QcTOBER 1, 1897.] 
great stretches of rock and sand exposed. 
The most striking thing in regard to these 
rockswas the richness of many-hued sponges, 
of Bryozoa covering rocks and weeds with 
fleshy or encrusting colonies ; while under 
the rocks, in addition to the usual crabs, 
star-fish and amnnelids, rarer forms of 
nemerteans, echiurids and _ sipunculids 
were frequently found. The small patches 
of sand and shell between the rocks con- 
tained quantities of gigantic Nepthys, Amphi- 
trite, Synapta and sand anemones, while 
in certain regions groups of Edwardsia, 
Jamellibranchs and various annelids might 
be dug up. : 
On the numerous rocky islands which 
abound in Sitka harbor we found great 
numbers of sea urchins, the large Sphere- 
chinus in particular, which were neatly dis- 
sected for us by the noisy ravens whenever 
left in the tide pools. Here, too, were found 
many kinds of actinians, Thysanurans in 
abundance, and various hydroids. Under 
the wharf and on the piles were great for- 
ests of campanularian hydroids ensnaring 
quantities of copepods, nematodes, nudi- 
branch molluscs and infusoria; while on 
them, as parasites, gigantic acinetans were 
abundant. Smaller single hydroids living 
on molluse shells and on the piles were 
added to our collections, while an occa- 
sional holothurian (H. COalifornica) might 
be fished out with a long pole. Professor 
Wilson and Mr. Harrington found this 
echinoderm in great abundance on a sandy 
bottom at Redoubt, some twelve miles from 
Sitka, and in them an occasional Hnto- 
concha. 
The rocks under the wharf were carpeted 
with a thick velvet of Bryozoa, chiefly Al- 
cyonidude, Cellulartide and Diastoporide, 
and many different genera were well repre- 
sented. Medusze were abundant near the 
shores among the eel grasses and kelp. 
These were chiefly anthomedusz and lepto- 
meduse, although Haliclystus, of the order 
SCIENCE. 
515 
stauromedusz was occasionally found. The 
‘Elbowed’ medusa described by Agassiz 
was especially abundant, while Polyorchis 
ceruleus, seyphomedusee and several differ- 
ent species of Thaumantias were less numer- 
ous. Large specimens of Salpa sometimes 
drifted in from the Pacific, but ascidians 
were less numerous than at Port Town 
send. 
One of the most attractive methods of 
collecting at Sitka was by skimming ; here, 
at high water, the tow was wonderfully 
rich, a single pipette full of the sediment 
from one tow was found to contain quanti- 
ties of pteropod larvee, the Mitraria larva of 
Metschnikoff, the Actinotrocha larva, Poly- 
gordius trochophores, a great species of Ap- 
pendicularia, Pilidium larvee, a pelagic rhab- 
docoel turbellarian, Auricularian and Bi- 
pinnarian larvee, ete. 
The collection and preservation of these 
interesting and often rare forms was not the 
only line of research. Cytological material 
for many different investigations was pre- 
served. This included a series of matura- 
tion and fertilization stages of Spherechinus, 
maturation and fertilization of Edwardsia, 
maturation material of Thawmantias, mate- 
rial for spermatogenesis of Nepthys, a full set 
of material for the development of medusa 
buds of Plumularia, maturation material of 
Echiurus, of Holothuria, maturation and fer- 
tilization of eggs of a lamellibranch, growth 
and embryological material of atunicate, ete. 
In addition to this, notes were kept on the 
distribution of forms on rocks, piles or 
pelagic, and of course many notes on the 
habits, appearance and movements of the 
living animals. 
Taking all into consideration, however, 
we are forced to the conclusion that, for 
shore collecting at least, Sitka is less favored 
than Port Townsend, where the great 
stretches of tide flats, shaded by long lines 
of wharves with innumerable piles, offer 
advantages for shore collecting hardly to be 
