December 2, 1910] 



SCIENCE 



785 



surface fauna, the dredging and the col- 

 lecting on coral reefs. Most especially 

 favorable are the mangroves of the tortuous 

 passages amidst the Bogue Islands, some 

 twenty minutes from the laboratory with 

 the gasoline launch. This interesting pro- 

 duct of the combined action of wind and 

 current upon the material brought in past 

 time to the sea by the Montego Bay River 

 is now a growing addition to the large 

 alluvial plain upon the edge of which the 

 town of Montego Bay stands, and as shown 

 on the map consists of some larger and 

 smaller islands, near a dozen, extending 

 the alluvial deposits to the west under the 

 influence of the trade winds. The man- 

 grove trees covering these islands and the 

 adjacent shores hang their roots into salt 

 water along a total distance of many miles. 

 While some of this expanse of pendant 

 roots is exposed to the fresh waters of the 

 Bogue and Redding rivers and barren of 

 animal life, the major part of the edges of 

 this whole complex of islands offers rich 

 collecting ground comparable to that back 

 of the "Palisadoes" near Kingston. More- 

 over, the quiet water between the islands, 

 where very deep, is often the abode of 

 swarms of jelh^sh and zceas, while the eel- 

 grass shoals have their own sponge, lamel- 

 libranch, worm and echinoderm forms. 



Added to these four main marine col- 

 lecting fields are the fresh and brackish 

 water and land faunas easily accessible. 



Two rivers within a few miles of the lab- 

 oratory, with interesting animal life, were 

 navigable for the launch for a mile or so 

 above salt water. The apparent former 

 mouth of one now forms a brackish pond 

 containing a rather unique commingling of 

 both fresh and salt water animals. 



Several small streams and springs were 

 accessible, while permanent ponds pre- 

 sented various stages between conditions 

 in the interior and those close to the sea. 



On the land the fauna accessible is that 

 of a rather dry roclcy coastal ridge of hills, 

 of mangrove swamps, of a rich alluvial 

 plain and of the mountainous interior to 

 be reached by train or wagon. Not to be 

 overlooked are the large caverns with their 

 dense population of bats. 



Referring to the fauna more in detail, it 

 may be noted that the surface collecting in 

 the bay was better than at Port Antonio 

 or Port Henderson. Salpas, medusee and 

 especially siphonophores were abundant; 

 larval Crustacea, echinoderms, ascidians 

 and molluscs were taken in numbers; the 

 large tornaria larva was exceedingly com- 

 mon, though as yet the adult has not been 

 found there. The water being very pure 

 and free from inshore copepods, the sur- 

 face material was readily studied. 



The reefs are rich in the usual madre- 

 pores and porites with a great many hydro- 

 corals, sea fans and other gorgonians with 

 their attendant fishes, molluscs, worms and 

 echinoderms. But omng to the small tide 

 and open nature of the coast the reefs are 

 not as easily worked by wading as are some 

 at Port Antonio, though by patient wait- 

 ing till the single low tide of the twenty- 

 four hours comes at a convenient time of 

 day very good collecting can be had at the 

 reefs near the laboratory or to the west or 

 to the east. 



On the reefs and in the harbor where 

 scattered corals abound many species were 

 taken by a modified pair of oyster tongs 

 and by diving, in which the native fisher- 

 men often excel. Some large and interest- 

 ing sponges were thus obtained as well as 

 a few small ones of commercial significance. 



Owing to the great clearness of the 

 water the common water glass or bucket 

 with glass bottom brought the fauna well 

 within observing reach at considerable 

 depths, so that little use was made of the 

 Japanese diving spectacles that enable the 



