618 



SCIENCE. 



[Vol.. 11., No. 40. 



three of them with the squid-jig. Several land birds 

 were seen far out at sea. A pair of Uillgfi^llers (Ce- 

 ryle alcyoii) flew about near station 2,0i)(i. A pair of 

 iish-hawks (I'andiou haiiaetus) acted as if tliey were 

 at home near station 2,0911, 25U miles from land. A 

 golden-winged woodpecker (Colaples auratu-^) and a 

 song-sparrow (Melospiza nielodia) came on board to 

 rest, at station 2,1U0. 

 The principal invertebrates taken were as follows :— 

 Station 2,09o. — The sounding-cup brought up ooze 

 containing forani in if era from a depth of 1,342 fathoms. 

 The beam-trawl was put over with wings attached. 

 Among its invertebrates were twenty-five holothuri- 

 ans (Benthodites), many large zoroasters, several 

 citp-corals (Flabellum), a shrimp nine inches long 

 with very large eggs, three specimens of a crab (?fia- 

 lacantha). Some of the holothurians were placed in 

 picric acid before putting them into weak alcohol. 

 A portion of the eggs were taken from the large 

 shrimp, and preserved in Miiller"s fluid for the study 

 of the embryos, which were plainly visible within. 



Station 2,0!I0. — Again the sounding-cup brought up 

 ooze with foraminifera, tliis time from a depth of 

 l,4.'il fathoms. Strange to say, a large stone, weigh- 

 ing upward of a hundred and seventy pounds, fl'as 

 brought up with sponges and"worm-tubes attached. 

 This woidd, I think, precUule the possibility of its 

 being below the surface of the foramiiiiferous ooze, 

 which came up in quantity suflicient to yield two 

 quarts of clean foraminifera. Tlie principal ingre- 

 dients found ill the stone were quartz, hornblende, and 

 iron. Eighteen holothurians (Henlhodites), many 

 specimens of a small ophiuran, a few large shrimp, 

 and some small shells, made up the bulk of the ma- 

 terial. 



Station 2,097. — Bottom, ooze, with foraminifera 

 from a depth of 1,!)17 fathoms. One amphipod three 

 inches and a half long, shrimp, Epizoanthus on 

 hermit-crabs (species unknown), Urticina concors 

 Verr. on Sympagurus pictus Smith, Ophioglypha con- 

 vexa Lym. and Ophiomiisium armigerum Lyin. in 

 small numbers, a starfish remarkable for its large 

 madreporic plate and ambulacral feet, small ascidi- 

 ans coated with foraminifera. 



Staticm 2,098.— Depth, 2,221 fathoms. Epizoanthus, 

 Urticina concors Verr on Sympagurus pictus Smith, 

 Ophioglypha convexa Lym. and Ophiomusium armi- 

 gerum Lym., also a few shells. 



Station 2,099. — This haul was remarkable from the 

 fact that the sounding was in water 2,949 fathoms. 

 This is perhaps the deepest water ever successfully 

 invaded by a large trawl : certainly it is the deepest 

 we have record of witli any trawl. The trawl went 

 down more than three miles at the end of upwards 

 of four miles and a half of wire rope without cap- 

 sizing, and that in the middle of the Gulf Stream, 

 while the water was quite rough. That there might 

 be no qviestion as to the specimens brought up, the 

 captain had the net thoroughly cleaned before it was 

 put over the side. The amount of matei'ial brought 

 up was not large. The only specimens from the bot- 

 tom were a species of Boltenia, and many fragments 

 of a Bryozoon we had not seen before. A fine large 



schizopod, with several species of shrimp and small 

 Crustacea, were taken in good condition. These, with 

 a cephalopod and the fish, made it one of the best 

 hauls. 



Station 2,100, with a depth of 1,62S fathoms, and 

 2,101 with a depth of l,liSU fathoms, brought us only 

 shrimp and fi>h. 



Specific gravities of sea-'water. 



BY V. A. SUliGEOX, C. G. JIERNDON, U.S..\. 



THE ZOOLOGICAL STATION OF 

 HOLLAND.'' 



For some years past, zoological science has been 

 pursuing a course abounding in brilliant discoveries. 

 The examination, however minute, of animals pre- 

 served in collections, no longer satisfies the naturalist: 

 he must study the living animal. Zoology has become 

 experimental. On all sides, maritime stations are 

 being establisheJ. Numerous works on anatomy and 

 embryology have cleared up the philosophical theory 

 of the transformation of animals by showing that 

 the metamorphoses, which, less than half a century 

 ago, were almost unknown, arc very common among 

 marine animals. 



Holland, which has produced so many great anat- 

 omists and such patient naturalists, seemed to be 

 tardy in following the example of neighboring n.ations , 

 when, on the 4th of December, 187.'), at the insliga- 

 1 'J'ranelated from La Xiittire of Sept. 8. 



