tritonofusus stimpsoni. Arcularia vibex. Thais lapillus. Boreoscala groenlandica. Epitonium multistriatum. Epitonium dallianum. Epitonium lineatum. Stilifer stimpsoni. Tiu-bonilla nivea. Ttirbonilla vinese. Turbonilla elegantula. Turbonilla areolata. Turbonilla interrupta. Turbonilla winkleyi (this and probably several others were taken at more than 10 stations). Turbonilla rathbuni. Odostomia seminuda. Odostomia triiida. Triforis nigrocinctus. Caecum pulchellum. Littorina rudis. Lacuna vincta. Rissoa arenaria. Cingula minuta. Polynices immaculata. Velutina laevigata. Velutina zonata. Acmaea testudinalis. Margarites obsciurus. BIOLOGICAL SURVEY OP WOODS HOLE AND VICINITY. 1 55 Some of these species (Thais lapillus, Littorina rudis, Lacuna vincta, Acnuaa testu- dinalis) are more or less common along shore, but rarely find their way into the dredge. A considerable number of the species were, on the other hand, only taken at Crab Ledge, and thus do not form any part of the fauna of Vineyard Sound or Buzzards Bay. The group of pelagic gastropods known as the Pteropoda is represented locally by a few species which are occasionally found in the outlying waters of the region. Only one of these, Cavolitia iridentala, has been met with in the dredge, a single shell having been taken near the western end of Vineyard Sound. Such a state of affairs is in striking contrast to the condition in some parts of the Atlantic Ocean, where the remains of this class of mollusks accumulate to such a degree as to form a veritable "pteropod ooze," covering wide tracts of the sea floor. IV. CEPHALOPODA. Two species of squid, Loligo pealii and Omnmstrephes illecebrosus, are found in these waters. Only the former of these has been met with in dredging. Loligo has been frequently taken in the Fish Hawk dredgings throughout both the Sound and the Bay, being recorded from 7^1 stations (chart 189). It has never, however, been dredged by the Phalarope. This is doubtless due to the active movements of this animal, which would not be readily caught in a small dredge net, although it would be taken with- out difficulty by the beam trawl. The eggs of the squid, on the other hand, were brought up very frequently both by the Fish Hawk and the Phalarope. The range of this species, as stated by Dall, is from Penobscot Bay, Me., to South Carolina. It thus ranks among the predominantly southern species. Shells of the little known Spirula pcronii sometimes drift to the outer island shores, and one specimen of an octopus (Parasira catenulata) was taken many years ago in Vine- yard Sound. 10. ADELOCHORDA. One species of Balanoqlossus (B. aurantiacns (Girard)) is common at various points along shore, where it burrows rather deeply into the sand or gravel. So far as we know, it has never been taken locally with the dredge. 1 1. TUNICATA. Tunicates, particularly the compound forms, constitute a conspicuous feature of the fauna of some portions of our local sea bottom. Certain species likewise abound on piles and on eel grass and rockweed along shore, while one or morS pelagic forms are occasionally abundant within the limits of our region. The total number recorded, however, is small, only 22 « determined species being included with certainty in our cata- logue; together with about 10 which are unidentified or doubtful. Of these 14(4-6?) were encountered during our dredging operations. The average number of species taken per dredge haul was only i.i, though considerable clusters of Slyela partita, associated with Molgula manhattensis , Pcrophora viridis, Didemnum lutarium, and perhaps other compound forms were at times brought up together. The form having the most general a Throughout our records i4»nor(mfiM»i pellucidum ztid "Amartmcium consUllatum" ■were listed separately and treated as independent species. Owing to the ready distinKuishability of these two forms and their somcvvhat different fiahitats we have not thought it worth while to readjust our records and computations, despite Dr. Van Name's seeming demoustraiiou of the specific identity of the two. 156 BULLETIN OF THE BUREAU OF FISHERIES. distribution was Didemnum luiarium Van Name, which was taken at 99 of the regular dredging stations; thus not a single species was taken with sufficient frequency to appear in the list of those recorded from one-fourth or more of the entire number of stations. Only eight species were taken at as many as 10 of the stations. As in the case of some other groups, certain of the earlier identifications by the col- lectors in the field were made with a confidence which did not afterwards seem to us justified. During the later seasons, accordingly, we preserved for reference to specialists a much larger proportion of the specimens taken. The only instances of ambiguity in our