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THE AMERICAN NATURALIST [Vol. XLV1I 



that the bottom fauna reproduces its own mass each year, and 

 consumes its own weight of food several times during the same 

 period. Of course these estimates are provisional. 



A very interesting and unique feature of this report is the 

 series of four large diagrams which show the relative density 

 of the population of the sea bottom. Each diagram represents 

 one fourth of a square meter and its population. The drawings 

 are natural size and show the average fauna. The suggestion is 

 made that such quantitative pictures of the sea bottom would be 

 suitable for museum exhibits, and progressive curators will no 

 doubt utilize this idea. 



This is a paper of more than usual interest, and one which 

 will appeal to a variety of students. The general physiologist 

 will be particularly interested in it for its bearing on the problem 

 of the metabolism of the sea, the ecologist for the mutual food 

 relations of the plants and animals, the economist and fish cul- 

 turalist for its bearing on the problem of increasing the economic 

 productivity of the sea, and the paleontologist, the geographer 

 and the oceanographer each in turn will find much of interest. 



Chas. C. Adams 



