23 
apparatus by pushing the ring of one net inside that of another, 
the longest and finest bag being, of course, at the bottom, and 
the shortest and coarsest at the top, of the set. In the long- 
shore work we used hand nets of various sorts, the cone dredge 
of Professor Birge (commonly called the ‘“‘Birge net” by us), 
sieves, forceps, and fingers, and occasionally a small minnow 
seine. 
Everything collected was bottied and labeled after such 
methodical preparation as the case required, with the exception 
of the common and constant sorts, like the more abundant mol- 
lusks and insect larve. Concerning these, full notes of abund- 
ance, etc., were kept for each station at each visit. 
Besides these regular collecting operations, the water tem- 
peratures were taken daily, a great variety of notes were made 
on relative numbers, habitat, habits, life histories, food, and 
behavior of aquatic and subaquatic animals of every description; 
special collections of fishes and other forms were accumulated 
for a study of the food of the species under varying conditions; 
aquarium and breeding-cage operations were carried on, espe- 
cially with aquatic insects and insect larve, for a study of life 
histories and the determination of immature stages hitherto 
undescribed; and critical and final microscopic studies of perish- 
able forms (chiefly protozoans and rotifers ) were carried forward. 
The force engaged, worked from the beginning of April to 
October 1, under unusually difficult circumstances, with perfect 
fidelity and great intelligence, and with tireless energy and en- 
thusiasm. At the latter date the cabin boat was brought in, 
and all the Station party returned to Champaign except Mr. 
Hart, who remained two weeks longer. Most of the equipment 
‘Temains at Havana in the laboratory rooms, and regular trips 
will be made to the Station during the fall and winter, at inter- 
vals of about three weeks, with parties large enough to work 
every station thoroughly by all the methods above described. 
It is our intention to ship a large part of these winter collections 
alive to the University for study on our return from these brief 
trips. 
The results of this first season’s work are, of course, but just 
beginning to appear. Indeed, the problems to be solved in 
Such situations have scarcely more than dimly shown themselves 
as yet, but the promise is nevertheless already very interesting. 