records, which seem worth considering, relate to the species of Amaroucium and to Molgula arenata. The former were commonly identified in the field by means of a super- ficial examination. Subsequent information leads us to believe that such identifications were for the most part correct; since the commoner, at least, among our local species are in most cases readily distinguishable by obvious characters. The small, sand-covered solitary ascidians, taken in the western portion of Vineyard Sound, were at first referred by us to a single species, Molgula arenata. We were informed by Prof. Ritter, however, that another of our local species, Eugyra glutinans, is superficially very similar to the former, and that, in the case of preserv^ed specimens, dissection is necessary in order to distinguish between the two. Both species have been determined by Prof. Ritter in the material submitted to him; so that we feel confident in listing both of them for the western part of Vineyard Sound. On the other hand, it is more than possible that some of our earlier records for "Alolgula arenata" refer in reality to Eugyra ghittnans, while some of those for the latter species depend upon an assumed specific identity between specimens which were hastily examined and others which had been authoritatively determined. In view of this uncertainty, it has been thought best to plot but a single chart for these two species, denoting by the stars of solid black those stations from which Molgula arenata was recorded, and by the open stars stations from which Eugyra glutinans was recorded. It is thought likely that errors of omission have been relatively infrequent in our records, since few of the local species, so far as known, are minute or inconspicuous. It is not unlikely, however, that some of the smaller sand or mud covered solitary ascidians may have escaped us, and it is possible that certain less common species (e. g., of Mol- gula) have been confused with the more familiar ones and recorded along with the latter. We are indebted to Prof. W. E. Ritter, of the University of California, for identifying a large number of the simple ascidians, and to Dr. W. G. Van Name, of New Haven, for identifying many of the compound forms. To these same authorities we are like- wise indebted for criticizing the manuscript relating to each of these respective subdi- visions, and we have adopted the classification and nomenclature advised by them. Prof. Ritter expresses himself as being skeptical regarding the identity of many of the Atlantic coast species, and some of his determinations have been made with no great confidence. In such cases the doubtful character of the identification has been indicated in the list. Dr. Van Name has felt himself justified in making two rather radical changes respecting the genera Amaroucium and Leptodinum (Didemnium). (See faunal cata- logue, p. 731-733)- To Prof. W. A. Herdman, of Liverpool University, we are indebted for suggestions and advice relative to this group during the later stages of the writing of this report. BIOLOGICAL SURVEY OF WOODS HOLE AND VICINITY. 1 57 Verrill and Smith (1873) listed 18 determined species of tunicates for local waters, together with two which were not definitely recorded for the region, and five others which were not specifically determined. A number of these ascidians had been recently described by Verrill himself from specimens taken in the vicinity of Woods Hole. The Leptodinum liiteolum of Verrill is not regarded by Dr. Van Name as specifically dis- tinct from the L. albidum of the same author, which, contrary to the belief of "Verrill, does not appear to occur within the limits of our region. The "Ciona ienella" of Stimpson and of Verrill is now regarded as identical with C. intestinalis (Linngeus), while the " Salpa caboti" of Desor, which appears in Verrill's list, is not believed to be distinct from the Salpa democratica-nmcronata of Forskal.'* Certain species listed by Verrill {Molgula papulosa, M. pellucida, M. producta, Eugyra pilularis, Cynthia carnea, Glandula arenicola) have not been recorded for local waters by any subsequent writers.