April 24, 1903.] 



SCIENCE. 



657 



the majority favor the Tortugas as a fit 

 locality for the establishment of the labo- 

 ratory. 



Concerning the use which would be 

 made of a tropical laboratory, twenty-two 

 stated that they would expect to visit it 

 and carry on research work under its aus- 

 pices, sixteen either failed to answer the 

 question or were non-committal, while five 

 stated that the laboratory would be of no 

 personal use to them. 



It would appear that, in order to insure 

 the constant use of such a laboratory, it 

 would be necessary to assure the proper 

 publication of all creditable researches and 

 to defray at least a portion of the travel- 

 ing expenses of students. The latter pro- 

 vision would probably be essential for the 

 first few years of the existence of the sta- 

 tion, but would become less imperative 

 later. 



We here reproduce a few of the letters 

 which were received and which throw light 

 upon the situation from various points of 

 view: 



" From an oi'nithologist's point of view the 

 Tortugas afford exceptional opportunities for the 

 study of bird migration and of the life history 

 and social relationships of colonial nesting birds. 

 Having no resident land birds, and evidently lying 

 in a highway of migration between western Cuba 

 or southern Yucatan and Florida, the host of 

 migrating birds which visit the Tortugas In the 

 spring and fall write their records on a clean page. 

 That is, the movements of migratory birds are not 

 confused with those of resident species or of 

 merely local wanderers, as is apt to be the case 

 on the mainland. This would be especially true in 

 studying the southward migration of birds which, 

 in the Tortugas, would probably begin late in July. 

 "I say probably, simply because we as yet know 

 little or nothing about the early stages of the 

 migratory movements from the United States. 

 At this time, too, an observer in the Tortugas 

 would be admirably situated to secure much in- 

 teresting data as to whether old or young birds 

 lead the migration of their species. .Comparison 

 of his observat_jons with those already recorded 

 from the Florida mainland would also show how 



much of the Tortugas migration was directed 

 to or from Florida and how much of it might 

 be termed pelagic. In short, many of the phe- 

 nomena of bird migration would be observed un- 

 der far less complex conditions than occur on the 

 mainland. 



" The colonies of terns which annually visit the 

 Tortugas to nest would afford a most interesting 

 subject for continuous study by a student whO' 

 at the same time could be engaged in laboratory 

 research along other lines. The remarkable 

 tameness of these birds permits of that close 

 study of the individual without which the study 

 of the species is always more or less lacking in 

 definiteness, and I know of no more promising 

 subject for ornithological investigation in the field 

 than the life-history of the noddy tern and its 

 social relationships to birds of its own species, 

 as well as to those with which it is associated." 

 Fbank M. Chapman. 



" I am heartily in favor of the plan of establish- 

 ing a research laboratory at the Tortugas, for the 

 following reasons : 



" 1. The fauna of the coast of the Gulf States 

 is less well known than that of the Red Sea, andi 

 is the least known of our coast line, although it. 

 is probably the richest. This is partly due to the- 

 fact that students of zoology are usually free only 

 during the summer, when the Gulf coast is sup- 

 posed to be too hot. Your plan will attract oc- 

 casional winter workers and others in the spring 

 and autumn. 



" 2. The isolation of the Tortugas is their 

 safety. Parasitic diseases are to be feared only 

 in a larger community. 



" If established,. I should be tempted to visit the 

 laboratory; I have no doubt Chicago University 

 would be represented by workers there nearly 

 every year." 



Chakles B. Davenpokt. 



" I am very glad, indeed, to send you an expres- 

 sion of my opinion regarding the fitness of the 

 Dry Tortugas as a point for the establishment 

 of a zoological station. For I have collected my- 

 self in Florida waters, and I know at first hand 

 what valuable material is to be secured there 

 for research. As far as I can understand the 

 problem of faunal distribution, water currents, 

 and the like, I am decidedly of the opinion that 

 there is no better general locality for a zoological 

 station than the one which you are interested in. 

 The only objection to it, as far as I can see, is 

 the matter of ferriage to and from the mainland, 

 but I think this is counterbalanced by the ad- 



