THE AMERICAN NATURALIST 



[Vol. XLII 



experts for revision of nomenclature and other points. 

 It is hoped that the entire report may be completed in 

 the rough before the expiration of the coming summer. 



As usual, a fish trap was maintained in Buzzards Bay, 

 at a point not far distant; and the customary seining trips 

 were made for the supply of laboratory needs, as well as 

 to furnish data regarding the occurrence of species. As 

 a fact of especial interest in relation to the local fauna 

 may be mentioned the entire lack, during the past season, 

 of the gulf-weed, and the accompanying stragglers from 

 tropical waters, which frequently form such a striking 

 feature of the marine life during the latter part of the 

 summer. 



2. Studies of Marine Foods.— Investigations have for 

 several years been in progress, directed toward the utili- 

 zation of certain marine organisms of apparently high 

 food value, which have, notwithstanding, been hitherto 

 neglected by our population. The " smooth" dogfish, the 

 squid, 2 and the salt-water mussel have thus far received 

 most attention at this laboratory. An arrangement was 

 entered into with the "mess" of the Marine Biological 

 Laboratory, whereby certain foods were prepared accord- 

 ing to definite directions and served at certain of the 

 dining tables. It was thus possible to obtain the opinions 

 of a considerable number of persons as to the palatability 

 of the articles in question. As already stated, a steam 

 drying apparatus has been installed at this station as an 

 important auxiliary to these experiments. Messrs. L A. 

 Field and C. L. Alsberg are engaged upon both the eco- 

 nomic and the scientific aspects of this problem. Pro- 

 fessor Field has already reported 3 upon certain features 

 in the bionomics of the dogfish and some other unutilized 

 fishes, but much work remains to be done, on both the 

 industrial and the chemical phases of the subject. 



2 It is here worth mentioning that two representatives of a Japanese 

 produce establishment spent the summer on Cape Cod, taking steps toward 

 the establishment of a plant for the drying of squid for exportation to 



3 Bureau of Fisheries Document Xo. 622, issued 1907. 



