Page:Popular Science Monthly Volume 66.djvu/576

572 Indies. Notes on birds seen during July and August have been published by Mr. Harold Bowditch (Amer. Nat., Vol. 38). Professor Coe, of Yale University, has published an important paper on one of the very interesting land nemerteans: ‘The Anatomy and Development of the Terrestrial Nemertean (Geonemertes agricola) of Bermuda’ (Proc. Post. Soc. Nat. Hist., Vol. 31).

Among the other subjects for which material was collected, or upon which investigations were carried on, are the following: The internal parasites of fishes, fossil vertebrates, new marine fishes, shoal-water deposits, land mollusks, insects, myriapods, annelids, land planarians, bryozoans, acalephs and hydroids, foraminifera, diatomaceous earth, marine plants, and the conditions of swamp formation.

During the past summer we had the use of the steam launch Flora, owned by Mr. Henry H. Barton, of this city. This launch was larger (about 45 feet over all) and in many ways better than the Minnow. This year we were fortunate enough to find at several localities a near relative of Amphioxus—the interesting Asymmetron, which was discovered several years ago at the Bahamas by Professor Andrews, of Johns Hopkins University. This was first recognized at Bermuda by Mr. Louis Mowbray, of St. George's, who was a member of the station party. It is an interesting fact that, so far as our search extended, Amphioxus and Asymmetron do not inhabit the same sand banks. The Bermuda Asymmetron is much smaller than Amphioxus and much more expeditious in burrowing into the sand. Amphioxus is remarkably quick in its movements, but Asymmetron is quicker. The habits of these two primitive vertebrates, as well as the finer anatomy of their nervous systems and the anatomy and physiology of other organs, were studied by members of the party this year, and will form the basis of special papers to be published later.

In conclusion, I wish to state that the Bermuda government has decided to erect a permanent Aquarium and Biological Station at the Flatts, in accordance with the plans that I have already referred to, and has voted a sum of money (about $20,000) for the undertaking, and a smaller annual sum ($2,000) for its maintenance. It is expected that when the buildings are completed arrangements will be made to have the station open for research throughout the year.