Mat 14, 1920] 



SCIENCE 



487 



It would be interesting in tiiis connection to 

 analyze the counts by months of aunspots 

 through several cycles to find whether there is 

 any evidence of a short -period variation of this 

 length, no matter how small. I hope to be able 

 to do this within the next few months. 



DiNs^iORE Alter 



Univeesitt of Kansas 



SOME MICRO-PLANKTON FROM SALTON SEA 



As ia generally known Salton Sea is a body 

 of water covering a part of the Imperial Val- 

 ley in southern California which is 230 feet 

 below sea level, and it is formed by overflow of 

 flood waters, or by waters diverted for irriga- 

 tion, from the delta of the Colorado Eiver. 



On December 16, 1919, Captain W. C. 

 Cranidall, of the Scripps Institution for Biolog- 

 ical Research of the University of California, 

 Dr. H. C. Bryant, of the California State Fish 

 and Game Commission, and of the museum of 

 vertebrate zoology of the TJniversity of Cali- 

 fornia, and Dr. WiU F. Thompson, of the Cali- 

 fornia State Fish and Game Commission, 

 started over the recently completed San Diego 

 and Arizona railroad for a four days' biolog- 

 ical investigation of Salton Sea. 



Captain Crandall made a few plankton 

 oatchea in Salton Sea and secured a number of 

 water samples, temperatures, etc., besides ma- 

 king some rough physiographic observations. 

 Dr. Bryant found about fifty diflferent kinds 

 of birds. Dr. Thompson's fishing equipment 

 did not get through so he was not able to make 

 the expected studies of fish. It was found, 

 however, that Salton Sea is regularly fished 

 for mullet which reach large size and are found 

 in commercial quantities at present. 



Four hauls were made for mieroplankton in 

 Salton Sea with a fine (Kumber 25) silk net 

 8uoh as has been in use for some time for ma- 

 rine work. The catches thus made were purely 

 qualitative and were taken at the surface 

 under adverse conditions. One catch indicated 

 a rather abundant mieroplankton. Catches 

 made at other points showed very little. The 

 presence of the following organisms was noted 

 in a hasty examination of the catches: Kera- 



tella quadrata (Miiller), Brachionus pala Ehr., 

 (most of these had female eggs attached), 

 Anabwna sp., Oscillaioria sp., Codastrum sp., 

 Amphiprora alata Kuetz., Fragillaria crotoneny 

 sis Kitton, Navicula sp., and Surirella sp. 



Physiographic features of Salton Sea are 

 very remarkable. There has been a fairly con- 

 stant reduction of level at the rate of about 

 one foot per year for some years. Consequent 

 recession of the water has left exposed numer- 

 ous mud geysers, hot and cold springs, various 

 typos of mineral springs and some excellent 

 paint pigments almost ready for use. In the 

 sea itself, near the mouths of its tributaries, 

 it is notable that the water is in two layers, the 

 heavy saline water below and the relatively 

 fresh above. It thus resembles ocean condi- 

 tions near tributaries. 



The primary purpose of this memorandum is 

 to call general attention to the fact that the 

 Salton Sea locality offers extraordinary favor- 

 able conditions for continuous studies through- 

 out the year in the lines of physiography, hy- 

 drography and biology. Since the mieroplank- 

 ton is the biological group which gives the 

 clearest index to biological conditions in water, 

 it would be especially desirable to have that 

 particular phase of biological study carried on. 

 There is probably no other body of water in 

 the world so favorably situated and conditioned 

 for segregation andi evaluation of major fac- 

 tors involved. It would be most fortunate for 

 the progress of science in general if a biolog- 

 ical station could be established in this region 

 and its work assisted by that of a competent 

 physiographer and hydrographer. 



W. E. Allen 



ScBipps Institution, 

 La Jolla, California 



conditions in hungary 

 To THE Editor of Science: I have just 

 received a letter from a professor in Hungary, 

 which should, I think, be shared with the 

 readers of Science. The writer is one of the 

 leading scholars in that country in his de- 

 partment, and with him for many years prior 

 to the war I have had a most pleasant ac- 

 quaintance. I know that only real suffering 



