OPERATIONS XT THE LABORATORY. 
515 
species, collected by Mr. V. N. Edwards, and which it is hoped will fur- 
nish some of the material for a monograph upon the life history or 
development and curious metamorphosis of this type of fishes. This 
monograph it is proposed to put into the hands of a competent investi- 
gator, who has already applied for the material. 
Mr. Hodge also carried on a series of experiments upon starfishes, to 
determine the enemies which prey upon them, the Libinia , or spider 
crab, being one of these. Experiments were also tried with the king 
crab, or Limulus , which it is strongly suspected is also an enemy of 
starfishes. These researches have a bearing upon the questions now 
presented to the Commission in relation to the best means of preventing 
the ravages of the starfish upon the oyster beds of Long Island Sound, 
that work being now in progress under the direction of J. A. Smith, 
mate U. S. N., of the U. S. Fish Commission steamer Fisli Hawk , with 
Mr. Hodge as the scientific observer and expert, to determine the con- 
ditions of temperature and the necessary conditions of density of the 
sea water in which the starfish thrives. 
Mr. H. H. Field, representing Harvard College, took up the special 
study of the genesis of the Wolffian body, or kidney, in fishes from its 
first appearance in the embryo. For this purpose, the eggs of the 
common barred killifish ( Funduhis ) were laid under contribution, these 
ova being obtained by artificial fertilization and developed in the hatch- 
ing apparatus in the hatchiug room. The pelagic ova of other species 
were obtained by Mr. Field with the use of the tow net. 
Mr. and Mrs. C. H. Eigenmann occupied a table in the laboratory 
during the month of August as representatives of Harvard College. 
They took up the study of the general development of fishes. For this 
purpose the eggs and embryos of four species were laid under contribu- 
tion. Besides these results Mr. and Mrs. Eigenmann devoted some part 
of their time to the study of the osteology of the bluefish ( Pomatomus ), 
the flounder, and other forms in connection with their work on systematic 
ichthyology. They made a representative collection of the fishes native 
to Wood’s Holl waters for comparison with the forms found in other 
regions and in the fish faunas of which they are interested. 
Mr. W. S. Marshall, of the University of Pennsylvania, was engaged 
during the month of September in making a series of preparations of 
the brains of the common fishes to determine the variations in the form 
of the organ aud the arrangement of the cranial nerves by macerating 
the whole in 20 per cent, nitric acid, which softens everything but the 
nerve tissue. Following a method which has given very good results 
in the hands of Mr. C. F. Hodge, it is believed that interesting and 
important results may be obtaiued through such a study of the configu- 
ration of the brain and the arrangement of the cranial nerves of fishes, 
which will supplement those obtained by Mr. Fhillips by another 
method. This method of maceration also makes it possible to isolate 
the dermal trunks of the lateral nerves, which are very important in 