*^ On the other hand, one species new to science (Bostricho- branchus molgidoides) was described by Metcalf from specimens taken within recent years in Buzzards Bay. Another species {Didemnum lutarium Van Name) although abund- ant and familiar locally, was only recently described for the first time. This species had hitherto been confused with Verrill's Leptodinum albidum ( = luieolum), the true home of which is north of Cape Cod. The survey has encountered a number of species which have not previously been listed in any published report of the fauna of this region. Such are Ascidia complanata, Eugyra glutinans, and Salpa zonaria-cordiformis; also (doubtfully determined) Molgula koreni, M. citrina, and M. pannosa. Twenty-eight species of Tunicata are recorded by Whiteaves for eastern Canada ; 36 species are comprised in the Plymouth list; 45(-|- 14?) for the Irish Sea; and 75 for the Gulf of Trieste. Ten of the Canadian species and 2 of the Plymouth species appear to be common to our Woods Hole fauna. In considering any such comparisons, how- ever, it must be borne in mind that practically no papers have been published during the past 30 years which deal with the New England Tunicata. Only eight charts (190-197) have been presented as illustrating the distribution of the bottom-dwelling ascidians of Vineyard Sound and Buzzards Bay. Of these, seven are each for a single species, while another is based upon the records for two species {Molgula arenata and Eugyra glutinans) concerning which some confusion exists (see p. 156). Like most of the fixed organisms which have been discussed in the present report, the ascidians are of far less frequent occurrence in Buzzards Bay than in Vineyard Sound. Indeed, only two species, Molgula manhattensis and Didemnum lutarium, occur with any frequency in the Buzzards Bay dredgings. The following figures permit a comparison of the average number of species per dredge haul taken in the two bodies of water: Vineyard Sound: Fish Hawk 1.3 Phalarope i. 6 Buzzards Bay: Fish Hawk -4 Phalarope .7 a Ritter. b These are all contained in the list of molgulids having "very imperfect descriptions" in Hertlinaii's "Revised Classification of the Tunicata" (Journ. Linnacan Soc, vol. xxnt. 1891, pp. 557-652). 158 BULLETIN OF THE BUREAU OF FISHERIES. Far in excess of any of these figures is that expressing the number of species taken at the seven Crab Ledge stations. This is 3.3 per dredge haul. Certain localities in Vineyard Sound, likewise, notably the area between the Middle Ground and the shores of Marthas Vineyard were especially rich in tunicates. For example, five species each were taken at stations 63 and 7525, while six species were taken at station 7751. As in many previous cases which have been discussed by us, we believe that the well-known difference between the bottoms of Buzzards Bay and Vineyard Sound is chiefly responsible for this difference in the wealth of their ascidian faunas. This belief is strengthened by a consideration of the average number of species per dredge haul taken upon the three principal types of bottom which have been distinguished by us. The figures, according to this basis of classification, are as follows: Mud, 0.4; sand, 0.9; stones or gravel, 1.9. Moreover, as in many previous cases, some of the species which are absent elsewhere in the Bay have been taken near shore, where the mud of the central region largely gives place to sand, gravel, and stones. Such in particular are Styela partita and Amaroiiciiim pellncidum constellatum. As is well known, ascidians are dependent upon ciliary currents for the food and oxygen brought to them in the water. It is thus natural that bottoms of soft mud should not commonly offer them a congenial habitat, even though a suitable basis for attach- ment should be present." The occurrence of stones, shells, and algge, or other suitable bases of support is likewise an important factor in determining the distribution of most species, as is evident from a comparison of the abundance of ascidian life upon bottoms of stones and gravel with that upon bottoms of sand. Herein, also, probably lies the explanation of the scarcity "of bottom-dwelling tunicates in the western half of Vineyard Sound. Of the seven species^ for which separate distribution charts have been plotted, all agree in being either wholly lacking in the western half of Vineyard Sound, or, if present there at all, in being confined to the inshore (adlittoral) stations. As has been already pointed out, this western area of Vineyard Sound (barring the inshore region) is charac- terized by the presence of sand, and by the comparative absence of stones and gravel. In the case of Styela partita, Molgula manhattensis, and Pcrophora liridis, it is possible that distribution is in some measure determined by that of certain algge, since these species are very frequently attached to the latter. An inspection of the distribution charts for the algae, however, shows few species, if any, whose distribution would satis- factorily account for that of the ascidians named. On a number of previous occasions, we have shown the likelihood that temperature has been the factor chiefly concerned in excluding certain species from the western end of Vineyard Sound. Various predominantly southern species seem unable to thrive in the colder waters of the region, just as certain northern forms seem unable to thrive elsewhere. Now an