REPORT OF THE COMMISSIONER OF FISHERIES. 85 
water, while reducing the hours of pumping to a fraction of the time 
formerly required. 
A good deal of work was done on the laboratory building. A new 
roof of slate was applied, the wood piles supporting the building 
were replaced by brick piers; the salt-water plumbing was renewed ; 
48 defective window frames were replaced by new frames; two addi- 
tional rooms were formed by partitions which cut off portions of the 
large museum space on the first floor; the walls and interior wood 
work were renovated with calcium and varnish; and the appearance 
of the building was much improved by the addition of upper porches 
on the front similar to the porches originally provided on the rear 
of the building. 
The several activities of this laboratory have previously been de- 
tailed in connection with the studies of the terrapin, the habits and 
life histories of fishes, the survey of fishing grounds, and the study of 
parasites of fishes. Another important investigation which has been 
im progress during the past two years has to do with the protection of 
wood against marine borers. 
The serviceability of this station would be greatly enhanced were 
it provided with an adequate scientific staff so that investigations of 
important economic bearing might be continued throughout the year. 
Under present conditions, when the station must depend for its staff 
largely upon the temporary employment of scientists from the uni- 
versities, the period of activity must be confined largely to the 
summer months. 
Gulf of Mexico—A previous Congress provided for the construc- 
tion of a marine biological laboratory on the Gulf of Mexico, to be 
located upon the coast of Florida and on lands to be donated to the 
Government. A site has been selected at Key West and the present 
owners are putting the grounds into a shape suitable for acceptance 
by the Department. It is supposed that the transfer of title will be 
effected in the early part of the next fiscal year. An additional 
appropriation is needed before the station can be constructed. 
OTHER INVESTIGATIONS. 
Cultivation of the diamond-back terrapin.—Previous reports have 
referred to the successful progress of the experiments in terrapin 
propagation. The main fact having been previously demonstrated, 
that the terrapin can be successfully reared in confinement, the 
experiments have been continued to gain additional knowledge and 
thus assure the greater measure of success in propagation. It is 
interesting to record that the terrapin of the brood of 1909 have now 
completed the life cycle, so that eggs were obtained this past spring 
from terrapin which were hatched from eggs laid in the experimental 
pounds in 1909. The breeding terrapin were thus 6 years of age. 
Since 1909, however, the practice of winter feeding for the young 
terrapin has been initiated, so that the rate of growth during the first 
year has been practically doubled. During the past winter a change 
of food was adopted with the result of still further accelerating 
growth. The longer the investigation has been continued the more 
encouraging have been the results. Further experiments are now in 
progress to determine the proper proportions of the sexes in breed- 
ing, the best conditions for hatching, the possibilities of cross and 
