6 DOING SCIENCE 



Z4 137 



Collecting under docks, 

 circa 1910. Photograph 

 by Gideon S. Dodds, 

 MBL Archives. 



that he avoided any serious troubles and on many occasions rescued 

 stranded or swamped tourists who lacked his experience or good sense. 



Students in the courses those early years generally did their own 

 collecting. They went out once or twice a week to dredge and gather the vast 

 variety of life forms to take back to the lab. Until recently the introductory 

 invertebrate course adopted a phylogenetic approach, proceeding through 

 the phyla while studying as many species as possible in each. As the classes 

 grew larger, they ordered a great variety of specimens from the supply 

 department to supplement their own smaller collections. Some students 

 recorded that they were expected to eat what they collected and studied, but 

 that dictum probably found greater compliance for lobsters and crabs than 

 for starfish or flatworms. 



With time, researchers as well as some of the courses tvirned increas- 

 ingly to the collecting crews for their materials. Veeder served as official 

 collector and helped to provide transportation or to gather species that 

 proved more difficult to find or that localized furtlier away, though the 

 service remained limited at first. For several years it was possible to 

 purchase materials from a competitor, though. "Colonel" F. B. Wamsley 

 learned his trade while working for the MBL, then briefly set up a winter 

 supply business for himself. Early mornings might find the two competitors 

 out scouring the choice locations. The MBL staff" of collectors tried hard to 



