BIOLOGICAL SURVEY OF WOODS HOLE AND VICINITY. 1 9 



of various landmarks was noted. An ideal degree of accuracy in locating these stations 

 might have been attained through the sacrifice of much time and effort, but it is doubtful 

 whether the scientific value of this report would thereby have been greatly enhanced. 



In the case of both vessels the same general procedure was adopted in respect to 

 the listing and the preservation of material. One or more of the authors of this report 

 accompanied each dredging trip, and one or several assistants were detailed from the 

 laboratory staff. On many occasions specialists interested in particular groups of 

 organisms accompanied us on these expeditions and participated in the identifications. 

 The more obvious and easily recognizable species were listed on the spot, mention being 

 made of their relative abundance and other facts of interest. These observations were 

 dictated to an assistant. At the same time samples of the sand, stones, mud, seaweed, etc., 

 and any specimens concerning which the least doubt was entertained were preserved, with 

 a record of the station from which they came. This material was later sorted over in the 

 laboratory and further species were identified and listed. Those concerning which there 

 was still any doubt were bottled and subsequently referred to the proper specialists. 

 Formalin was commonly employed for fishes, mollusks, coelenterates, and worms, alcohol 

 (after the earlier dredgings at least) being generally used for Crustacea, bryozoa, and 

 echinoderms, the calcareous parts of which, as is well known, are damaged by formalin. 



The authors of the zoological section of this report early familiarized themselves 

 with a large proportion of the commoner species encountered, including the great 

 majority of larger animals, and after a few preliminary safeguards it was believed that 

 any one of us could identify these with a fair approach to certainty. Minute organisms, 

 or any which required careful study before they could be specifically determined, were 

 either subjected to careful examination in the laboratory by the authors themselves, or, 

 more commonly, were reserved for reference to one or another of the taxonomic experts 

 who have assisted us. 



Acknowledgment must here be made, accordingly, to the specialists who have 

 given their sendees, in most cases without any remuneration, to the task of identifying 

 the Survey collections. The following deserve mention: Dr. Paul Bartsch (mollusks), 

 Dr. R. P. Bigelow (decapods), Dr. H. L,. Clark (echinoderms), Prof. W. R. Coe (nemer- 

 teans), Dr. J. A. Cushman (Foraminifera, Porifera, Ostracoda), Dr. W. H. Dall (mollusks), 

 Dr. B. W. Evermann (fishes), Dr. J. H. Gerould (sipunculids) , Prof. C. W. Hargitt 

 (coelenterates), Prof. S. J. Holmes (amphipods), Dr. B. W. Kunkel (amphipods), Prof. 

 F. M. MacFarland (nudibranch mollusks), Dr. J.. P. Moore (annelids), Prof. C. C. 

 Nutting (hydrozoa), Dr. H. A. Pilsbry (barnacles), Miss M. J. Rathbun (decapods), 

 Dr. Harriet Richardson (isopods), Prof. W. E. Ritter (simple ascidians), Mr. R. W. 

 Sharpe (copepoda), Dr. W. G. Van Name (compound ascidians). The part played 

 by each of these specialists will be referred to in connection with the various divisions 

 of the animal kingdom. A few insects, most of which were taken during the shore and 

 brackish-water collecting, were identified by a number of entomologists in the National 

 Museum. 



In the case of certain groups it was found impossible to obtain any assistance from 

 previously trained specialists, or at least to the extent needed for the complete identi- 

 fication of our collections. In such cases it became necessary for one or another of the 

 authors of this report to acquire a certain degree of mastery of the group in question. 

 This has been true particularly of the Bryozoa, Cirripedia, Amphipoda, Isopoda, and 

 Pycnogonida. 



