40 BULLETIN OF THE 
The regular appearance of certain forms at definite fixed periods has 
long been known to American investigators, as well as the periodic rising 
and sinking of fully grown forms of Salpe and Ctenophore. But the 
facts seem to have had no value until rediscovered by Haeckel’s friends. 
It is not so astonishing as Haeckel seems to think that Hensen’s 
results should be in direct opposition to those of the “ Challenger” ; the 
methods were entirely different, and the results of the “ Vettor Pisani” 
were all vitiated by the serious defects of the net in use at great depths. 
That I may not seem to be utterly prejudiced against Hacckel’s 
methods, I will quote the views of one of the naturalists in the “ Na- 
tional” expedition of the tactics in use by him: “ Dass die Angriffe von 
Haeckel theils auf Mangel an Einsicht, theils auf Missverstiindnisse, theils 
endlich auf grobe Entstellungen und unverantwortliche Unrichtigkeiten 
in der Wiedergabe der Befunde anderer Forscher zurückzuführen sind." 1 
OBSERVATIONS ON THE Peracic Fauna or THE DPANAMIC District BY 
THE * ALBATROSS.” 
At every station we occupied, the surface tow-net was brought into 
requisition, and the contents of the net examined. The surface tow-nets, 
of about four feet in diameter, were made of muslin with a trap and a 
bag at the end of silk bolting cloth. A small net of finer bolting cloth 
was suspended in the centre of the opening of the net. This large tow- 
net was towed from the end of a boom off the ship's side when the speed 
of the vessel was sufficiently slow. A number of larger and more promi- 
nent surface animals were also constantly collected from the ship’s deck 
with long hand nets. Excellent collections were invariably made with 
them when the electric light was lowered alongside. A very respectable 
collection of surface animals was thus brought together, which will form 
an interesting nucleus for comparison with the catches obtained by the 
Tanner tow-net at these same localities, either when dragged at definite 
depths, or when collecting on its way up from that point to the surface, 
As will be seen from the record of submarine tow-net stations (page 4), 
a number of collections were made which when carefully collated ought 
to give us important data respecting the bathymetrical range of the 
pelagic fauna, 
In the Panamic region, currents from the west, from the north, and 
from the south meet, and then are diverted to a westerly direction, 
forming a sort of current doldrums, turning west, or east, or south, 
1 Brandt, Schriften des Naturw. Vereins f. Schleswig-Holstein, VIII., Heft 2. 
