collection of the library at that time comprised 16, 000 titles; 

 mostly reports of the U. S. and foreign governments and 

 reprints donated by the authors. A large number of books 

 were loaned by Brown University (650 volum.es) and 100 

 volumes by the College of the City of New York for use during 

 the summer. An author catalog of the library books was 

 supplemented by a subject catalog that was commenced by 

 Miss R. MacDonald, the librarian. 



From 25 to 30 investigators worked at the Laboratory 

 each summer. Sumner gives an interesting tabulation of the 

 subjects of research which he more or less arbitrarily 

 classified as follows: 



Relations to stimuli, animal behavior, etc. 9 

 Faunal and floral distribution 7 



Taxonomy 6 



Embryology 3 



Ecology (exclusive of distribution) 2 



General physiology (exclusive of behavior) 2 

 Regeneration 2 



Miscellaneous 6 



Biological material for research was regularly supplied by 

 dredgings of the Fish Hawk and Phalarope (fig. 27) and by 

 selecting needed fish from several traps at Menem.sha Bight, 

 and Marthas Vineyard. Besides two steam launches, a catboat, 

 an abundance of rowboats were available for short trips. A 

 daily record was kept by Vinal N. Edwards of the species taken. 

 One of the investigators for the Bureau was George Parker of 

 Harvard University, who conducted a study of the lateral line 

 physiology. He used for this purpose dogfishes, skates, 

 killifish, scup, toadfish, and winter flounder. One of the 

 conclusions reached was that the lateral line organs are stimulated 

 by water vibrations of low frequency (six per second). Interesting 

 observations were made by Lynds Jones on the food of marine birds. 

 He counted the number of terns. Sterna hirundo and S. dougallii, 

 nesting at Weepecket, Penikese, and Muskeget Island's near Woods 

 Hole and calculated the number of fish they consumed. His results 

 showed that in the course of one day 92, 000 terns ate 736, 000 

 small fish, Amnnodytes americanus , and 184, 000 fish of other 

 species. The consumption of food fishes by terns appeared to be 

 insignificant, and the birds were exonerated as an important 

 destructive agency. 



The principal feature of the work of the Woods Hole Laboratory 

 undertaken by Sumner was the biological survey of the bottom animals 

 and plants of Buzzards Bay and Vineyard Sound. The incentive for 

 this project was Sunriner's desire to use the Fish Hawk which, as he 

 states, was customarily "parked" at Woods Hole during the summer. 

 Having started on the project, he and his associates found themselves 

 deeply involved in the work in which dredging was made at several 



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