50 CARNEGIE INSTITUTION OF WASHINGTON, 



MARINE BIOLOGICAL LABORATORY AT TORTUGAS, FLORIDA. 

 First Report of Progress. 



By Ai^fred GoIvDSborough Mayer. 



The ExecutiYe Committee of the Carnegie Institution of Wash- 

 ington having authorized the establishment of a laboratory for the 

 study of marine biology at Tortugas, Florida, I have the honor to 

 report as follows upon the results attained. 



The director was unable to assume active charge of the work 

 until June i, 1904. 



The Department of Commerce and Labor and the U. S. Light- 

 House Board generously granted to the Carnegie Institution a license 

 for a suitable site for the laboratory upon Loggerhead Ke}', Tortugas, 

 Florida, and in this connection the director wishes to express on 

 behalf of the laboratory his appreciation of the liberal spirit displayed 

 by Hon. George B. Cortelyou, Secretary of the Department of Com- 

 merce and Labor ; Major W. E. Craighill, U. S. A., engineer of the 

 seventh and eighth light-house districts ; and Lieut. Col. W. D. 

 Lockwood, engineer secretary of the U. S. Light-House Board. 



After consultation with Dr. John S. Billings and Dr. Charles D. 

 Walcott, members of the Executive Committee, as well as with Prof. 

 Charles B. Davenport, Edmund B. Wilson, Charles H. Towusend, 

 and others, it was determined to erect large but portable laboratory 

 buildings, which should be designed especially to be cool, well lighted, 

 and capable of affording to a limited number of investigators unrivaled 

 facilities for the study of the marine life of the tropical Atlantic. 



It was decided to erect a main laboratory, one small detached 

 laboratory, a kitchen, a windmill for pumping salt water and air, a 

 dock, a shipways, two small outhouses, and a cistern for rain-water. 



The main laboratory, small laboratory, and two outhouses were 

 constructed by the Drecker Company of New York, and are portable, 

 so that they can readily be moved from their present site and re- 

 erected elsewhere if desirable. 



These buildings were erected in July, upon the western side of 

 Loggerhead Key, more than 1,000 feet north of the light-house. 

 The ground was cleared of trees during the last week in June and 

 all necessary grading accomplished. About 50 tropical palms were 

 planted upon the cleared ground, in order to shade the buildings, 

 afford protection in the event of hurricanes, and beautify the site. 



The laboratory buildings were carried by steamer from New York 

 to Key West, and thence to Loggerhead Key upon a schooner of 



