DEPARTMENT OF MARINE BIOLOGY. IIQ 



before his work can be published. Professor Tower has made a beginning 

 of a long series of observations upon evolution and heredity in beetles at 

 Tortugas. Professor Tread well hopes to devote years to the study of the 

 morphology, habits, and reactions of marine worms. Other students have 

 been spending successive seasons upon the study of the physiology and chem- 

 istry of animal movements and reactions, and it is hoped that these long- 

 continued efforts may lead at least in some cases to important discoveries. 



Most important of all, a spirit of tranquillity, simplicity, and ardent devo- 

 tion to research must be maintained, and for this the Tortugas, with its rare 

 isolation, rich fauna, and perfect healthfulness, affords a unique situation. 



As more time must now be devoted to elaborate experimentation and 

 observation than formerly, so does it become correspondingly more neces- 

 sary that everything be planned to economize and prolong the time devoted 

 to effective study. In order to work continuously we must remain on land, 

 and it is believed that the successful marine expeditions of the future will 

 land parties of students at salient points, where they can establish temporary 

 laboratories ; and the vessels will merely serve as a means of facilitating the 

 work of those whose duty it will be to collect for the investigators. We 

 may dispense with the huge, expensive steamer and achieve far more com- 

 prehensive and authoritative results by using a number of small fast 

 launches, thus greatly reducing the cost of a marine expedition, increasing 

 the staff of its investigators, and correspondingly enhancing its efficiency. 

 It is hoped that in years to come the Department may be able to conduct 

 such an expedition to the Tropical Pacific. 



The United States Navy has practically abandoned Fort Jefferson, and 

 this obliges the laboratory to provide a fast, seaworthy launch which will 

 suffice to make the journey to and fro between Key West and Tortugas in 

 any ordinary weather. The Physalia is too slow for this transportation 

 service and is seriously delayed by even moderate head-winds, so that it is 

 often necessary to wait for days at a time before venturing to go to Key 

 West. A new launch 70 feet long, of 100 horsepower, would not only ob- 

 viate this annoying difficulty of transportation, but would greatly increase 

 the efficiency of the fleet by enlarging the collecting radius and enabling 

 the use of the dredge at greater depths ; the additional expense of maintain- 

 ing such a vessel would be largely offset by a saving in the cost of trans- 

 portation of freight between Key West and the laboratory. 



The vessels and laboratory were uninjured by the hurricane of October 

 1909, which did much damage at Key West, but the laboratory was seriously 

 damaged by the hurricane of October 17, 1910, although no apparatus was 

 lost, parts of the roof were blown off, and the wind-mills and sailors' dwell- 

 ing were destroyed. The dock-houses were also seriously damaged, but the 

 dock remained uninjured. 



