36 Sea-side Study on the Coast of California. 
often hampered for resources, as they involve in many instances 
large outlays for boats, dredges, and fishermen. Moreover, some 
of the best localities for the study of marine zodlogy are visited by 
these private parties. 
On the Pacific coast the study of marine zodlogy has entered upon 
the first phase of the development, but has not passed to the second. 
No marine station has yet been founded there. The naturalist who 
seeks those shores must himself discover the best place to work. 
He finds no fisherman familiar with his needs, and must educate 
them in the use of the dredge. In short, feels that he is veritably 
a pioneer, if he has in mind the use of the net and dredge. The 
delights and results of his work, however, are those which come to 
the first worker in a new field. 
When I had decided to visit the California coast to study its 
marine fauna, the first information which I sought was where is 
the best place to get the best results in the shortest time? The first 
question which was asked local naturalists was, where is the best 
place for the study of marine zodlogy on the coast? I received in 
most cases no satisfactory answers, and perhaps I ought not to have 
expected them. Prominent marine zodlogists in Europe differ in 
their estimates of the value of localities on the Mediterranean as 
collecting places. Many say Villa Franca, others Naples, others 
Messina. On the coast of New England some of our prominent 
naturalists prefer Newport, others Wood’s Holl, others Eastport. 
Every one has a preference, but it is a known fact that there are 
some places on our coast which no one recommends. The coast of 
California, however, has been so little studied that even the satisfac- 
tion of knowing the prominent places was not allowed, as I could 
find almost no one who had used the dredge. The first thing nec- 
essary there was a kind of te ie dest exploration to discover a good. 
place for work. 
It may be of advantage to others who have in mind a visit to the 
Pacific coast for work similar to that which I carried on to know 
the result of my experiences. I have used the dredge and Miiller’s 
net at Santa Barbara, and among the neighboring islands, at Port 
Harford, Santa Cruz and Monterey. I can recommend any of 
these places for this kind of work; but I prefer the Bay of Mon- 
terey, and think if ever a marine station is founded on the coast of 
California, no better site can be chosen north of Point Conception 
than on this beautiful bay. I am sanguine enough to hope that in 
