BIOLOGICAL SURVEY OF WOODS HOLE AND VICINITY. 27 



From October, 1906, to December, 1909, the senior author of this report was 

 almost continuously in residence at Woods Hole, engaged in the task of compiling the 

 data and preparing the results for publication. The great amount of skilled clerical 

 work herein involved has been largely performed by Miss Edith Chapman and Mr. 

 James W. Underwood, whose patience and conscientiousness throughout these monot- 

 onous labors deserve ample recognition. For the accuracy of each step in the task of 

 compilation, however, the senior author makes himself fully responsible. The manu- 

 script of the present report has been read over and discussed by all of the authors and 

 is to be regarded as expressing our substantially harmonious views. 



The next chapter will consist of a preliminary discussion of the various physical 

 factors which affect the marine fauna and flora of the region. A chapter will then be 

 devoted to a statistical analysis of the results of the Survey, as well as of the census 

 of animal species. Next, the various groups of animals will be discussed separately 

 and in greater detail. Following this an attempt will be made to interpret some of 

 the phenomena herein discussed, and to show the bearing of our results upon some of 

 the broader problems of biology. There will then follow, in order of arrangement, a 

 list of the regular dredging stations of the Survey, the faunal distribution charts and 

 the physical and geographical charts. 



Section 11 will consist of a presentation of the chief results on the botanical side, 

 followed by the distribution charts for the marine algae. Sections in and iv will 

 comprise the faunal and floral catalogues or annotated lists. Rather full bibliographies 

 have been appended, comprising works relating to the occurrence of the various ani- 

 mal and plant species at Woods Hole. 



There would have been much in favor of considering the fauna and flora together 

 throughout the present report, and particularly in the general discussions relating to 

 distribution. Since, however, the day of the universal naturalist has passed, and since 

 each one of us must content himself with being either a zoologist or a botanist, it has 

 not seemed practicable to throw together the discussion of the entire "biota" of the 

 region. The botanical portions of the work, as well as the field work upon which they 

 have largely been based, represent the labors of botanists who have worked, to a con- 

 siderable degree, independently of the zoologists of the staff. Thus we have thought 

 it advisable to present the results as far as possible separately. This arrangement 

 likewise corresponds to the difference in authorship between the two main subdivisions 

 of the work. 



The introductory chapter, together with that upon environmental conditions, are, 

 however, just as essential to an understanding of the botanical data as of the zoological, 

 and the geographical and physical charts are likewise equally related to both subdivisions 

 of the report. Thus the entire report is, in a sense, a unit, and indeed the zoological 

 and botanical members of the staff have conferred to a considerable extent during its 

 preparation. 



