Apeil 28, 1922] 



SCIENCE 



445 



Who can but envy the ideal presented in the life 

 of the wild honey bee that belongs to the swarm 

 and works with her companions for a common 

 purpose. Her coming and going are regulated 

 by no schedule or master. She goes through 

 the forests, along the streams, over the mead- 

 ows, from flower to flower, gathering nectar 

 from wherever it can be found. Ever going, 

 ever returning, she not only increases her par- 

 ticular store, but enlarges that of the swarm. 

 Beyond and above all these, and all unknown 

 to her, she gives to mankind greater blessings 

 in flowers and fruits. 



Let us give to the student opportunity and 

 encouragement to seek truth wherever it can 

 be found. In bringing truths together he 

 builds not only for himself but also increases 

 the common fund of useful knowledge. Be- 

 yond and above these, he helps to build a gi-eat 

 fund of knowledge which will illuminate life 

 in the years to come. 



A. C. Eyclbshymee 



College of Medicine, 

 TJniversitt of Illinois 



HYDRA IN LAKE ERIE 



We seldom think of Hydra as of outstanding 

 economic importance. However in this con- 

 nection some interesting data were obtained 

 by the writer during the summer of 1920 whUe 

 staying at a pound-net fishery on the north 

 shore of Lake Erie near Merlin, Ontario. The 

 fishery is located about midway between Ron- 

 deau and Point Pelee, and from it are operated 

 20 pound-nets in four strings, 5 pound-nets 

 in a string. The strings are approximately 

 three miles apart and this would mean about 

 nine miles from the most easterly string to 

 the most westerly. In midsummer aU the nets 

 were taken out of the lake, some replaced from 

 a reserve stock, the others simply reset after 

 being washed, dried, mended and tarred. This 

 midsummer cleaning is necessary because of 

 the algal and other growths which accumulate 

 on the nets making them heavy as weU as 

 putting considerable strain on the nets, especi- 

 ally in stormy weather, through the obstruc- 

 tion of the free flow of water through the 

 meshes. 



All of the nets when lifted in late Jvlj and 



early August were loaded with a very con- 

 spicuous brownish-orange growth in addition 

 to the bright green algal growths. At first 

 sight diatomaceous ooze or a bacterial produc- 

 tion was suggested but microscopic examina- 

 tion showed it to be composed of innumerable 

 living Hydras. The nets were lifted into the 

 characteristic flat-bottomed pound-net boats 

 and brought to the dock. The boats were 

 anchored 100 to 150 yards from the dock and 

 the nets dragged through the water to cars on 

 the dock in order to wash off some of the loose 

 material, especially mud. In addition to the 

 mud many Hydras were washed ofl: and these 

 gave to the water a brownish-orange color quite 

 distinct from the lighter color of the mud. The 

 bottoms, seats, etc., of the boats were covered 

 with Hydras to the depth of from % to % 

 inches and a quart jar was quickly fllled by 

 simply running a hand along the seats. A 

 fisherman eight miles to the west and another 

 seven miles to the east reported Hydra in ap- 

 parently equal abundance. This means a dis- 

 tribution of at least fifteen miles along this 

 part of the shore. The beach is sandy to 

 gTaveUjr with some large stones. Very little 

 life was found on the bottom out as far as one 

 could wade. However out beyond the regfion 

 of strong wave action there must be places of 

 attachment for the Hydras other than the nets 

 in order to account for the existence of the 

 species from one fishing season to another, 

 since in 1920 they had not reached sexual 

 maturity by the first week in Decemoer when 

 the nets were removed for the season. 



Specimens of this Hydra were submitted to 

 Professor Frank Smith of the University of 

 Illinois who kindly stated that they without 

 doubt were Hydra oligactis PaUas although 

 absolute determination could not be made in 

 the absence of gonads. He stated that the 

 large size and numerous buds indicated opti- 

 mum conditions of food and temperature. 



Fishermen had frequently spoken about a 

 poisoning which often affected them while 

 handling the nets during the process of clean- 

 ing and mending. They said this occurred 

 chiefly after the nets had dried and were 

 covered with a fine dust which they called tar 

 dust. No poisoning was observed during this 



