Shells on Union Bay 81 



and dipped simultaneously in preparation for the mighty 

 sweep which sent the boat hissing through the water. The 

 birds moved out of their passage as before— warily enough 

 but without alarm or extreme haste. 



The shells entered the inlet, backed-water to a stop. The 

 crews got out, parked their oars, and then carried the shells 

 into the storage room, a place full of enough racks to accom- 

 modate three or four dozen craft. The bodies of the men were 

 wet with perspiration, their breath just a trifle short, but 

 there was little sign of fatigue as they headed for the show- 

 ers. The coach launch pulled up to its landing and the field 

 work was done for the day. In a few minutes the place was 

 deserted. 



As the building grew quiet and I resumed my paddling I 

 thought how easy it was to see the effect of environment on 

 wildlife and how much more difficult it was to see its influ- 

 ence on man. The crews of the Pacific slope were almost al- 

 ways near the very top of the rowing list. Often first place 

 at Poughkeepsie or Marietta was a race between California 

 and Washington. How great a part did environment play in 

 this result? Was the mildness of the climate of considerable 

 importance in the production of a superior crew? There were 

 many advantages in the location of the University. Here 

 the crews could always find a sheltered place to practice if 

 desired, or a stormy stretch to condition the men to rowing 

 in a choppy or wind-disturbed lake. Possibly it went further 

 back; the Northwest mountains, wheat fields, and forests 

 might provide the proper places to grow men capable of 

 developing the necessary skill to handle the heavy sweeps 

 and the enduring stamina required to withstand the sustained 

 ordeal of the races. Environment greatly affected other ani- 

 mals; what did it do to oarsmen? Someday a genius with a 

 passion for such research may tackle the problem, and, forti- 

 fied with data on genealogies, avocations, vocations, nation- 

 alities, diet, and heredity, may succeed in drawing conclu- 



