January 10, 1902.] 



SCIENCE. 



55. 



A SUMMER'S DBEDGINO ON THE COAST 

 OF SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA.* 



A CONSIDERABLE piecc of marine biologi- 

 cal exploration was carried on along the 

 coast of southern California during the 

 past summer by the Zoological Department 

 of the University of California. This was 

 made possible financially by the augmen- 

 tation of University funds that could be 

 devoted to the undertaking chiefly through 

 the efforts and generosity of Mr. H. W. 

 O'Melveny, Mr. J. A. Graves and Mr. 

 Jacob Baruch of Los Angeles; but to nu- 

 merous other gentlemen and ladies of that 

 city the warmest thanks are due both 

 for financial assistance and for intelligent 

 interest in and encouragement of the work. 



The purpose of the undertaking was in- 

 vestigation. As, however, a little formal 

 teaching could be done without greatly in- 

 creasing the expenditure or hindering the 

 main. work of the summer, it was thought 

 best to offer a few courses of instruction. 

 Three of these were consequently given. 

 One in general marine zoology, one in phys- 

 iology, and a third for students sufficiently 

 advanced to work under guidance on 

 special problems. 



The scientific staff, all from the Univer- 

 sity of California, consisted of: 



"William E. Ritter, Ph.D., Associate Pro- 

 fessor of Zoology, in charge. 



J. "W. Raymond, B.S., Assistant Pro- 

 fessor of Physics, Hydrography and Con- 

 chology. 



C. A. Kofoid, Ph.D., Assistant Professor 

 of Histology and Embryology, Zoology 

 and Hydrography. 



F. W. Bancroft, Ph.D., Instructor in 

 Physiology. 



*A portion of the Preliminary Report to the 

 President of the University of California on the 

 Marine Biological Explorations conducted by the 

 Zoological Department of the University on the 

 coast of southern California, during the summer 

 of 1901. 



H. B. Torrey, M.S., Instructor in Zool- 

 ogy. 



Alice Robertson, M.S., Le Conte Fellow 

 in Zoology. In charge of the collections. 



In addition there were present at the 

 laboratory for longer or shorter periods 

 during the summer, for the prosecution of 

 independent studies: 



Mr. W. C. Adler-Mereschkowsky, a Rus- 

 sian diatomist, now of Los Angeles. 



T. D. A. Cockerell, Entomologist of New 

 Llexico Agricultural Experiment Station, 

 East Las Vegas, New Mexico. 



W. R. Coe, Ph.D., Assistant Professor of 

 Zoology of Sheffield Scientific School, Yale 

 University. 



S. J. Holmes, Ph.D., Instructor in Zo- 

 ology, University of Michigan. 



Miss Sarah I. Monks, Instructor in Zo- 

 ology, State Normal School, Los Angeles. 



Miss G. R. Crocker, graduate student, 

 University of California. 



Mrs. Ida Oldroyd, Los Angeles, Cali- 

 fornia. 



Fourteen persons, mostly teachers of bio- 

 logical subjects in colleges and high schools 

 of California, were enrolled in the ele- 

 mentary courses. 



In view of the importance of the field, 

 and the meagerness of previous investiga- 

 tions in it, it seemed best to plan the sum- 

 mer 's work as though it were to be the be- 

 ginning of a detailed biological survey 

 of the coast of California, even though no 

 assurance could be had of the possibility of 

 continuing the work beyond this season. 



Such a survey would of necessity com- 

 prehend the investigation, not merely of 

 the life of the area, but as well of the phys- 

 ical conditions under which it exists. It 

 would have to be hydrographic as well as 

 biological. The limitations of the equip- 

 ment and the force of workers determined 

 what might be undertaken for the summer. 

 Soundings, temperature and specific grav- 

 ity determinations, and the character of 



