RECORDS OF MEETINGS 211 



SECTION OF BIOLOGY. 

 16 October, 1911. 



Section met at 8:15 p. M., Vice-President Frederic A. Lucas pre- 

 siding. 



The minutes of the last meeting of the Section were read and ap- 

 proved. 



The meeting was devoted to the following illustrated lecture : 



Charles H. Townsend, The Voyage of the Albatross to the Gulf of 



California. 



Summary of Paper. 



In the spring of 1911, the Albatross, under the direction of Dr. 

 Townsend, Director of the New York Aquarium, made a natural history 

 survey of the Gulf of California. Much valuable information was ob- 

 tained bearing on the oceanography and the general biology of this region, 

 and especially the deep-sea forms. After stating that the American 

 Museum of Natural History, the New York Zoological Society, the New 

 York Botanical Garden and the United States National Museum cooper- 

 ated in the voyage of the Albatross by special arrangement with the U. S. 

 Bureau of Fisheries, Dr. Townsend gave a general account of the work 

 done. The Albatross sailed from San Diego. Twenty-six hauls of the 

 dredge were made, the deepest being 1,760 fathoms. Shore work was 

 carried on at 32 anchorages around the peninsula of Lower California 

 and at islands in the gulf. Important collections of mammals, birds, 

 reptiles and plants were made. A special study was made of the fishery 

 resources of the region. An interesting feature of the expedition was 

 the rediscovery of the supposed extinct elephant seal, Mirounga. About 

 100 of these animals were found at Guadeloupe Island, which is unin- 

 habited. Six yearlings were sent alive to the New York Aquarium, and 

 three large males and a female were secured for skins and skeletons. 

 The males were each 16 feet long. Excellent photographs were made. 

 Among the interesting tilings obtained by dredging were Harriotta and 

 Cyema. two deep-sea fishes not previously recorded from the Pacific. 



The Section then adjourned. 



L. Hussakof, 



Secretary. 



