March 25, 1904.] 



SCIENCE. 



507 



in bay and coastal waters. The Acantliaria, 

 which in sunomer abound in shore and bay 

 waters, were less abundant evei-ywhere this 

 winter. The Spumellaria were also somewhat 

 reduced in frequency, while the Nassellaria 

 were greatly increased and diversified in 

 waters near the 100 fathom line, where the 

 major part of our oceanic collections were 

 made, rivaling if not surpassing in richness 

 the Challenger collections from the tropical 

 Pacific as reported by Haeckel. 



The Coelenterata are reported by Dr. H. B. 

 Torrey to be fewer in the winter collections, 

 both as species and as individuals, in all orders 

 but the Siphonophora, where numbers were 

 much larger, especially of Diphyes. 



The Entomostraca were less abundant than 

 in smnmer, especially in shore waters. 8ap- 

 phirina was found several times and an ap- 

 parently new ' peacock form ' allied to Calo- 

 calanus was obtained. Cyphonautes was very 

 common in all collections, and Ophio-, 

 Echino- and Asteroplutei were not infre- 

 quent, indicating breeding of many echino- 

 derms at this season of the year. 



The pelagic Mollusca were more numerous 

 than in summer. Greseis and young Pneu- 

 modermon were found, and young Pleuropus 

 were very abundant in the oceanic collections. 



Professor Eitter reports the presence of 

 Salpa, Doliolum and Appendicularia though 

 less abundant than in the summer. A small 

 Tornaria of uncertain relationships was found 

 this winter in small numbers on the bank 

 where the large T. ritteri was found last 

 summer. 



A few collecting trips were made at low 

 tides and some dredging was done off shore 

 and in the harbor. Ciona was exceedingly 

 abundant and of great size in loose colonies 

 on the sand in the shoal waters of the harbor, 

 and Pcrophora and sponges were in great 

 breeding activity on the floats and piles near 

 the laboratory. Amphioxus californicus was 

 again collected on the ' middle groimd ' near 

 the mouth of the harbor in shelly deposits, 

 and Dolichoglossus was found in great abund- 

 ance on the mud flats about the bay associated 

 with another possibly new member of the 

 genus. Cerianihns and Eenilla were col- 



lected on the sand and the mud flats exposed 

 at low tide. Many annelids were breeding in 

 the mud flats about the harbor and in the 

 False Bay. New collecting grounds on the 

 ocean front near Paciflc Beach were found 

 on rocks exposed at low tide, which equal in 

 richness and in variety of their fauna any- 

 thing thus far found on the coast of Cali- 

 fornia south of Monterey Bay. 



One of the most noticeable changes in the 

 local fauna was an unusual development of 

 a large bryozoan, Bowerhankia, in the harbor, 

 forming masses often several feet in diameter. 

 This species was dying out rapidly during our 

 stay at Ooronado, living zooids being very rare 

 on the colonies. Another remarkable change 

 was the development of Donax californicus in 

 great numbers at Pacific Beach, where on a 

 gently sloping sandy shore in the notoriously 

 heavy breakers of the region these little 

 lamellibranchs were found in enormous num- 

 bers, literally covering the beach on a strip 

 several miles in length and flfty yards or more 

 in width. The levels at which they occurred 

 would bring them into the turmoil of the 

 breakers with every tidal recession during plus 

 tides and leave them exposed on the beach for 

 several hours during minus tides. A similar 

 occurrence at Long Beaeh near Los Angeles 

 several years ago led to the formation of a 

 fertilizer corporation to exploit these re- 

 sources of the sea, but Donax disappeared 

 before the stock was floated, as mysteriously 

 as it came. Associated with Donax in what 

 seems to be a commensal relationship is an 

 undescribed Campanularian hydroid attached 

 to the shell in small tufts between the umbo 

 and siphons. This was sufiiciently abundant 

 to add an appreciable color to the banlts of 

 Donax in situ on the beach. 



Ohimcera was caught on the fishing banks 

 and Gyropleurodes was taken in the Bay. 



A great abundance of animal life is thus 

 available at San Diego in winter months for 

 the biologist, and the desirability of this 

 location for the establishment of a marine 

 station open throughout the year grows in- 

 creasingly evident. 



In furtherance of this object a Marine 

 Biological Association was formed at a public 



