146 BULLETIN OF THE 



not noticed.* These will be published in the Memoirs of the Museum 

 as soon as the necessary illustrations can be prepared. The two species 

 of Porpitidse found in Florida, although they find their way as far 

 North as the southern shores of Massachusetts, are as yet very imper- 

 fectly known. 



On the days when the weather was not suitable for surface work out- 

 side in the Gulf Stream, I employed the launch in cruising inside the 

 reef, and thus examined carefully the topography of the different groups 

 of corals characteristic of the Florida reefs. As the Tortugas are the 

 most westerly of the reefs, and in an active state of growth, the data I 

 have collected are interesting from the light they throw on the share 

 the different species of corals have in the formation of the reef. To 

 illustrate the distribution of the corals, I shall reproduce in one of the 

 forthcoming Bulletins of the Museum one of the charts of the Tortugas 

 published by the Coast Survey, marking upon it the position of the 

 different species of corals within the area occupied by the reef-builders 

 of the Tortugas. 



As far as the pelagic fauna is concerned, the prevalence of northerly 

 winds during our visit to Florida prevented us from accomplishing any 

 satisfactory results. The few days on which it was possible to collect 

 the surface fauna of the Gulf Stream showed us, however, a wealth of 

 pelagic animals which I had hardly anticipated. Both the Tortugas and 

 Key West are excellent stations from which to work up the surface 

 fauna of the Gulf Stream. The Tortugas, though more inaccessible than 

 Key "West, are practically within the northern edge of the Gulf Stream 

 during the prevalence of southeasterly winds, while at Key West we 

 must go outside of Sand Key to obtain the same conditions. The Tor- 

 tugas also have the immense advantage of supplying the naturalist, not 

 only with the common species of reef-building corals at his very door, 

 but with the varied invertebrate fauna to be found living in a coral 

 reef. From returns lately made to me by Mr. Cole, the fort kec: 

 the Tortugas, it is evident that May and June are far more satisfactory 

 months for surface work than March and April. Unfortunately, that is 

 rather late in the season to remain on the Florida Reefs, —an objection 

 which applies equally to all localities which are not sufficiently far within 

 the tropics to be available for pelagic work during the winter months. 



The Bermudas, from their position and their marine fauna, naturally 



suggest themselves as a substitute for the Florida reels in the study ol 



* Dr. Chun has, in a preliminary notice In ■ recent number of ti dtuei- 



■j. r, call .1 attention to ievi ral of the points here n ferred t<>. 



