MAEINE BIOLOGICAL STATION. 



This important scientific station, maintained by the Dominion Gov- 

 ernment mider the direction of the Department of Marine and Fisheries, 

 ■was located during the past year (1905) at Gaspé, in the Province of 

 Quebec. The director of the station (Professor Prince) was detained 

 by pressing duties as chairman of the British Columbia Fisheries Com- 

 mission, and the Georgian Bay Fisheries Commission, and was prevented 

 from spending any time at Gaspé, but it was anticipated that the duties 

 of acting director would have been fulfilled by Professor E. W. 

 iMacBride, of McGill University, in the absence of Professor Eamsay 

 W right, Toronto University, who was in attendance at the Hellenic Con- 

 gress in Athens. Dr. Joseph Stafford, lecturer on zoology, McGill 

 University, took dharge of the season's work when Professor MacBride 

 found that he could not visit Gaspé. The staff during the season in- 

 cluded Professor James Fowler,, LL.D., etc., Queen's University; Mr. 

 J. C. Simpson, B.A., McGill University; Dr. Etherington, Queen's Uni- 

 versity, Kmgston; A. Bruce Macallum, Toronto University, and Mr. J. 

 Mcintosh, B.A., Toronto University. Dr. Stafford at the close of the 

 season was able to report that he had had "a very good year on the whole, 

 and knew the ground well for next season's work." Professor Fowler 

 made a very thorough study of the remarkable botanical features of the 

 Gaspé peninsula, and his report will almost certainly include a number 

 of species new to our Atlantic flora, if not new to science. Dr. Stafford 

 continued his valuable faunistic survey, and will be able to add con- 

 siderably to the list of marine invertebrates which is now in the press. 

 He also continued his original researches on the breeding and life-his- 

 /tory of edible molluscs, including a survey of the results of the oyster 

 experiments carried on at Malpeque during the years 1903 and 1904, 

 upon which Professor Kamsay Wright has an important report in pre- 

 paration. The Crustacea of the locality and a study of the hydroid 

 forms, which contribute so largely to the food of fishes in the sea, occu- 

 pied various members of the staff. Mr. Simpson carried on most suc- 

 cessful investigations upon the protozoa of the Gaspé waters, and has 

 in progress a valuable account of these minute and lowly animals upon 

 which larval fislies to a considerable extent subsist. On August 29th, 

 the laboratory was honoured by a visit from the late Hon. Eaymond 

 Préfontaine, who was accompanied by the Deputy Minister and the In- 

 spector of Fisheries for the Gulf division (Dr. Wakeham). Lack of 

 a suitable dredging steamer and gear prevented the carrying out of 

 deep-sea ravestigations, and the examinations of the great fishing banks 

 in the Gulf, but it is anticipated that a vessel will be told off to assist 

 in this work, which urgently calls for attention. Considerable addi- 



