6o 4 THE POPULAR SCIENCE MONTHLY. 



THE MARINE BIOLOGICAL LABORATORY. 



By J. S. K1NGSLEY. 



THE little village of "Woods Holl, situated on the southern 

 shore of Massachusetts, just where that long, sandy stretch, 

 known as Cape Cod, begins to jut from the mainland, is one of the 

 most important spots for biological science in the whole of 

 America. And yet how little the summer migrant knows of the 

 place as he passes through it on his way from the mainland to 

 the summer residences of Cottage City and Nantucket ! Woods 

 Holl has for the lover of the sea a charming situation. On the 

 south and east is that important water-way, Vineyard Sound, 

 through which is constantly passing a procession of vessels of all 

 styles and sizes, from the tiny cat-boat to the large passenger 

 steamers of the Norfolk and Savannah lines. To the west is the 

 broad and shallow expanse of Buzzard's Bay, with the New 

 Bedford shore now plainly visible, now appearing in that fan- 

 tastic shape called by the fisherman " looming " a kind of mirage 

 when the coast appears doubled as in a mirror, and raised some 

 distance above the horizon. To the southwest stretches out the 

 long chain of the Elizabeth Islands, which possess no little in- 

 terest. They together form the town of Gosnold, named for that 

 old explorer who in 1G02 built his fort upon the westernmost 

 island, Cuttyhunk, traces of which are said to remain to the 

 present day. These Elizabeth Isles have retained the musical 

 names which the Indians gave them, and the students who yearly 

 visit Woods Holl have their struggles with the rhyme 



" Naushon, Nashuena, 

 Nonamesset, Uncatena, 

 Weepocket, Pasquenese, 

 Cuttyhunk and Penikese" 



which embodies the names of the eight. 



The channels between the islands are known as " gutters," if 

 shallow ; " holes," if broad and deep. Thus, in one place is 

 Quick's Hole, in another Robinson's Hole, while between Nona- 

 messet and the mainland is the dangerous passage of Wood's 

 Hole, whose rocks have proved the wreck of many a vessel and 

 which gives the name to the adjacent village, the spelling of 

 which has for some unexplained reason been changed by the Post- 

 Office Department to Holl.* 



* [The First Report of the United States Board on Geographic Names has the following 

 explanation of this change : " The name which was originally Wood's Hole was changed 

 several years ago by the summer residents of the place to Woods Holl." Editor.] 



