The Portland daily press., 1898-05-13
BIOLOGICAL GARDEN.
Columbia College to Send an Expedition
to Africa to Secure Some Remarkable
Fishes.

The Department of Zoology of Column
bia University has. through a large gilt
from Mr.. Charles II. Seuff, been enabled
to send five months expedition to the
west coast of Africa in search of the vari-
Gus stages in development of several very
remarkable fishes to be found only in the
neighbothood of the Calibar coast.
DIR. NJ. r. Harrington. fellow in zoolo-
gy, and DR.. G. F. Hunt, instructor in
physiology at the Medical School, who
will make the trip, have already started
for London. There they will visit sever.
al of the authorities who are connected
with the British Museum and the Royal
College of Science, in order to obtain
further information as to the exact To-
calities which appear most favorable for
the successful prosecution of their task.
They start today from London en- route
to Africa, probably stopping at several
points on the coast Of Guinea. 1t is ex.
pected that local collectors at these
places will be able to furnish this expedi-
tion with information as to the best
methods of procedure. The ultimate des-
tination will be in district Of old Cali
bar, known as the "Kamerawns, about
twenty miles from the coast.
This expedition is one OF the greatest
Importance to biologists in all parts Of
the world, for the particular forms of fish
which Drs. Harrington and Hunt expect
to find are obtained in this region only,
and are now generally looked upon as
representing most closely of all aquatic
animals the species from which all land
living gforms--salamanders and reptiles
have been derived, The expedition hopes
that many of the fundamental problems
in invetebrate aniamls in comparative
anatomy may be solved by the informa-
tion acquired.
The greatest problems that the expedi-
Jion hopes to solve are the questions as to
the mode of origin of the paired-limbs of
the land-living forms, the relation of the
serum bladder to the lungs, the primitive
arrangements In brain structure, the
mode of origin Of the ribs, the relation of
the ganoid and Dippoam fishes to the
older and more primitive sharks. and the
relation of the ganoids to all other forms
OF fishes.
The particular specimens that will be
searched for are polyterus calamoichthys,
the only survivors of race of fishes pre-
dominant in the sandstone age. The cal
amoichthys is known only in this region,
but polypterus has been found, though
sparingly, in other parts of Africa.
These types are looked upon as of the
greatest interest. and one of the highest
prizes which our present state of knowl-
edge can afford.
Several prominent biologists have al
ready attempted to obtain polyterus
Prof. Bashford Deane paid a visit to
Egypt inlS92, searching for this form in
the region of the Cataracts. but found
that it could not be abundantly obtained
below the White Nile. u region which, at
that time, was inaccessible on account of
the Mahdi rebellion.
Another fish which Drs. Harrington
and Hunt hope to obtain in this favor
able locality is the African mudfish. one
of the three extant forms of lung fishes.
This is q group of great historic interest.
as the other two forms have been found
only in Australia and South America re-
spectively.
Mr.. Sen1f. who by his generosity made
this expedition possible. has already given
the department. of zoology large library
in memory of his nephew, DR.. J. S.
Northrop, late of the staff of the depart
ment.