DEPARTMENT OF MARINE BIOLOGY. 179 



Australia, where these plates are being lithographed under the direc- 

 tion of Mr. E. M. Grosse. 



Papers are being collected for volumes 9 and 10 of Researches from 

 the Department of Marine Biology, and it is hoped these may all be 

 received before January 1917, in order that the work of printing the 

 volumes may soon commence. 



An unfortunate event of the year was the loss of the dory gasoline 

 launch Henderson, which was a gift to the Laboratory by Hon. John B. 

 Henderson, jr.. Regent of the Smithsonian Institution. It was one 

 of our most useful boats, but on the night of July 26 it was tied to the 

 stern of the Anton Dohrn and within half an hour thereafter its absence 

 was noted, the forward cleat having pulled out in the heavy sea and 

 high wind. A search of 7 hours over the dark sea failed to discover the 

 launch, which probably drifted out into the Gulf of Mexico and was 

 swamped by the torrential rains and rough water of the following days. 



We suffered neither loss nor damage through the storm of July 4 to 6, 

 although part of the lighthouse dock at Tortugas was torn away. 

 Our excellent anchors and new hawser held the Anton Dohrn in Fort 

 Jefferson Harbor without accident, and the launches were similarly 

 fortunate off Loggerhead Key. 



It is a pleasure to record that the kindness and cordiaHty so con- 

 stantly shown to us by successive commandants of the Key West 

 Naval Station has been continued by the present commandant, 

 Captain Warren J. Terhune, U. S. Navy, and his family. 



REPORTS OF INVESTIGATORS. 



Report on the Bahama Cerions Planted on the Florida Keys, by Paid Bartsch. 



We visited the colonies near Miami on May 16, 1916. The old planting 

 on the second key north of Sands Key is still doing well. Old and young 

 were up on the bushes and the colony was spread over about the same extent 

 of territory as it occupied last year. 



The new colony (first generation of individuals grown in Florida), planted 

 about 70 feet south of the original planting, is also surviving well, but no 

 young individuals were found. It is possible that very small young speci- 

 mens may be buried in the sand, but we did not deem it wise to disturb them. 



On the first key north of Sands Key, where the "White House" type of 

 cerions were planted, we found conditions similar to those on the second 

 Ragged Key north of Sands Key, and here, also, we left them undisturbed. 

 Members of the old colony were everywhere to be seen. The old marked 

 shells were in good condition, and young in various stages of growth could 

 be found everywhere. 



We next visited Sands Key and examined carefully the ground where we 

 planted a small colony of cerions grown in Florida two years ago, but our 

 search failed to reveal a single specimen. I do not know why this colony 

 should have perished, for some of the young shells planted here should cer- 

 tainly have matured; the locality seems ideal for cerions. The search we 

 made was a thorough one, as all the conditions were most favorable for the 

 work. Mosquitos were practically absent, a condition not observed during 

 past seasons. 



