PROGRESS IN BIOLOGICAL, INQUIRIES 35 



it is believed that the best interests of the bureau will be served if 

 accommodations are accorded only to those who are working on 

 problems of special interest to the bureau (especially problems in 

 marine biology) and who have shown a capacity for energetic and pro- 

 ductive research. 



Some of the more important researches conducted at the Woods 

 Hole laboratory during the summer of 1925 were as follows: Studies 

 on the comparative composition of fish blood and the changes that 

 take place during asphyxiation were continued by Dr. F. G. Hall, 

 Dr. Lepkovsky, and Irving E. Gray. Dr. N. A. Cobb, of the De- 

 partment of Agriculture, with several assistants, continued a study 

 of the nematode fauna of the Woods Hole region. Dr. Edwin Lin- 

 ton and Dr. G. A. MacCallum carried on their studies of fish parasites, 

 as they have done for many years past. Paul S. Conger, of the Car- 

 negie Institution of Washington, working under the direction of Dr. 

 Albert Mann, continued the study of the diatom flora, with "particu- 

 lar attention to the bottom forms. Dr. C. B. Wilson carried on im- 

 portant studies in both parasitic and free-living copepods and among 

 other things completed the examination of a large number of collec- 

 tions made by the Albatross and other research vessels of the bureau. 

 Although these collections were old, they were well preserved and 

 proved to be extraordinarily rich in new species. O. E. Sette, assist- 

 ant in charge of the division of fishery industries, made use of the 

 facilities of the laboratory in beginning an important investigation 

 of the mackerel fishery. Dr. C. J. Fish and Marie Poland Fish re- 

 turned from the Arcturus expedition in July and, with headquarters at 

 Woods Hole, continued their studies of the plankton and larval fishes 

 of Massachusetts Bay, which have been mentioned above. Dr. 

 P. S. Galtsoff carried on important investigations on the feeding of 

 oysters, as described in the section devoted to the oyster researches. 



Work at the Beaufort (N. C.) biological laboratory has materially 

 increased. Dr. Samuel F. Hildebrand, who was appointed director 

 early in the year, took active charge of the station toward the end 

 of June. James S. Gutsell was assigned to this laboratory in July 

 and has undertaken an investigation (mentioned elsewhere in this 

 report) of the scallop industry in Carteret County, N. C. Elmer 

 Higgins, director of the Key West biological station, spent almost 

 the entire year at the Beaufort station studying the life history of 

 the striped mullet and other important food fishes. Dr. J. Paul 

 Visscher and Robert Luce, who were engaged in a study of the pre- 

 vention of the fouling of ships' bottoms for the Navy Department, 

 made use of the laboratory (luring the summer. Seven independent 

 investigators also availed themselves of the privileges of the 

 station. 



Prof. H. V. Wilson, of the University of -North Carolina, made a 

 survey of the local distribution of sponges and some other forms, as 

 affected by recent changes in the harbor. It is found that a number 

 of species are now missing where previously they were common or 

 even abundant. Doctor Wilson believed that the increased activi- 

 ties in the harbor, particularly the dredging, and certainly, also, the 

 heavy rains during the autumn of 1924, are responsible for the 

 changes. 



