June 9, 1905.] 



SCIENCE. 



897 



DISCUSSION AND CORRESPONDENCE. 



MARINE ZOOLOGY IN THE HAWAHAN ISLANDS. 



To THE Editor of Science : At a time when 

 zoologists are making their plans for summer 

 vacation work it seems opportune to direct 

 attention to the advantages offered even in 

 such a distant territory as the Hawaiian 

 Islands. During a visit to the islands last 

 year, under the auspices of the Carnegie Insti- 

 tution, for the purpose of studying the living 

 corals, I was afforded the privileges of the 

 public aquarium recently established near 

 Honolulu, and the directors of the institution 

 desire it to be known that they will be pre- 

 pared to accord a similar courtesy to other 

 zoologists visiting the islands for purposes of 

 research. 



The aquarium is a modest structure, erected 

 a little over a year ago, and is under the con- 

 trol of the Rapid Transit Company, though 

 the funds were largely provided by the gen- 

 erosity of different gentlemen interested in 

 the welfare of the islands. It is most ad- 

 vantageously situated at Waikiki Beach, a 

 suburb of Honolulu, and the adjacent coral 

 flats constitute most favorable collecting 

 ground. Though no special appliances beyond 

 exhibition and experimental tanks are avail- 

 able, yet the advantages of these and a con- 

 stant supply of sea-water appeal to any stu- 

 dent desirous of carrying out investigations 

 on living forms. Moreover, with a generosity 

 which is very praiseworthy, the directors are 

 prepared to make whatever reasonable adapta- 

 tions may be required. 



Our knowledge of the marine fauna of the 

 Hawaiian Islands is becoming rapidly extend- 

 ed, mainly through the reports on the collec- 

 tions made by the U. S. Fishery Bureau, 

 under the direction of President D. S. Jordan, 

 during the two successive seasons, 1901 and 

 1902. The large addition to the number of 

 species of fishes alone shows how very de- 

 sirable was such faunistic work, and other 

 groups are yielding a corresponding number 

 of new forms. The physical conditions of 

 the coral reefs have been studied in part by 

 Professor A. Agassiz. Though the luxuriance 

 of the life on the reefs does not equal that in 



the more distant Tahiti, Samoa, or the Philip- 

 pine Islands, yet there is suflBcient, particu- 

 larly in such places as Kaneohe Bay, to satisfy 

 the most ardent investigator. 



Por the student of terrestrial forms the 

 islands are particularly interesting on account 

 of the influence of introduced animals and 

 plants upon an indigenous fauna and flora. 

 Representatives from the east and from the 

 west, from temperate and from tropical re- 

 gions, here flourish, and against the pests a 

 strong corps of entomologists is engaged in 

 further introduction of possible remedial 

 forms. The fact that the land shells of the 

 islands served to supply the Kev. J. T. Gulick 

 with material for the theory of isolation adds 

 an interest to the evolutionary biologist. The 

 ethnology and various departments of natural 

 history are well cared for by Professor T. H. 

 Brigham, of the Bishop Museum, and his staff 

 of assistants. 



As a last word of attraction regarding the 

 situation of the aquarium one may quote from 

 the ' Report on Collections of Fishes made in 

 the Hawaiian Islands ' by Professor O. P. 

 Jenkins : 



Of all situations about the island of Oahu, the 

 submerged reef which extends from the entrance 

 of the harbor of Honolulu to some distance past 

 Waikiki furnishes the most prolific supply of 

 fishes, both as to number of species and amoimt 

 of the catch. This reef at low water is from a 

 few inches to a few feet under water and ex- 

 tends from one mile to two or three miles from 

 the shore, where the water abruptly reaches great 

 depths. Over the surface and along the bluff of 

 this reef may be found representatives of most of 

 the shore fauna of the Hawaiian Islands. This 

 reef, so favorably situated, so accessible, and so 

 rich in material, can not fail to be of increasing 

 interest to naturalists who may have the good 

 fortune to devote themselves to the study of its 

 wonderful life. 



J. E. Duerden. 



Rhodes University College, 

 Grahamstown, Cape Colony. 



the greene exploring expedition. 

 To THE Editor op Science: The W. C. 

 Greene Exploring Expedition consisting of 

 Robert T. Hill, John Seward, Frank H. 