inspection of the table below, giving the ranges of our commoner species of ascidians, shows that none of those listed are predominantly northv/ard ranging forms, while four, on the other hand, are predominantly southward ranging forms, some of which, indeed, reach their northern limit in Cape Cod. Despite these facts, it seems to us unlikely that temperature has been the factor chiefly concerned in determining the « Exception must be made in the case of those species occurring in deei>sea oozes, many of which are stalked. (Herdraan). b Two of these are not now regarded by Dr. Van Name as being specifically distinct, but for reasons stated above (p. 155, footnote) their distributions have been plotted separately. BIOLOGICAI^ SURVEY OF WOODS HOLE AND VICINITY. 159 scarcity of ascidians in this portion of Vineyard Sound, since several of the forms in question (Didemnum and all of the species of Amaroucium) are abundant in this cold water, on the stony bottoms close to shore,'' and even on Devils Bridge, off Gay Head. On the other hand, Molgula arenaia (chart 190), likewise a predominantly southward ranging form, as judged from known records, occurs chiefly in the western part of Vineyard Sound, where its congenial habitat, a sandy bottom, is more prevalent.^ It would thus seem probable that the temperature factor plays little or no part in determining the distribution of ascidians within the limits of our charts, the primary factor being the character of the bottom, either directly or in its effect upon the distri- bution of marine algae. In the outlying colder waters, however, where northern representatives of nearly every phylum have been met with, we have found a number of ascidians proper to the "Acadian" fauna. Such are Halocynthia echinata,'^ Ascidia complanata, and the Boltenia recorded in the annotated list, all of which species have been dredge(^^y us at Crab Ledge. An interesting difference of distribution in relation to depth is revealed by an analysis of the records for Amaroucium pellucidiim constellatum and A. stellatum. The latter was dredged only once at a depth less than 5 fathoms, while in more than 60 per cent of the cases it was taken at depths of 10 fathoms or more.*^ A. constellatum, on the other hand, was recorded 15 times from depths less than 5 fathoms, while in over 60 per cent of the cases it was taken at depths under 10 fathoms. This form is likewise known to occur upon piles, etc., in shallow water, while we have not obser^^ed A. stel- latum in such situations. The following list comprises all those species which were recorded in our dredging. The asterisk has the usual significance. ? Molgula citrina. ? Molgula koreni. * Molgula manhattensis (chart 191). ? Molgula pannosa. * Molgula arenata (chart 190). Eugyra glutinans (chart 190). Halocynthia echinata. Boltenia sp. * Styela partita (chart 192). Styelasp. (Perhaps new. — Ritter). Ascidia complanata. Botryllus schlosseri. * Perophora viridis (chart 193). * Didemnum lutarium (chart 194). Aplidium pallidum.'^ * Amaroucium pelludicum« (chart 195). * Amaroucium pelludicum constellatum* (chart 196). Amaroucium glabrum.s * Amaroucium stellatum^ (chart 197). Amaroucium sp. (Perhaps new. — Ritter). The ranges here stated for the eight commoner species are given for the most part on the authority of Verrill (1873) and of Van Name (1910). The statements of the latter author have been followed for the compound forms, but for the simple ones no data later than those offered by Verrill appear to be available. o It is true that the summer temperatureof these shoal inshore waters is somewhat higher than that of the deeper waters in the middle of the channel. ^Eugyra glutinans, another sand-dwelling species occurring in this same region, is however, a predominantly northern form. « This was likewise taken at Sankaty Head and once in Vineyard Sound. d This notwithstanding the fact that depths as great as this were encoimtered at only 36 per cent of the stations. 'These five species are among those listed by Herdman as "unrecognizable Polyclinidae." However imperfect the original descriptions may have been, these names none the less refer to well-known and readily distinguishable members of our local fauna. l6o BULLETIN OF THE BUREAU OF FISHERIES. Predominantly southern. Molgula manhattensis Casco Bay to North Carolina. Styela partita Massachusetts Bay to. North Carolina. Perophora viridis Vineyard Sound to Beaufort, N. C, and Bermuda. A. pellucidum Vineyard Sound to North Carolina. Of ii nee r tain position. Molgula arenata Long Island Sound to Nantucket. Didemnum lutarium New England coast south of Cape Cod. Amaroucium stellatum Vineyard Sound to North Carolina (?). A. pellucidum constellatum .... Isles of Shoals ( ?) and Gloucester to Cold Spring Harbor, Long