1912] Ritter: The Marine Biological Station of San Diego — 179 
engines and the shght elevation of her deck above the water. 
For the frequent turning about required, for overcoming drift, 
for holding slow headway, and for various other reasons, the 
two-engine plan is of great importance. Nearness of the deck to 
the water is advantageous not merely because it facilitates the 
putting out and hauling in of the heavy gear, the using of hand- 
nets, the launching of small boats, and so on, but because it makes 
possible many observations on organisms in the sea that would 
be precluded by greater elevation. This is of more consequence 
than at first thought would be supposed—more in fact than one 
would appreciate who had not had experience in such work on 
both high and low boats. 
3. SCIENTIFIC EQUIPMENT 
In addition to the hoisting engines and drums already men- 
tioned, the scientific equipment contains the following: 
1. 1200 fathoms of 8<-inch hemp steel cable for dredging 
and other heavy work. 
2. 1080 fathoms of 3mm. 28-strand galvanized wire for 
sounding and carrying the serial reversing water 
bottles. 
3. 1200 fathoms piano wire for Thompson sounding 
machine. 
4. One patent Thompson sounding machine, run by a fric- 
tion wheel on the fly-wheel of the main hoisting engine. 
5. One Kofoid horizontal closing net. 
6. One small Nansen vertical closing net. 
7. One large Nansen vertical closing net. 
8. One Peterson vertical closing net. 
9. One Kofoid five-gallon water bottle. 
10. An ample supply of surface tow-nets of millers’ bolting 
silk, mesh numbers 20, 12, 10, 9, and 000. 
11. Numerous dredges and trawls of various sizes. 
12. Six combined reversing water bottles and self-register- 
ing thermometers, Ekman model. 
13. One propeller current-meter, Ekman model. 
14. One meter-wheel. 
