14 
PACIFIC SCIENCE, Vol. XIV, January I960 
January, transports water as far north as the 48th 
parallel (Sverdrup, Johnson, and Fleming, 1942: 
454, 502, and 726 for maps). In spite of some 
occasional nearshore reversal of currents, due 
to various meteorological conditions, the domi- 
nant flow of the California Current during the 
xanthid larval season is to the south. This would 
mean that any xanthid larva entering such a sys- 
tem during its five-week developmental period 
would be swept southward and metamorphose 
50 to 100 miles from where it hatched. Para- 
xanthias taylori and Cycloxanthops novemden- 
tatus at Monterey, California, would thus pro- 
duce larvae settling at Point Conception, Cali- 
fornia, and those larvae from Point Conception 
would settle at Palos Verdes, California, and so 
on. Obviously this is not the case, for ( 1 ) there 
is no point of larval supply for Monterey, and 
(2) at 3- to 4-year intervals the distribution of 
these species would recede 50 miles or more 
southward. There must, then, be a current sys- 
tem or some other factor peculiar to the near- 
shore waters which maintains larvae spawned in 
a local area until they finish their cycle. 
To see if such a factor exists, a series of simple 
float studies was employed in the first bay south 
of Resort Point, Palos Verdes Hills, California. 
Experiment 1. Drift bottles were set out 3 
hours before low tide and 3 hours after low tide 
on November 11, 1955. The bottles used were 
small, eighth-pint bottles, with colored markers 
inside. They were launched by means of a leather 
thong slingshot. Two observers plotted their drift 
pattern from the cliff top from 9:30 a.m. to 
5:30 p.m. Though all of the markers remained 
in the bay, some of those placed closer to the 
point entered an eddy system in the mouth of 
the bay, while others moved towards the head 
of the bay and there entered a smaller eddy 
system, but none were washed to shore or out 
to sea. 
Experiment 2. In May 1956, forty "drift 
arrows” were set out. The arrows consisted of 
36-inch, weighted, wooden shafts with small 
cloth flags at the top. These were shot from the 
cliff into the bay with a hunting bow, and their 
drift recorded. These were not very satisfactory 
in that they were hard to see at distances greater 
than 200 yards. Most of the arrows in the bay 
were carried beyond Resort Point, and then 
southward, out of sight within 20 minutes. A 
few arrows came into the breaker zone and 
were washed ashore. 
Experiment 3. On July 10, 1956, thirty drift 
cards were released at 6:00 a.m., one hour after 
low tide. In this case, the cards were placed just 
beyond the breaker zone and all floated out to 
sea and out of sight. Four of these cards were 
found that same afternoon by swimmers within 
a one-half mile radius of the bay. A fifth, and 
more significant card, was found 12 days later 
still adrift just off shore in the next bay south. 
Experiment 4. On July 18, 1956, forty-five 
drift cards were set out at 10:00, 11:00, 12:00 
and 1:00 o’clock but in each case were swept 
ashore, regardless of their launching point. On 
the first three attempts half of the cards were set 
in the middle of the bay and half at the mouth 
(by swimming out with them). Within 40 
minutes after launching they were in the surf 
zone along the south side of the bay where they 
were gathered up. On the last attempt the writer 
placed the cards about 200 yards out beyond 
Resort Point opposite the mouth of the bay. 
These also drifted in towards shore where some 
were picked up by swimmers and returned. 
Experiment 5. Thirty drift cards were set out 
in the bay at 12:00 noon, September 1, 1956. 
These drifted out of sight within 30 minutes 
after being released. Four of these cards drifted 
back into the bay late in the afternoon, and were 
picked up by swimmers. One more was found in 
the water within the bay, 8 days later. Another 
card was found on El Morro Beach 16 days later, 
and still one more was returned from Carlsbad 
Beach 19 days later. 
Experiment 6. Thirty drift cards were re- 
leased in the mouth of the bay at 1:40 p.m., 
September 1, 1956. These cards drifted into the 
beach and were collected there. 
A great deal of additional work is needed be- 
fore any conclusions can be reached as to the 
current patterns near Resort Point. The results 
obtained were of three types: (1) floats re- 
mained in a continuous eddy system; (2) floats 
left the bay but returned at a later time; and 
( 3 ) floats drifted directly into the bay. It is in- 
teresting to note that a float was recovered in 
the water in the bay almost 2 weeks after being 
released. Others which had floated from the bay 
