Decembek 18j 1914] 



SCIENCE 



883 



ments of tlie surface current hourly for twelve 

 hours (thus covering an entire tide, ebb and 

 flood), and a few bottom current readings. 

 The calm weather of that and the two preced- 

 ing days gave an ideal opportunity for this 

 work; hence the strong dominant set to the 

 southwest which our instruments revealed is 

 probably of considerable importance as an index 

 of the long-shore flow of St. Lawrence water. 

 From this point we ran a section across the 

 coastal shelf, via Eoseway Bank and the deep 

 but circumscribed basin between it and La 

 Have Bank, to the continental shelf, where we 

 towed and took oceanographic observations to 

 500 meters. 



Our program now called for a section cross- 

 ing the shelf obliquely, to Halifax, and the 

 first half of this line was successful. But an 

 easterly storm drove us off our course, to 

 shelter in La Have Eiver, where we were held 

 prisoners, first by northeast winds, then by 

 fog, and finally by a violent southwest gale 

 for four days. On reaching Halifax, August 

 2, we learned of the European war ; and shortly 

 received orders to return to United States 

 waters. 



On August 6 we sailed from Halifax, plan- 

 ning to make first a section across the Conti- 

 nental shelf normal to the coast as far as 

 Emerald Bank; and then to run to the Gulf 

 of Maine, making stations en route. The sec- 

 tion was successful, and we were lucky enough 

 to vary the monotony of the planlcton hauls 

 by the capture of a large swordfish, and of a 

 sunfish (Mola mola Linn.). But thick fog set 

 in on August 8 and drove us once more to 

 Shelburne for shelter. TJiitil the eleventh we 

 lay at anchor, waiting for a change of 

 weather; then lost patience and put to sea 

 again. Our next field was the Gulf of 

 Maine, where we located our stations at the 

 same positions as those of 1912 and 1913, 

 first in the northeast comer, then off Mt. 

 Desert rock, and along shore to Gloucester, 

 where we arrived on August 15. A week was 

 spent in port; and on the 22d the Grampus 

 sailed again, running east to the center of the 

 gulf, and then to Cape Cod. Passing through 

 Vineyard Sound we took our departure from 



No-Mans-Land on August 25 for a section 

 across the Continental shelf, with stations at 

 the 20-, 35- and 80-fathom contours, and one 

 over the 1,000-fathom curve. We had sup- 

 plied ourselves in Gloucester with bait and a 

 long-trawl, and made two sets for tile fish 

 {Lopholotilus chammleonticeps) on the twenty- 

 sixth. In 80 fathoms we caught only two; 

 but in 105 fathoms an hour's set yielded 19, 

 the aggregate weight being about 350 pounds. 

 We occupied three stations during the run 

 back to Gloucester, where we arrived Au- 

 gust 28. 



During the cruise complete oceanographic 

 data were taken at 52 stations, ranging in 

 depth from 15 to 250 fathoms; 126 tows were 

 made with the horizontal nets : the quantita- 

 tive net was used at 26 stations. The distance 

 sailed was about 2,000 miles. 



Statements as to the scientific results must 

 await the completion of titrations of the water 

 samples and the general examination of the 

 plankton samples : the general report on the 

 cruise, like that on the cruises of 1912^ and of 

 1913 will be prepared in the Museum of Com- 

 parative Zoology. 



Henry B. Bigelow 



INTERNATIONAL OCEANOGBAPBIC EXPE- 

 DITION 



At the present time arrangements are being 

 completed to despatch the International 

 Oceanographic Expedition under the command 

 of J. Foster Stackhouse, E.R.G.S., for a seven 

 years' voyage to chart the seas, and to deter- 

 mine as far as possible the exact position of 

 the large number of rocks and reefs which 

 have been reported during the last century. 



ISTot since the days of the Challenger has so 

 great an enterprise been undertaken, and it is 

 highly desirable that no time be lost in mak- 

 ing the fullest inquiries into these hidden 

 dangers to navigation. 



Over 3,500 dangers have been imported in 

 the Pacific Ocean alone, and some of these no 

 doubt account for the fact that during the last 



2 Loc. cit. 



