712 



SCIENCE 



[N. S. Vol. XXXI. No. 801 



TEE WORK OF TEE MARINE BIOLOGICAL 



STATION OP TEE V. S. BUREAU OF 



FISEERIES, AT BEAUFORT, N. C, 



DURING TEE YEAR 1909 



A STEAM launcli was available for a portion 

 of the year for the use of the station. 

 Another launch, equipped with a 9 H.P. gas- 

 oline engine, was available throughout the 

 year, except for a brief period in the spring 

 when it was detailed to the Edenton station. 

 A large sailing-boat and a number of row- 

 boats were also a part of the general equip- 

 ment of the station. 



A new 30 H.P. boiler was installed in the 

 power-house. This furnished ample power 

 for operating the electric-light plant and for 

 supplying the station with running salt and 

 fresh water. A mess was maintained from 

 the latter part of June to the middle of Sep- 

 tember by the investigators and assistants. 

 Board cost each member of the mess five dol- 

 lars per week. 



In connection with the experiments of Pro- 

 fessor Binford an apparatus was installed for 

 supplying the station with salt water at tem- 

 peratures higher than that of the surround- 

 ing water in the harbor. The apparatus, 

 while not perfected, was practicable, and it is 

 available for similar experimental work in 

 the future. 



A large concrete pound, begun late in the 

 previous year, was completed for carrying on 

 experiments looking toward the culture of the 

 diamond-back terrapin. The pound was so 

 arranged as to give the terrapins free access 

 to salt water, marshy land and sand. The 

 experiments with the terrapins were begun too 

 late in the season for securing as good results 

 as would otherwise probably have been ob- 

 tained. Eggs were laid, however, by the terra- 

 pins and a number of the young were hatched. 

 Experiments were begun with a view of rear- 

 ing the young. At the end of the year the 

 experiments were being carried along suc- 

 cessfully. Professor W. P. Hay, of Washing- 

 ton, D. C, had general supervision of the 

 work. 



What is planned to be a comprehensive 

 study of the molluscan life of the Beaufort 

 region, including a study of its general rela- 



tion to the Transatlantic province, was begun 

 with work on the lamellibranchs. Consider- 

 able dredging was done as well as other col- 

 lecting from more accessible places. The 

 material will be supplemented by collections 

 made from the dredging done by the Fish 

 Hawh off-shore near Beaufort in 1907. 



A detailed study of the breeding habits of 

 the common clam, Venus mercenaria, was be- 

 gun. Work during the summers of previous 

 years, principally by Dr. H. E. Enders, showed 

 that the sexual elements were abundant dur- 

 ing the summer season, but that the eggs 

 could be fertilized only sparingly in the lab- 

 oratory. Examinations made at intervals of 

 about nine days each, beginning the early 

 part of November, showed that eggs and ac- 

 tive sperm were present both during Novem- 

 ber and December. Dr. Enders reached the 

 conclusion that the breeding season of Venus 

 mercenaria extends through several months, 

 during which a small quantity of eggs is dis- 

 charged at short intervals under natural con- 

 ditions; and it may be that the spavsming 

 period extends throughout the year. The tem- 

 perature, however, may prevent the develop- 

 ment of eggs during the colder portions of the 

 year. 



The laboratory collection of fishes was in- 

 creased by a gift of a number of specimens 

 from Mr. Eussell J. Coles, of Danville, Va. 

 These specimens were collected from Cape 

 Lookout in 1909. The collection included two 

 specimens of Narcine hrasiliensis (Olfers), a 

 species which, it is believed, has not hereto- 

 fore been recorded from anywhere along our 

 coast north of Florida. 



The facilities of the station were utilized 

 by a number of investigators, each working 

 on problems related more or less closely to 

 the work of the bureau. They have kindly 

 furnished abstracts of their work, which are 

 herewith included. They were: 



Dr. H. V. Wilson, professor of zoology, 

 University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, 

 N. C. Dr. Wilson studied the structure, be- 

 havior and regeneration of the epidermal 

 layer in some monasonid sponges (Stylotella 

 and Reniera). The epidermis in these forms 



