720 7 The American Naturalist. [August, 
the fact that the fauna of the New Jersey shore waters and of its 
numerous bays and thoroughfares is exceedingly rich, uniting to 
a degree, greater perhaps than any other locality, the northern 
and southern marine faunas. The plants of New Jersey are also 
peculiarly interesting from the standpoint of climatology and 
geographical distribution. New Jersey occupies a central position 
as regards the great oyster industries of the country, midway 
between Rhode Island and Virginia. Access is quick and easy 
to the greatest centers of oyster consumption and distribution, 
—viz., Baltimore, Philadelphia, and New York. The desirability 
of the location is enhanced also from its proximity to three of the 
greatest intellectual and scientific centers of the country, the 
University of Pennsylvania, Columbia College, and Johns Hopkins 
University, enabling the work of the laboratories to be conducted 
in thorough accord with the university idea, and. available to the 
considerable number of naturalists congregated at these institu- 
tions and in the scientific organizations of the three great cities. 
Ready access to the unsurpassed libraries and collections of these 
three cities, and particularly to those of the Academy of Natural 
Sciences of Philadelphia, urged strongly in favor of the present 
location. 
An examination of the U. S. Coast Survey charts will show a 
gradual widening of the littoral area towards the southern end of 
New Jersey. This great shoal-water area is the home of myriads 
of interesting marine animals, and the spawning and feeding 
grounds of an equally important series of fishes, etc. The 
numerous bays and the intricate maze of thoroughfares running 
back through the salt meadows to the mainland are equally inter- 
esting from a biological standpoint. 
Sea Isle City, situated on Ludlam Island, affords unsurpassed 
facilities for the utilization of this rich field for investigation. It 
has direct railroad connection with New York and Philadelphia 
by numerous fast trains, good harborage for collecting-boats, and 
Ludlam Bay, with its oyster grounds of several hundred acres, 
awaiting only the suggestions of the naturalist to replenish them, 
and counterbalance the short-sighted policy of the oystermen. 
Sea Isle City is located in an area the hard sand beach of which 


