In the summer of 1885, Baird with his staff of assistants 

 and several clerks moved into the new building. A. E. Verrill 

 was in charge of the laboratory and with other biologists con- 

 tinued investigations on the habits and development of fishes 

 and marine invertebrates. The following biologists not employed 

 by the Fish Commission used the facilities of the newly established 

 American marine laboratory: Richard Rathbun, Sidney I. Smith, 

 Sanderson Smith, E. Linton, B. F. Koons, Harrison Allen, 

 William Libbey, Jr. , and Walter Heape of Cambridge, England. 



An interesting experiment of introducing marine species 

 into a new environment was carried out. For the first time, a 

 lot of young shad were transported in a railroad car to the Pacific 

 Coast and planted in the waters of Washington Territory and 

 Oregon. In return, G. H. H Moore who was entrusted with 

 the task, collected and brought back to Woods Hole a large 

 number of clams. Tapes staminea. A great many clams 

 perished enroute, but several hundred which survived and 

 appeared to be in good condition were planted in various 

 locations in the vicinity of the station. Shad transplanting 

 was continued in later years, and the Atlantic species is now 

 well established on the Pacific Coast, but Tapes staminea 

 apparently did not survive and was never found in Woods Hole 

 waters. 



A series of oyster breeding experiments were made that 

 summer by John A. Ryder, using the ponds constructed on 

 private grounds near Eel Pond, Woods Hole, owned by J. H. 

 and Camilla J. Kidder. 



Jerome H. Kidder, medical officer of the U. S. S. 

 Albatross, made a detailed chemical study of the fresh-water 

 supply to the new laboratory and found it to be "potable and of 

 good quality. " The source of fresh water available at that 

 time was a small spring or well located at Bar Neck. The 

 water level in the well ordinarily stood at a height of about four 

 feet above mean low water. To one analysis, Kidder attached 

 the following statement: "The sediment (of water from the 

 well) contains unicellular algae, rotifers, Paramecium, amoeba, 

 and woody fiber. No evidence of impurity injurious to health" 

 (Kidder, 1886). The reference to Paramecium and Amoeba 

 miake one suspicious about the quality of drinking water available 

 at that time. 



Another interesting and comprehensive study, also by 

 Kidder, deals with the accuracy of the thermometers used by 

 the Fish Commission in marine exploration. Of particular 

 significance are the tests of Negretti-Zambra deep-sea 

 reversing thermometers and maximum and minimum thermometers 

 made by Miller-Casella. This type of thermometer is provided 

 with short steel rods which are pushed by a column of mercury 

 and can be reset by using a small magnet. The reversing and 



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