POISONOUS FISHES 149 



The twenty-nine field collection stations made in seven different parts 

 of the archipelago may be briefly described as follows: 



Field Numbers K52-24 to 29 are from Darwin Bay, at the south- 

 eastern end of Tower Island, flanked by steep cliffs except for the narrow 

 beach at the northern end. Marine iguanas, sea lions, and various oceanic 

 birds were abundant. Mullet, surgeonfish, and blennies were taken at the 

 western end of the beach, in tidepools to 3 meters in depth. The bulk of 

 the specimens — triggerfish, snappers, squirrelfish, hemiramphids, parrot- 

 fish, pomacanthids, pomacentrids, mullet, pompano, and surgeonfish — 

 were taken at the base of the cliffs in 1 to 2 fms. Smaller collections were 

 made in the deeper portions of the bay, to 150 fms. Sharks were observed 

 swimming near the surface of the bay. The water was relatively murky 

 and the surface temperature within the bay was 25°C. 



Field Number K53'l is from Wreck Bay, at the southwestern end 

 of Chatham Island. The bottom is sand interspersed with volcanic rocks 

 and slopes gently down to 9 fms near the entrance. Small amounts of 

 brown algae were observed floating on the surface of the water. Grouper, 

 snapper, Umbrina, and a species of Paranthias were taken with hook and 

 line, and a single specimen of Hemiramphus was taken by night light 

 with a dip net. The water was slightly turbid ; surface temperature, 21°C. 



Field Numbers K53-2 to 4, 4a represent two collections made at Inde- 

 fatigable Island, one at Academy Bay in about 6 meters of water, yielding 

 pomacentrids, parrotfish, grouper and triggerfish; the other at Seymour 

 Bay, at the entrance of the large saltwater lagoon, and within the lagoon 

 itself. Academy Bay, on the southern side of the island, has a highly 

 irregular shore line and is littered with jagged volcanic boulders and 

 gravel. A number of rocky reefs at the west end provide good collecting 

 ground. The bottom, of sand interspersed with gravel and boulders, slopes 

 gently down to a depth of about 16 fms. The water was relatively clear, 

 with a temperature of 22.5°C. Seymour Bay, on the northern side of the 

 island, has a less irregular and rocky shore line, with many broad sandy 

 beaches. The bottom, of sand with scattered rocks, slopes gradually out 

 to deeper water, reaching the 10-fathom line about 1400 meters from 

 shore. The lagoon is shallow, less than a fathom in its deepest part. The 

 water is murky ; temperature not taken. The variety of fish species within 

 the lagoon was limited, consisting primarily of such genera as Ortho- 

 pristis, Haemulon, Gerres and bottom fishes. Night light fishing off the 

 entrance was the most profitable of any during the entire trip, for speci- 

 mens of needlefish and flyingfish. 



