PROGRESS IN BIOLOGICAL INQUIRIES 19 



southeastern Alaska, 51.78 in British Columbia, and 50.81 in Califor- 

 nia. This is an average difference of two vertebrae between 60° 

 and 37° of latitude. 



The proportion between the head length and the body length (with- 

 out caudal) decreases as the body length increases. Conversely, the 

 proportion between the anal fin insertion and the body length 

 increases, demonstrating that the head and tail do not keep pace with 

 the rest of the body in growth. On plotting the head length the curves 

 show great differences, the percentage of head to body length curve 

 for Russian Harbor falling 2^2 per cent below the curve for south- 

 eastern Alaska, at 255 millimeters body length. Other characters 

 used are the dorsal and anal fin ray counts and the distance par- 

 allel to the body from the tip of the snout to the end of the occipital 

 bone on the back of the head, and to the dorsal, ventral, and anal 

 fin insertions. These characters also show differences of undoubted 

 statistical significance. 



It may be stated, from what few data have been collected, that 

 the herring of southeastern Alaska are quite distinct from those to 

 the westward. There are decided differences between localities in 

 southeastern Alaska although in general these are less than the differ- 

 erences between southeastern Alaska and the districts to the west. 

 The same is true of localities to the west. There are slight indica- 

 tions, from rough measurements, that, the phenomenon of the domi- 

 nant year class may be present, as in the Atlantic herring and the 

 California sardine, but this requires corroboration. 



Scales were collected from all of the samples measured and are 

 now being examined to determine the age and rate of growth in each 

 region. This may also shed more light on local races. 



MARINE FISHES OF THE GULF OF VENEZUELA 



A fairly representative collection of fishes of the Gulf of Venezuela 

 was received during the year from Commander Paul P. Blackburn 

 of the U. S. S. Niagara. This collection was turned over to Dr. 

 Samuel F. Hildebrand for study. Doctor Hildebrand, assisted by 

 Irving L. Towers, has made some headway in the classification of 

 the species. 



It is of interest to note that several species ranging both north and 

 south of the Isthmus of Panama, as for example the bluefish, are well 

 represented in the Venezuelan collection but were not present in the 

 extensive collections made on the coast of Panama by Meek and 

 Hildebrand. 



INVESTIGATIONS OF SHELLFISH AND TERRAPIN 

 OYSTERS 



Investigations relating to oyster culture were conducted by Dr. 

 Paul S. Galtsoff in Georgia and at Woods Hole, Mass., and by H. F. 

 Prytherch at Milford, Conn. 



A survey of the oyster resources of Georgia, made in January, Feb- 

 ruary, and March, covered 351 miles of the Atlantic coast between 

 Savannah and St. Marys, and was made for the purpose of determin- 

 ing the degree of depletion of the natural oyster beds and what prac- 

 tical measures are necessary in order to increase the production of 

 oysters in the State. 



