220 University of California Publications in Zoology [Vou-9 
IV. RESEARCHES NOT YET UNDERTAKEN BUT ESPECIALLY 
INVITING BECAUSE OF NATURAL ADVANTAGES 
So far the consideration of future work has had in view the 
restricted programme of the station which is being actually 
carried out. However a general forecast such as that now 
occupying us would be too narrow if reference were not made 
to scientific desirabilities and possibilities lying beyond the 
present programme. 
1. The migration of water birds and other phenomena of their 
life. Cursory observation of the water birds of the locality sug- 
gests that various problems of migration, feeding and breeding, 
might be taken up to excellent advantage. An ornithologist 
accompanying the ‘‘Agassiz’’ on her cruises could undoubtedly 
gain much information with little increase of expense beyond the 
salary and outfitting of the observer. 
2. The life of pelagic fishes. The pelagic fishes offer innumer- 
able problems that fall within the station’s aims, and while under 
existing conditions these cannot be touched they should be kept 
constantly in view. Undoubtedly a combination of field and 
laboratory studies would be necessary for handling many of the 
problems, and keeping them in mind is likely to result in an 
attack upon them sooner or later. 
3. Animals that live on the sea-bottom. Although expediency 
has led to the relinquishment for the present of work on the 
bottom-dwelling organisms, it would be a great misfortune to 
lose sight of the fact that researches in this vast field are quite 
as fundamentally part of the station’s purpose as are investiga- 
tions on the free-moying organisms. Nor should it be the design 
to hold aloof from this until the problems of pelagic life have 
all been taken up. The two domains touch each other at so many 
points and so intimately that it will probably be better to turn 
to certain questions of bottom hfe before many years, even 
though this can be done only by curtailing work on pelagic 
problems. 
4. The ultra-minute organisms of the sea. Probably the most 
important field still untouched by the station, though particu- 
