^ a 
#32-63 
#33-63 
VII February 6, J, 1963 
Melchior Islands area,., principally with reference to the Argentine Sta¬ 
tion located here on Lambda, Island. 
There was a great deal of snow about and between some of the buildings 
most of the other islands round-about and this one off the station area are 
heavily ice-capped. Not much chance to set up "business" here or the urge 
to do so after seeing this site. 
No shore collecting done, no real opportunity for it while here; few 
birds about, some Dominican gulls, Wilson's storm petrels, and a giant 
petrel (brown phase.) 
Our dredge, hauled over a, mud and sand bottom at 25 fms., brought us 
the first sponge of any appreciable size so far, a compact, siliceous one 
about 8 or 9 inches in diameter; also worms; a starfish; a, number of sea- 
urchins; an alcyonarian; a, bright yellow sea-slug; half a, dozen sea- 
squirts; and a, number of tiny red amphipods that either lived on that 
siliceous sponge's rough surface or in its canals. 
From the fish traps, after an overnight soak in J-H fms., 22 fish 
ranging from 11 to ib-^ inches were found, together with 2 starfish, and a 
"crop" of the omnipresent Amphipods. Four other fish were taken over 
the ship's side on hand lines. On the anchor, as it was hoisted, were two 
bright yellow, prickly (soft-spined) ascidians like the bright yellow sea 
slug in color, also the first of their kind seen on this trip. Is there 
any reason for this identical color in two widely different forms of ani- 
mai life - from the same general zrea,, and at that not so far apart? 
Lambda was the only island visited during the short time spent in 
