732 



SCIENCE. 



[X. S. Vol. XXI. Xo. 541. 



THE FISHERIES LABORATORY AT BEAU- 

 FORT, SIXTH SEASOS. 



The Fisheries Laboratory at Beaufort, 

 N. C, was open to investigators for its 

 sixth season from June 10 to September 

 30, 1904. A few days prior to this time 

 two of the laboratory tables were occupied 

 and a few investigators continued their 

 work after the date of closing, but in these 

 cases the facilities of the laboratory only 

 were supplied, the dining hall, living rooms 

 and electric-light department not being 

 open outside the regular season. 



A furnished living room was assigned to 

 each investigator or assistant who desired 

 to live at the laboratory, for the use of 

 which a fee of twenty-five cents was 

 charged to cover the expense of laboratory 

 laundry. Table board was provided at the 

 cost of the materials used and the wages of 

 the waiters, the laboratory, as hitherto, 

 supplying the cook, an assistant, and the 

 kitchen and dining room equipment. The 

 price of board was fixed at .^5.50 per week, 

 but, as indicated above, this department 

 was run as a mess and at the end of the 

 season a rebate was paid to each member, 

 which reduced the actual cost of board to 

 about $4.80 per week. 



The entire laboratory was lighted with 

 electricity from dusk until eleven o'clock 

 P.M. and the work tables and aquaria in 

 the laboratory and aquarium hall were fur- 

 nished with a continuous supply of run- 

 ning water, both salt and fresh. The occu- 

 pant of each table was supplied with a 

 limited amount of glassware and the re- 

 agents in common use. The equipment for 

 collecting and general field work, which was 

 available to all, consisted of a steam launch, 

 a 33-foot sharpy, nine rowboats, a pound 

 net, a fyke net, seines, scrape nets, tow nets, 

 dredges, a trawl and implements for dig- 

 ging. With this equipment the entire har- 

 bor and the adjacent sounds were within 

 easy reach and, during calm weather, trips 



were made outside the inlet, where dredg- 

 ings and towings were frequently made. 

 This equipment "was in the charge of ]\Ir. 

 Charles Hatsel, one of the permanent em- 

 ployees of the laboratory. He is an excel- 

 lent collector and is thoroughly familiar 

 with the animals of the region and the 

 methods by which they may best be col- 

 lected. Those carrying on scientific work 

 consulted with him concerning the material 

 needed and he either directed how, when 

 and where the collecting should be done or, 

 if necessary, collected and brought the ma- 

 terial to the tables. 



The staff consisted of a director, cus- 

 todian, two laborers, five special assistants, 

 thirteen temporary assistants, an engineer 

 and two firemen in the power house, a 

 crew of three on the steam launch Petrel, 

 a janitor for the laboratory and living 

 roopis and a cook and an assistant in the 

 kitchen. In addition to these, eight in- 

 vestigators, representing various institu- 

 tions, occupied tables in the laboratory and 

 carried on work in various fields of inquiry. 

 The average length of the staj' of each was 

 seven weeks. 



The temporary assistants were assigned 

 for duty as follows: two were detailed to 

 assist Professors H. V. "Wilson and George 

 Lefevre with their work ; two were given 

 work in the office ; four had the care of the 

 laboratory and premises ; three, assisted by 

 one of the special assistants, did the seining 

 and fishing with the pound and fyke nets 

 for the laboratory and helped with the work 

 on the fishes when they were brought to the 

 laboratory ; one assistant kept a record of 

 the densities, temperatures and the general 

 climatic conditions as observed by him dur- 

 ing the season. Several of these men, when 

 not busy with their regular duties, helped 

 with cataloguing the books of the library. 



The additions which were made to the 

 equipment of the laboratory during the 

 summer consisted in a pound net. a fyke 



