Chapter IV.— THE FAUNA CONSIDERED BY SYSTEMATIC GROUPS. 



I. PROTOZOA. 



This phylum is represented in our list by 99 determined species, together with 5 

 others which are entered as undetermined or doubtful. Of the 99 determined species 

 32 are assigned to the Rhizopoda, 2 to the Heliozoa, 21 to the Mastigophora, 38 to the 

 Ciliata, 5 to the Suctoria, and 2 to the Sporozoa. All but 2 of the rhizopods belong to 

 the subclass Foraniinifera, of which 23 species have been encountered during our dredging, 

 and a number of others collected on piles, etc. With the exception of two or three 

 species, no Foraminifera had been recorded for local waters prior to the operations of 

 the present survey. 



The data which we have utilized relative to the Protozoa are derived mainly from 

 two sources. The Foraminifera were obtained during the dredging operations of 1905 

 and 1907, and were, without exception, identified by Dr. J. A. Cushman, of the museum 

 of the Boston Society of Natural History. A nearly complete list of these species has 

 already been published by Dr. Cushman (1908). The records for the other divisions 

 were taken from the report of Calkins (1902) upon the marine Protozoa of the region, 

 to which have been added a very few data from the writings of Peck (1894 and 1896). 

 In our annotated list the classification which we have adopted is that of Professor 

 Calkins, except in the case of the Foraminifera, For the treatment of the latter group 

 Dr. Cushman is responsible. 



The local records for Protozoa are comparatively scanty. The report of Calkins 

 represents the search of one investigator for a period of two months during the mid- 

 summer alone. With very few exceptions, the forms listed were taken from the local 

 pier, close to the laboratory building. Nevertheless, as a result of this somewhat super- 

 ficial examination, Calkins was able to record 72 species, 8 of which were described as 

 new to science." 



No search was made for Foraminifera during the summers of 1903 and 1904, though 

 Discorbina rosacea was noted on several occasions without its identity being recognized. 

 Dr. Cushman's presence at the Woods Hole laboratory during the season of 1905 directed 

 our attention to these organisms, and bottom samples from most of the stations of that 

 year were examined by him personally. The dredging during that season was restricted 

 to Vineyard Sound {Fish Hawk) and the eastern shore of Buzzards Bay (Phalarope). 

 Two years later, in order to obtain more complete records for the Foraminifera and certain 

 other organisms, about 25 of the Fish Hawk stations in Vineyard Sound and about 30 

 of those in Buzzards Bay were revisited. Bottom samples from all these points were 

 submitted to Dr. Cushman, who was thus enabled to provide us with important supple- 

 mentary data. Only two species were found, however, which had not previously been 

 recorded by us, and it is Dr. Cushman's belief that the list of local Foraminifera is toler- 

 ably complete. But our knowledge of their distribution within the region was greatly 

 extended by these later dredgings. We have accordingly departed from the custom, 

 which has been followed for most other groups, of including in our distribution charts 



o Two of these are no longer regarded by Dr. Calkins as good si>ecies. 



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