Island. Thus, according to the information at our disposal, four of these eight species are to be regarded as predominantly southern, while the remaining four have only been authentically recorded from a very limited section of the coast. Only three species are known to occur north of Cape Cod. 12. PISCES. The group of fishes occupies a peculiar position in the present work. The total number of species listed for this region is greater than that for any other group except the Crustacea. There are 247 (-\- 6 ?) species'^ representing i88( + 2 ?) genera and 99 families. Only a very small proportion of these (30 species) have, however, been taken in the dredge, owing, first, to the fact that the great majority of the species do not ordinarily lie upon the bottom, and, secondly, to the fact that even the largest dredges and trawls which were employed were not well adapted to retaining active fishes. In general, we may say that this Sur^^ey has dealt only incidentally with the fishes, since the latter do not, for the most part, belong to the benthos, any more than do the Medusae and free-swimming Crustacea. Our knowledge of the distribution of fishes within the narrow limits of such a small body of water, and of the causes determining this distribution, could be substantially increased only by the use of quite other implements than the dredge. As regards the catalogue, on the other hand, it seems likely that the list of local fishes as a whole is more complete than that of any other extensive group of organisms. And even our dredging has resulted in the capture of one fish which was not previously known south of Cape Cod. This was the little blennioid species, Ulvaria suhhifurcata. For the past 40 years Mr. Vinal Edwards, throughout the year, and various nat- uralists, during the summer months, have been engaged in an active search for new fishes. To the extraordinary zeal of Mr. Edwards and his rare power of observing small differences and recognizing unusual species has been due, in large measure, the completeness of our knowledge of local fishes. As early as 1873 Prof. Baird published a list of Woods Hole fishes, some of which had already been recorded for local waters by Storer many years before. This list has received continual additions from year to year in various publications of the United States Fish Commission. In 1898, Dr. H. M. Smith brought together all the previously published records relating to local fishes together with a large number of additional ones, and prepared the most complete list « Two species of marsipobranchii have been included with the true fishes in this computation. BIOI.OGICAI. SURVEY OF WOODS HOLE AND VICINITY. l6l thus far presented. This contained over 200 species of marine fishes. In several sup- plementary lists and special notes Dr. Smith has amplified this catalogue." In 1908 Kendall pubHshed a "List of the Pisces" for the "Fauna of New England," series of the Boston Society of Natural History, but few changes or additions were made as regards the fishes of the vicinity of Woods Hole. All this material, together with many new data and a few entirely new records for species, have been summarized in the annotated list included in the present report.^ In the preparation of the latter con- siderable collections of unpublished notes by Mr. Edwards were examined, and he himself was continually questioned throughout the progress of the work. The data contributed by Mr. Edwards were based (i) on records from the fish traps operated by the Bureau of Fisheries in the neighborhood of the Woods Hole station; (2) on records from the fyke nets, which have been set during the fall, winter, and spring in both the harbors of Woods Hole; (3) on the records of innumerable seining trips made at various times of the year, but particularly in the summer months; (4) the collections made by the tow net suspended from the end of the pier (furnishing records of the occurrence of young fishes) ; and (5) from specimens or information received from fishermen through- out all of the local waters. Most of the specimens collected during the dredging opera- tions, and many more which were caught in other ways during this period, were identi- fied by the authors of this report. Those concerning which any doubt was felt were referred to the ichthyologists of the Bureau of Fisheries. To Dr. H. M. Smith and Dr. W. C. Kendall we are indebted for a critical examination of our check list of fishes. In our list of species are comprised 2 Marsipobranchii, 26 Selachii, and 2i9(-f 4?) Teleostomi. In our comparative table (p. 89) it will be seen that the fishes have been included in only two of the other faunal catalogues therein considered. Herdman records 134 species for the Irish Sea, i. e., hardly more than half the