April 14, 1905.] 



SCIENCE. 



in the sound was done in the shallower 

 waters near shore. Here the Phalarope 

 was employed on account of her lighter 

 draught. This vessel was specially 

 equipped for the purpose at the commence- 

 ment of the season ; a large movable plat- 

 form being built and a derrick erected. 

 Mr. R. C. Osburn supervised, for the 

 most part, the dredging operations of the 

 Phalarope. Seventy-seven 'stations' were 

 dredged, completing the coast line of 

 Vineyard Sound, upon both sides. Dr. 

 Bradley M. Davis, assisted by Miss Lillian 

 MacRae, directed the collecting and identi- 

 fying of the botanical material secured. 



Systematic records were of course kept 

 of all species found in the dredge. As 

 far as possible, identifications were made 

 in the field or in the laboratory, but much 

 material was preserved for reference to 

 specialists. During the preceding winter, 

 many of the species taken during the sum- 

 mer of 1903 had been determined by var- 

 ious experts, and this collection has now 

 been added to the laboratory's museum of 

 local fauna, where it has already proved 

 to be of great assistance in the task of 

 identifying new material. Thanks are due 

 to the following zoologists for the identifi- 

 cation of the 1903 material : Professor C. C. 

 Nutting (hydrozoa). Dr. W. R. Coe 

 (nemerteans), Dr. J. P. Moore (annelids). 

 Professor H. L. Clark (echinoderms) , Dr. 

 S. J. Holmes (amphipods), Dr. A. E. Ort- 

 mann (schizopods). Dr. Harriet Richard- 

 son (isopods), Dr. B. W. Evermann 

 (fishes) ; and to the staff of the U. S. 

 National Museum, for the determination of 

 the molluscs and of several groups of 

 Crustacea. The task of identifying the 

 tunicates has been undertaken by Professor 

 W. E. Ritter, the barnacles by Professor 

 M. A. Bigelow, and the bryozoa by Miss 

 Alice Robertson. Thus far it has not been 

 found possible to make any satisfactory 

 disposition of the sponges. 



As usual much general collecting was 

 carried on by Mr. Vinal Edwards and 

 others, the material thus obtained being 

 turned over to investigators at the labora- 

 tory or preserved for future determina- 

 tion. Mr. Edwards kept his customary 

 records of the fishes taken by trap or by 

 seine. 



During the present winter the task of 

 compiling the results of the past two sum- 

 mers' dredging has been undertaken. The 

 first step in this work consists in tabulating 

 the distribution of each species by stations, 

 and in plotting out these distribution areas 

 upon suitable charts. By authorization of 

 the commissioner, Mr. Chas. V. Morrill, of 

 Columbia University, has been engaged to 

 carry out this work, and a map will shortly 

 be printed depicting the coast line of Vine- 

 yard Sound and Buzzards Bay, together 

 with the dredging stations established 

 therein, but lacking other details. It is 

 intended that the distribution of each of 

 the more important species shall be plotted 

 upon a separate copy of this map. 



Another chart, representing on a minute 

 scale the topography of a small group of 

 partially submerged rocks in Woods Har- 

 bor was constructed by Mr. F. W. Cushwa, 

 under the direction of Dr. Davis. Printed 

 copies of this chart will be employed for 

 portraying annual and seasonal fluctua- 

 tions in the distribution of various forms 

 of marine life, particularly alg«. 



III. CARD CATALOGUE RECORD OP LOCAL 

 FAUNA AND FLORA. 



Work upon this record has likewise been 

 continued actively. During the spring of 

 1904 the notes hitherto abstracted from 

 various sources were transferred in type- 

 writing to catalogue cards, according to 

 the system already described.* In all, 

 1,146 species were thus recorded, and up- 

 wards of 5,000 cards employed. The cata- 



*• Science, February 12. 1004. 



