19 
operations of the United States Fish Commission at Meredosia, 
fifty miles below, were likewise points in favor of thislocation. The 
summer’s experience there has satisfied me that no mistake was 
made in this respect, but that, on the contrary, the vast abund- 
ance and great variety of plant and animal life in the river at 
that point, and especially in the bottom-land lakes connected 
with the stream in all stages of water and completely submerged 
by it in times of overflow, make this locality one of the very best 
possible for my purposes. 
The work was provided for this year in three well-placed 
rooms in the town itself and in a ‘‘cabin boat” on the Illinois 
River, both furnished from the laboratories and libraries of the 
University and the State Laboratory of Natural History with 
everything necessary to first-class work in the collection, pres- 
ervation, preparation, and systematic study of our material, to- 
gether with some special pieces of apparatus and other appli- 
ances manufactured to our order for this work. 
The office and laboratory rooms were supplied with running 
water and electric light, and liberally provided with the usual 
equipment of a biological laboratory, consisting of compound 
and dissecting microscopes (Reichert and Zeiss), microtomes, 
biological reagents to the number of one hundred bottles, water 
and paraffine baths, laboratory glassware, tanks for alcohol, a 
coal stove, a kerosene stove, laboratory tables for five assistants, 
and a working library of about one hundred and twenty volumes.. 
The cabin boat was used as a field headquarters, and sta- 
tioned on Quiver Lake, two and a half miles above the town. 
It carried the seines, sounding lines, aérial and aquatic ther- 
mometers, dredges, surface nets, Birge nets, insect nets, plank- 
ton apparatus, and other collecting equipment, together with 
microscopes (Zeiss and Bausch & Lomb), reagents, a small 
working library, a large number of special breeding cages for 
rearing aquatic insects, and a fewsmall aquaria. This boat was 
provided with sleeping accommodations for four men, and with 
a well-furnished kitchen. 
| I have myself exercised a general supervision over the Sta- 
tion work, planning and following its operations as closely as _ 
my other responsibilities would permit. Mr. Frank Smith, 
University Instructor in Zoédlogy and Zodlogical Assistant of 
the State Laboratory, has beenin immediate charge of the Station 