number comprised in our own catalogue, while Graeffe lists 181 species for the Gulf of Trieste. Here, as elsewhere, it would be interesting to know how largely these differences in the number of species are actual and how largely they are due to the thoroughness of the collecting and recording. It must be borne in mind that our own list comprises a large number of species which are not indigenous, being stragglers, whose presence in our waters is due to the proximity of the Gulf Stream. The number of such exotic species is probably peculiarly high in our region. Owing to the small number of species taken by the dredge and to the comparative paucity of the records even for such as were taken, the data thus gained relating to the local distribution of these species have not been very impressive. In general we may say, however, that while some species appeared to have an unrestricted distribution in local waters, many more fishes were taken in Vineyard Sound than in Buzzards Bay; likewise that a number of species occurred wholly or mainly at the western end of the Sound.'' a See bibliographic list for the faunal catalogue, p. 791. f> The records cf Cope (1870) for Newport have been included here, although they were not considered by Smith, who limited the "vicinity of Woods Hole" to a somewhat smaller area than the "Woods Hole Region" of the present report. c It is likely that this latter fact is in a certain measure due to the greater frequency with which the beam trawl was employed upon the sandy bottoms at the western end of Vineyard Sound. This instrument was obviously better adapted to catching and retaining fishes than were the other types of dredge employed. 16269° — Bull. 31, pt I — 13 II 1 62 BULLETIN OF THE BUREAU OP FISHERIES. There is no evidence whatever for distribution in accordance with temperature within the narrow limits of the present region. Most of the species taken in the dredge are ones which have a more or less extended northerly as well as southerly range along the coast, and it so happens that Pholis gumielics, the only strictly northern species which was dredged with any frequency, was taken at scattered stations throughout most of the Sound, but was not recorded from its western end. It is quite likely that the local distribution of this fish is limited by the character of the bottom (by preference stony) and by the occurrence of certain algae. Those fishes which are recorded with greatest frequency at the western end of the Sound are mainly species of flounders and skates, which occur predominantly on sandy bottoms. Of the five species thus restricted (Raja erinacea, Lophopsetta maculata, Paralichthys .ohlongus, and, to a less extent, Para- lichthys dentaius and Pseudoplexironectes americanus), two are predominantly southward ranging, while the other three have ranges which extend about equally in both directions. Thus the character of the bottom in this western area of Vineyard Sound is doubtless responsible directly or indirectly for the distribution of these fishes. The case is quite different from that of many other organisms which have been considered by us, whose presence near the open end of the Sound is to be explained by reference to the lower water temperature which obtains there. Even if we had a full and accurate knowledge of the local distribution of these various fishes, we should hardly expect to find the same dependence upon temperature conditions as was found in the case of some other organisms. Since fishes are free to move from place to place according to their needs, they are not subject to the constant influence of any set of conditions acting throughout the entire life cycle, as is the case ^vith fixed or slowly moving organisms. It may well be (see pp. 175-177) that the restrict- ing effects of a colder or warmer environment in relation to distribution depend in many instances upon its action during the reproductive period alone, and that the adult organism itself might be able to thrive under conditions unfavorable to its early develop- ment or to its reproductive activity. Indeed it is likely that such a possibility is often realized in the case of animals having sufficient powers of locomotion. And it is perhaps among the fishes themselves, many of which migrate to warmer waters for the purposes of reproduction, that the best examples may be found. The distribution of most fishes within the narrow limits of such a region as the pres- ent one is doubtless determined chiefly by the occurrence of their food supply. This we may say with a high degree of probability, although we may not be able to determine many definite cases of correlation between the occurrence of particular species of fishes and the particular organisms which serve as their food. In the case of such p