294 



NA TURE 



\Jan. 29, 1885 



the most frequently taken is that by the storms of the 

 United States, which pursue an easterly course through 

 the lakes to the Gulf of St. Lawrence. A considerable 

 number advance from Nova Scotia to Davis Straits, but 

 the greater number take a north-easterly course through 

 the Atlantic towards Iceland and the North Cape. Among 

 other tracks less frequently followed, but of great import- 

 ance commercially and otherwise, are these : from New 

 Orleans, along the east coast of the United States, to- 

 wards Nova Scotia ; from mid-Atlantic to the south of 

 Ireland, and thence through Europe to the northern shore 

 of the Mediterranean, and from the Atlantic about 42 = lat. 

 and 4.0' long., in a north-easterly course, quite outside, but 

 at no great distance from, the British Isles, and thence 

 towards the North C-ipe. Of the tracks more imme- 

 diately influencing British weather, are one from Iceland 

 in a south easterly direction through the North Sea and 

 Germany, and three tracks starting from near Sicily, 

 one eastward through the north of Germany, the 

 second to the north-east to Christiania, and the third 

 through Ireland and the Hebrides, these being the 

 storm-tracks which chiefly give the British Islands their 

 easterly and northerly winds. Gen. Hazcn's charts suggest 

 valuable hints as to the times of the year when these and 

 other important routes are most frequently taken by 

 storms. 



THE U.S. FISH COMMISSION A T 

 WOOD'S BOIL 1 



"THE summer head-quarters of the United States Fish 

 *■ Commission is located at Wood's Holl, a village 

 situated on the south side of Cape Cod, Mass., north of 

 Martha's Vineyard. The coast scenery is pretty, and 

 inland the country is undulating and partially clothed 

 with forests of pines and other trees, which have mostly 

 been planted within the last forty years. Wood's Holl 

 and the neighbourhood is an increasingly favourite 

 locality for the summer residences of the inhabitants of 

 Boston, New Haven, New York, and other large towns in 

 that part of the country, and already a colony of scientific 

 men is making its appearance. Excursion steamers run 

 frequently in the summer for the day trip from Newport 

 and other places. As in the whole of that region of 

 North America, the surface-soil is a thick deposit of 

 glacial drift containing numerous boulders. 



The site was selected on account of the purity of the 

 water, owing to the absence of all fresh-water streams and 

 presence of strong tidal currents which ensure a circula- 

 tion of well-aerated water close to the shore, and also on 

 account of the physical conditions which lead to a re- 

 markable variety in the marine fauna being procurable 

 within a short distance. 



The warm current of the Gulf Stream, which sweeps 

 up the eastern coast of the States, here becomes diverted 

 by Cape Cod, and passes out into the Atlantic. This 

 causes the pelagic fauna to be well represented, and were 

 the local conditions of the coast more favourable it would 

 cause the littoral fauna to be particularly rich. The cold 

 currents from the north extend down the coast as far 

 south as Cape Cod, which practically forms the southern 

 limit of the Arctic littoral fauna. The narrow neck of 

 the Cape thus separating two entirely distinct assem- 

 blages of animal forms. Lastly, the deep sea offers its 

 peculiar fauna. 



The site occupied by the Commission consists of a 

 small spit of land, which was purchased by public sub- 

 scription, and which has since been increased by re- 

 clamation. 



At the present time the buildings of the Fish Commis- 

 sion are in a transition state. Formerly, the various 



1 Originally spelt and still pronounced "Wood's Hole." The name was 

 changed by order of the Postmaster General in 1875. 



officers had to severally obtain what accommodation they 

 could in the village. Last August, however, the staff 

 moved into the residence-house which has been built for 

 that purpose. The residence-house is a red brick, gabled 

 structure, with plenty of outside woodwork, a style of 

 architecture which is very common in New England. On 

 the ground-floor is a large central hall, into which open 

 Prof. Baird's office, the sitting-room, dining-hall, reading- 

 room, and other offices. A portion of the first floor is 

 reserved for Prof. Baird and his family, the remainder is 

 devoted to the bedrooms of the married officers who have 

 brought their wives — families to the extent of one baby 

 only are allowed ! The bachelors' rooms are on the 

 second floor. The whole building is most comfortably 

 furnished. All the staff take their meals together with the 

 ladies. 



Hitherto the summer work of the naturalists has been 

 carried on in two roughly-fitted barns. One serves 

 mainly as a storehouse for the trawls, collecting imple- 

 ments, and jars and bottles for preserving specimens. 

 Here also is the laboratory where the chemical investi- 

 gations on the water obtained at various depths and from 

 different localities are carried on. 



The other building, which is on the wharf of the Light- 

 house Board, is mainly devoted to the temporary storage 

 of the zoological collections and to the work-tables of the 

 naturalists, all the fixtures are of a very simple character, 

 and call for no special mention. It is here that the mate- 

 rial brought in by the steamers is finally sorted and, as 

 far as possible, determined and catalogued ; the material 

 collected, however, affords more than enough occupation 

 for the winter months. 



A commodious new laboratory is being built close to the 

 residence house, which is expected to meet all the re- 

 quirements of this most important section of the Com- 

 mission. It will be a plain three-storied brick building, 

 in the basement of which will be large tanks. The 

 ground-floor will be thrown open to the public as a gene- 

 ral aquarium, in which will be tanks of various sizes for 

 the illustration of the marine fauna and for the breeding 

 of fish, much as in our ordinary aquaria. The first floor 

 will be devoted to the laboratories of the working natu- 

 ralists, to which of course the general public will not be 

 admitted. The second floor will be divided between the 

 physical and physiological laboratories, photographic 

 room, and other work rooms. 



Between this building and the residence-house is the 

 pumping-station, by means of which fresh and salt water 

 can be continuously circulated throughout either building. 



On the sea-frontage several large open basins or tanks 

 are nearly completed, in which fish-hatching will be 

 carried on on an extensive scale. Cod-hatching is to be 

 tried next season. The tanks are large enough to breed 

 sharks, were they required. The water in these tanks 

 rises and falls with the tide, owing to the porosity of the 

 outer walls and the existence of small gratings ; the latter 

 are, however, under perfect control. Prof. Verrill has 

 suggested that it would be desirable to have a kind of 

 iron and glass cage or diving-box made, which, while 

 open above, could be let down into the largest tank, and in 

 which a person could observe and sketch the marine life 

 around him under the most favourable conditions. 



A long wharf has also been constructed for the use of 

 the steamers of the Commission, and which also serves 

 as a breakwater. 



The general scheme of the buildings leaves little to be 

 desired, and doubtless many improvements and additions 

 will suggest themselves from time to time. 



Not far from the Commission buildings is a plot of 

 ground, which has been secured for the purpose of build- 

 ing a teaching and research laboratory, to be supported 

 by those universities and colleges which do not possess 

 any similar facilities of their own. This appears to be a 

 very wise provision, and doubtless the Commissioner 



