Sea-side Study on the Coast of California. 43 
former localities marine animals in aquaria are very tenacious of life. 
I believe this is in part due to the fact that there is a more uniform 
temperature in the winter at Tortugas, or that the changes are not as 
sudden in one place as in the other. At Newport, for instance, the 
temperature of the water varies very greatly day by day, and pelgic 
animals are very sensitive to this change. Pelagicanimals at Santa 
Barbara live longer without change of water than those on the coast 
of New England, and the conditions of temperature seem more like 
those of Bermuda than of the coast of New England. 
I was much surprised at the great range of temperature which the 
common Actinian of Californiacan bear without harm. Water which 
is almost lukewarm does not kill it. In pools left by the tide well- 
expanded specimens live for hours in water exposed to the rays of 
the sun. By the peculiar habit which they have of covering them- 
selves with sand they are able to live out of the water in the warm 
air for several hours. 
I can think of few more difficult tasks than to determine the best 
locality in New England to place a zodlogical station. Any com- 
mittee which has such a task, especially if a majority of its members 
are those who have never done any marine zodlogical work at 
any place, has my hearty sympathy. There may be places better 
adapted for this or that kind of work, better suited for the sise of 
the endowment or more convenient of access, but it is a hard task 
to declare which is the best place for a station. One is tempted to 
say that there is no place which is bad if the naturalist means to do 
work rather than discourse on how to do it. 
On the Pacific coast the problem is the same as on the Atlantic. 
One cannot say that this or that point is the best place to work until 
he or others have tried all. Honest work at almost any place on the 
Pacific as on the Atlantic marine zodlogy will bear good fruit. 
The time has come when a permanent, well-endowed zodlogical 
station is needed for the study of marine animals of the coast of 
California. An abundant harvest in all branches of zodlogical 
study awaits those whose good fortune it may be to originate and 
carry on such a station. 
While it is not intended in this article to belittle the contribution 
to our knowledge of the animals of the coast which have already 
been made, it is believed that the work already begun is but a small 
part of what will result if a permanent station, directed by those 
