DEPARTMENT OF MARINE BIOLOGY. 185 



Rico and which constitute favorable material for his studies. In these 

 investigations he enjoyed the facihties afforded him by Mr. Eugene 

 G. Smyth, of Santa Rita. 



With characteristic energy Professor W. H. Longley spent hours 

 observing the habits and coloration of the reef fishes and obtaining 

 additional facts to support the great weight of evidence he has already 

 gathered which demonstrates that in numerous instances the habits 

 of fishes are such as to enhance the inconspicuousness of their colors; 

 thus protective coloration is a factor of primary importance, which has 

 been acquired in a great variety of ways by the fishes of the transparent 

 waters of the coral reefs. The efficacy of Abbott H. Thayer's scheme of 

 color pattern in securing protection is strikingly illustrated in many 

 instances, and at a time when the Darwinian theory of natural selection 

 seems undermined and weakened by the revelation of the importance 

 of de Vriesian mutation, this research of Professor Longley acquires 

 a peculiar and timelj^ interest. His studies at Porto Rico were con- 

 tinued during June and July at Tortugas, where he made use of a diving- 

 hood recently invented by Mr. Dunn of Miami, which enabled him to 

 remain under water for indefinite periods of time. Several years 

 must elapse before Professor Longley's researches can be properly 

 published, but next year he should be provided with special equipment, 

 such as under-water camera, glass-bottomed boat, and diving appa- 

 ratus, and above all with the services of a competent artist. 



Dr. C. F. Silvester made a special collection of Porto Rican fresh and 

 salt water fishes for systematic study, finding more than 100 species, 7 

 being new to science ; and he also gathered invertebrates for the museum 

 at Guyot Hall, Princeton University, corals for the National Museum in 

 Washington, and fishes from Porto Rican caves. 



Professor A. L. Tread well was assisted by Mr. Stanlej^ J. Rowland in 

 Porto Rico, and by Mr. Rudolph Weber in Tortugas, who served as 

 artists in illustrating the Leodicidae, to the study of which group Pro- 

 fessor Tread well has devoted a number of years. He determined that 

 the Atlantic palolo swarmed at Tortugas on July 1, 1915. 



It is perhaps unfortunate that the absorbing interest which the 

 experimental side of biology has in recent years attracted to itself 

 should have cut down activity in systematic work. Yet there is still 

 a wide field for the production of such beautiful and valuable papers as 

 constituted the early volumes of the ^'Naples Monographs," and the 

 laboratory would be remiss in its duty did it neglect the opportunity 

 to afford facilities to competent students for carrying out work of this 

 character. 



If we are to achieve success in studies of the hereditary traits or 

 physiological reactions of animals, it is fundamentally essential that 

 we should know the anatomy and relationships of the forms we work 

 with, yet our knowledge of such matters remains in many respects 



