10 
of the vegetation from the lakes and the river on the fishing 
grounds, so that the river is now practically free from vegeta- 
tion, as is also the main body of Quiver Lake and almost the 
whole of Thompson’s Lake, only a restricted area at the south- 
ern end retaining its former condition. 
In previous years the field headquarters of the Station have 
been on Quiver Lake, either at Foster’s Landing or at the Indian 
mounds. In the fall of 1896 the new laboratory boat was > 
brought down to town and was stationed at the public landing 
along the river front. This location has been retained during 
the last two years with the exception of a week in August, 1898, 
when the boat was moved up to the Twin Mounds during some 
continued work upon the plankton and gas analyses in the 
Illinois River near that point. The advantages of the location 
at town are the saving of the time required for transit to and 
from headquarters in the field and the expense of running the 
launch on these trips, and the ready access to the Station from 
living quarters at all times, while the distance from the collect- 
ing grounds is not greatly increased. Some disadvantages attend 
this location. The sheltered situation and the close proximity 
to the sand bluff increase the heat in the boat during the hot 
days in summer, and the nearness to the steamboat landing 
greatly increases the risk of damage to the boats and launch by 
the disturbance in the water caused by incoming and outgoing 
steamboats. Ropes and cavils are frequently broken, and boats 
are torn loose by the swells which follow in the wake of the 
larger steamers. On three separate occasions a steamboat in 
the hands of an old and experienced pilot collided with our 
flotilla, resulting in the crushing and sinking of the steam 
launch in one instance, and in the breakage of glassware aboard 
the laboratory boat at another time. With the considerable and 
now increasing number of river craft of all sorts seeking tem- 
porary or permanent anchorage on the river front, we have been 
gradually crowded to the least desirable location, where the 
shore is somewhat springy, and where at low water access to 
our boat is possible only by means of a dike of sand or a trestle- 
work of planking, owing to the soft mud which is rapidly filling 
in the river front at this point. At such times our location is 
neither inviting nor salubrious. The crowding of the boats and 
_ 
