RiGG: SALINITY AND THE DISTRIBUTION OF NEREOCYsTIS 239 
Freshwater Bay does not form a harbor. The distance in a 
straight line from Angeles Point, which marks the eastern side of 
the bay, to Observatory Point at its western side is four miles, 
while the maximum distance to shore in the bay, measured at a 
right angle from the above line, is only one mile. The strong tidal 
currents flowing in and out through the Strait of Juan de Fuca 
sweep freely through this bay. There is a good beach along prac- 
tically the whole bay. The field observations on the kelp beds in 
this bay were made on September 11 and 12. On September 11, 
the surf was so heavy that it was deemed impracticable either to 
enter the mouth of the river in the 50-foot launch in which the trip 
was made, or to land with a skiff in the more exposed portion of the 
bay. The launch was anchored in the more protected portion of 
the bay behind Observatory Point. A landing was readily made 
with the skiff from this point. On the afternoon of September 12, 
the water in the bay was much quieter and we entered the mouth 
of the river in the launch. 
There is no kelp at all opposite the mouth of the Elwha River. 
The river enters the bay by two mouths and the first kelp plants 
found were about half a mile west of the west mouth. At this 
end of the bed the kelp plants are scattering and of medium size. 
A little farther west the bed becomes quite dense, and continues so 
to a point near Observatory Point. The bed is not closer to the 
b:ach than one fourth of a mile at any point. The bed is more 
than 500 feet wide in places and is over two miles long. There is 
also a good deal of kelp around Observatory Point. The bladder 
kelp (Nereocystis Luetkeana) is the only kelp found growing in this 
bed. Macrocystis pyrifera was found floating in the bay, but not 
attached. 
Hydrometer readings to determine the density of the water 
were made at the most eastern point at which kelp was found in 
the bay, at the west end of the bed, and at séveral intermediate 
points. Readings for comparison were made at several points 
in the open Strait also. A reading was made in the mouth of 
the river and one at a point about 500 feet directly out from the 
mouth. All readings were taken at a temperature of 15-5° C., 
that being the temperature to which the zero point of the instru- 
ment used was adjusted. The water of the river proved to be 
