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SCIENCE 



[N.S. Vol. XXVIII. No. 715 



on Cortez Bank about 95 miles off the 

 coast, she has proved the existence of a 

 northeast drift at this point for at least a 

 portion of the year which is independent 

 of tidal action. Published charts of the 

 East Pacific and reports of navigators are 

 conflicting as to such a drift. The prevail- 

 ing view is, it seems, that it does not occur. 

 The fundamental importance of reliable in- 

 formation on the question for problems of 

 distribution of marine organisms in this 

 locality hardly needs pointing out. How 

 constant and extensive this drift is remains 

 for future determiuation. 



Thanks to the ingenuity of Professor C. 

 A. Kof oid as a designer and to the skill of 

 Messrs. Hensley and Baker, of San Diego, 

 as mechanicians, a closing net is now in 

 operation on the Agassiz that can be 

 opened, towed and then closed at the same 

 level, and at any depth in which the vessel 

 can trawl. As a consequence I now have 

 an abundance of 8. fusiformis-runcinata 

 that I know with certainty came from 

 within a few feet of 350 fathoms, and like- 

 wise from various other intermediate 

 depths. The mental comfort there is in 

 the possession of information on this point 

 about which there are no haunting doubts, 

 is great and grows larger as one perceives 

 the larger problems that hinge upon the 

 trustworthiness of the data. 



I may mention incidentally that the ex- 

 penditures involved in this work at sea is 

 not great relatively. What I mean by 

 relatively is that the expense is small as 

 compared with what such work costs when 

 it is done in coastal areas by a vessel built 

 and equipped for truly oceanic areas and 

 depths. To illustrate: During March, 

 1904, through the good auspices of Presi- 

 dent D. S. Jordan it was my pleasure to 

 have scientific direction of the United 

 States Bureau of Fisheries Steamer Alba- 

 tross for explorations on the coast of 

 southern California. Excepting for about 



half a dozen trawl hauls made just beyond 

 the edge of the continental shelf in 2,000 

 fathoms and over, the work of that period 

 was in the same area and of the same gen- 

 eral character as that now being done by 

 the Agassiz. In almost all respects the 

 advantages are surely with the Agassiz. 

 The smaller vessel can be handled much 

 more rapidly and surely, and can, of 

 course, work in much shoaler waters, and 

 has various other minor advantages that 

 need not now be dwelt upon. Were the 

 Albatross and the Agassiz both at the Sta- 

 tion's command and both operable at the 

 same expense I am quite sure we should 

 use the Albatross tuithin our area only on 

 rare occasions. When work in specially 

 rough waters became urgent we should 

 want the larger vessel. It is only when 

 depths beyond the continental shelf are to 

 be explored that the large ship is needed, 

 is in fact indispensable. Yet the Agassiz 

 with her equipment represents an initial 

 expenditure of less than $15,000 with a 

 cost of operating amounting to about $22 

 per day (when a mooring can be made over- 

 night), while the Albatross represents an 

 initial expenditure of not less than $150,- 

 000 and a daily cost for operating of not 

 less than $300. 



This year, for the first time, a physicist 

 has joined the staff as a regular member. 

 Such equipment is supplied as is requisite 

 for the investigations so far comprehended 

 in the program. Mr. P. W. McEwen, an 

 instructor in physics at the Leland Stan- 

 ford Junior University, is the man in the 

 place. About 400 density determinations 

 have been made during June and July, 

 reaching through depths to 400 fathoms. 

 Naturally many more temperatures have 

 been taken. The particular satisfaction in 

 having a physical laboratory operating in 

 conjunction with the biological work lies in 

 the fact that whenever a special biological 

 question comes along requiring informa- 



