308 Canadian Record of Science. 



The Canadian Marine Biological Station. 



By F. Slater Jackson, M.D. 



The history of Acadian Zoology may be said to date 

 from the time of Champlain, for Lescarbot's " Histoire de 

 la nouvelle France," published in 1609, contains accounts 

 of the more common Mollusca of that region. In Cham- 

 plain's own work, " Les Voyages du Sieur de Champlain," 

 published a few years later (viz., in 1613) mention is 

 made of the various shell-fish which appear to have been 

 employed by him for food. Similarly Denys' " Description 

 G-eographique et Historique des costes de I'Amerique 

 Septentrionale " and his " Histoire ISTaturelle," published 

 in 1672, contain in addition, references to many forms 

 apparently overlooked by previous observers : thus he 

 mentions the Eazor-fish (Ensatella Americana) and various 

 Cephalopoda, of which latter his accounts are singularly 

 interesting and accurate. These observations, however 

 interesting historically, contain little of scientific value. 

 It was not until 1852 that a systematic scientific study of 

 the marine organisms of Acadia was commenced. In tliis 

 year Stimpson spent three months in investigating the 

 Invertebrata of Grand Manau, and his results, published 

 two years later, constitute the first important contribution 

 to our knowledge of this subject. In 1870 Gould's 

 " Invertebrata of Massachusetts " (which first appeared in 

 1841) was riiedited, and made to include many species 

 common to that State and to New Brunswick and Nova 

 Scotia. 



The Eeports of the United States Fish Commission also 

 contain much valuable information relative to the species 

 inhabiting the Bay of Fundy, particularly in the vicinity 

 of Eastport, Me., and Grand Manan. More recently the 

 entire subject has been carefully reviewed and studied by 

 Prof. Ganong, of Harvard, whose name is associated with 



