The Council.

Since the last Annual Meeting the Council has met ten times for the conduct of the business of the Association.

The vacancies caused by the retirement of E. W. H. Holdsworth, Esq., and of G. J. Romanes, Esq., F.R.S., were filled in July by the election of Sir Albert Rollit, M.P., and of S. J. Hickson, Esq., D.Sc. No changes have occurred during the year among the Officers.

The Council has to acknowledge the courtesy of the Royal Society in granting the use of its rooms for the several meetings of the Association.

The past summer has been a busy one at Plymouth, and the steady continuance of magnificent weather has made shore-collecting, as well as dredging and tow-netting from the boats, possible at all points in the neighbourhood. The fine weather, as compared to the weather of last summer, seems, moreover, to have had a distinct influence on the pelagic fauna of the Channel. There has been towards the end of the summer a continuance of unusually interesting surface forms, and at the same time almost a total absence of some of the creatures usually found in abundance. For instance, Aurelia has for some unaccountable reason not been found in the Sound this summer, although I have heard of its occurrence in usual numbers in the Solent. Last summer brought innumerable millions of Noctiluca, so that the sea for miles showed orangered tracks through the dense crowding of these infusorians. This summer has produced practically none.

The reproductive organs of Teleosteans have been studied by many writers. All observations, however, appear to be either on the organ as seen at only one season of the year, or on the early maturation of the ovum and development of the embryo. I do not in this paper concern myself with the primitive development of the ovary, or the subsequent growth of the permanent ova from the primitive ova or sexual cells of the embryo (1). My attention is rather centred on the adult and mature organ in its various conditions of sexual activity or repose.

On the 6th of January, 1892, Dr. Elliot of Kingsbridge most generously presented to the Marine Biological Association a large and interesting Cephalopod which was captured off Salcombe.

Dr. Elliot brought the squid to the Plymouth Laboratory, and it was subsequently purchased for the Oxford Museum by Prof. Ray Lankester, who requested me to identify it, giving me much kind help, for which I wish to express my sincere thanks.

Two specimens of this Elasmobranch have recently been landed at Plymouth, the one on the 21st of June, and the other on the 8th of July. They were both captured by steam trawlers working off Vigo Bay on the north-west coast of Spain. The specimens cannot, therefore, be claimed as English; but since only one example appears to have been previously landed in this country, having been taken off the coast of Cornwall in 1877; and since the fish is, therefore, not at all well known, a few notes on the two specimens brought to the Laboratory may be of interest.

In my paper in the preceding number of this Journal I erroneously described several specimens of this species as Zeugopterus punctatus, not having carefully examined or compared them. Since then, having seen specimens of Zeugopterus norvegicus, and re-examined my own, I find that my specimens belong to this species. The record of their capture in the neighbourhood of Plymouth is —

The following faunistic notes are offered as an indication of the chief results which have characterised our collecting operations during the present year. It is hoped that, short as they are, they may prove serviceable to British naturalists desiring to pursue special researches in marine zoology, but undecided as to the locality most likely to meet their needs. The notes are incomplete, owing to my absence from Plymouth during the earlier part of the year; but they are sufficient for the formation of an inference, since the results here described were obtained for the most part during only a fragment of the year—from June to September.

The absence of systematic records showing the variations of the floating fauna and flora, or plankton, of the Plymouth waters is much to be regretted. My observations on the amount of animal and plant life suspended in the sea from the surface to the bottom would show that in comparison with similar observations made elsewhere, the quantity of plankton in this locality was during the past summer surprisingly small. The absence of data upon which comparisons could be based between the state of the water in this season and that obtaining in former years is all the more to be deplored because the present season has in many respects been a remarkable one. In the first place, the Plymouth mackerel fishery has so far been a complete failure; it has further been found that dog-fishes (both Scyllium and Acanthias) were not obtainable during June and July; and lastly, Aurelia aurita, which in summer is usually common, was extremely scarce in the Sound and tidal waters of Plymouth. If my Burmise that the amount of plankton was for the locality exceptionally small proves correct, then these three salient instances of scarcity of animals which are directly or indirectly dependent on the plankton for their food will suffice to show the importance of a series of more or less continuous observations on the physical and biological condition of the inshore and Channel waters. Were accurate information on these points available, it would in all probability enable us to explain, and we might even in time be able to foresee, the occurrence of so important an event as the exceptionally sporadic appearance of the mackerel in 1892.

During the past summer Mr. Holt has sent me from time to time young specimens of fish which he has collected, in order that I might report upon the evidence which they afforded as to the rate of growth of the various species in the North Sea. He has also supplied me with a complete list containing the names and the measurements of all the specimens he has collected, including many others besides those sent to me. I have simply studied the specimens and the list, and endeavoured to estimate the probable ages of the specimens. The necessary information as to the limits and duration of the spawning period in the case of each species has also been supplied to me by Mr. Holt. I have registered below the obseryed specimens of each species separately in the chronological order, of their capture. All have been collected in the course of the current year.

Introductory.—I believe that, so far as concerns the more important species, sufficient information has been accumulated to allow of the deduction of a reliable conclusion.

Though it is certain that some local variation exists in the different parts of the North Sea, I have not found it possible to treat the area otherwise than as a single district. This is of the less importance since the variation seems to be very slight, and in any practical application of the results arrived at I do not see how it would be feasible to subdivide the district.

The four charts published in this number, being for the months of May, June, July, and August, form a continuation, of the series of reports commenced in the last number (vol. ii, No. 3) and are intended to show the position of the fishing fleets.

The same symbols have been used, which, for convenience, are again given below.

I do not propose to attempt a full description of each month's fishing, but rather let the charts explain themselves, giving only a few necessary notes on the dates of the movements of shoals, which may be of use on a subsequent occasion.

Polyprion cernium, Val.—Two specimens of this fish, the stone basse or wreck-fish, were obtained on September 21st. The one was sent by Mr. Dunn, of Mevagissey, the other captured by hook and line off Plymouth. The first specimen measured 19½ inches, the second 20½ inches.

Under Gadus esmarkii, for “30 to 50 fathoms cable” read “30 to 50 fathoms ca.” (circa).