508 



SCIENCE. 



[Vol. I., No. 18. 



THE JOHANNE 



The smaller boats are used for shorter dis- 

 tances and for surface-netting, by which is 

 obtained the heterogeneous collection of large 

 and small pelagic animals known as auftrieb, 

 and brought into the station every daj^ in fair 

 weather. A vessel full of the auftrieb is taken 

 to the occupant of each table in order that he 

 may search for free larvae, if he happens to 

 be studying the embr^'ologj' of animals which 

 leave the egg at an earlj^ stage, or ma}' study 

 the manj' curious pelagic animals which can- 

 not be kept in captivity, and only occur from 

 time to time in the contents of the surface-nets. 

 The larger pelagic animals — such as large 

 medusae and ctenophores — are separated from 

 the auftrieb for the use of those who happen 

 to be speciall}' engaged in their study. But 

 among the man}' minute creatures which are 

 to be found in it at various times may be men- 

 tioned the winged, free, swimming mollusks of 

 the class Pteropoda, known to the Neapolitan 

 fishermen as farfalle di mare, or sea-butter- 

 flies ; the other class of free, swimming mol- 

 lusks, Heteropods ; the free, tailed ascidians, 

 Appeudicularia ; innumerable species of small 

 medusae, — some adult, some the J'oung stages 

 of the fixed Hydrozoa ; and transparent crus- 

 taceans of various sizes of the class Copepoda, 

 which are never wanting. 



The greatest possible care and attention is 

 given by the attendants, and bv the gentlemen 

 of tlie staff, to the requirements of each zoolo- 

 gist in the station, with respect to material. 

 If unfavorable weather prevents fishing-opera- 



tions, or if the animals required are rare, 

 whatever is at hand in the preserved state is 

 placed at the disposal of the investigator ; and 

 advice as to methods of preservation and treat- 

 ment, and information as to the breeding-times 

 and seasons of frequencj' or raritj' of the in- 

 habitants of the gulf, are alwaj^s offered with 

 the greatest freedom and courtesy. By writing 

 beforehand, a naturalist about to work at the 

 station ma}' insure having material — living 

 and preserved, adult and in the j'oung stages 

 — read}' for him on his arrival, so that he can 

 commence his researches at once. But the 

 zoologist who occupies himself at the station 

 is not merely a passive recipient of the bene- 

 fits of its organization. Every opportunity' is 

 given to him to study its whole working, and 

 to take an active part in the fishing and dredg- 

 ing operations. He is invited to accompany 

 the members of the staff on the steamers on 

 excursions in the baj^ and to various points 

 on the coast or neighboring islands, — to the 

 Baj' of Salerno, to Capri, to Ischia, — in order 

 to see how the different kinds of apparatus 

 are worked, and, if he pleases, to descend, 

 equipped in the diving-dress, and examine the 

 bottom of the sea with his own eyes. The 

 beaut}' of the scenery and climate, the congen- 

 ial society, and the interest attaching to the 

 operations, combine to render these excursions 

 the most pleasant events in the course of a 

 visit to the zoological station. 



A zoologist obtains the privilege of working 

 at the station by application to some institution 



