VOL. 2] Ritter—Introduction. 11 
and be guided by it, even though assurance of opportunity to 
earry it out fully is absent. 
The aim as formulated in the articles of incorporation of the 
Association is, ‘‘To make a Biological Survey of the waters of 
the Pacifie adjacent to the Coast of Southern California.’’ 
2.—The Area to be Surveyed. 
The funds available being small, an important and ever- 
present practical question is that of fixing limits. One of the 
first of these was that of limiting the territory to be surveyed. 
The irregularly triangular area extending from Point Concep- 
cion, Lat. 34° 27’, at the north, to a base line extending westward 
from the southern boundary of the United States, Lat. 32° 28’, 
bounded on the east by the coast line, and on the west by the 
meridian of Point Concepcion, Long. 120° 25’, was selected. The 
shore line of this area, exclusive of the islands, is about 280 miles. 
The leneth of the western side is about 120 miles, and that of its 
southern side about 194 miles. The area contains, therefore, over 
11,600 square miles. 
It is, of course, not to be supposed that a stone wall has been 
built about this area, and that we give no heed to anything out- 
side of it. Asa matter of fact, nothing is clearer than that com- 
plete knowledge of it is impossible without extending the explora- 
tions widely beyond it. That it makes a well defined base of 
operations, is about the view we take of it. 
The qualifications of the region are: a position well to the 
south; a considerable extent of continental shelf, presenting a 
large diversity of bottom, with numerous islands and _ shoals; 
proximity to oceanie depths and other truly oceanic conditions ; 
a favorable climate; a large variety of shore line; and accessi- 
bility through sea ports and railroads. Two of these advantages, 
that of climate and proximity to oceanic conditions, are held to 
be of very great importance. A fundamental element in investi- 
cations of the sort contemplated is continuousness of the field 
work. Data gathering must go on throughout the year at fre- 
quent intervals. The weather here offers little obstacle to this. 
Heavy storms are rare, and these are practically limited to three 
or four months—January, February, March, and April. For the 
