The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1898-04-10

Aof ass ossesopmeni study Of the CHM
aesofd nydfosasus frat-h-h1. which was
known TO be abundant i'm Puget sound
TIE second. more important, but more diff
ncaif, was 10 secure the eggs and young
OF the myxfnod bdassostouaa. a form re-
ported abundant I'm the bays Of the Pa
CHE states To n student OF the lower YER
tsorafes there could certainty be found no
subjects more important than these.
Ihsuasra. according 70 Smith Woodward
snd others represents Ia its few living
types group which mus be given rank
as sub-classs. and as compar lively little
- known Of It's pnyfogsny and ksnxhips
from anatomical and paiaeou tologicaI
study knowledge OF us ennryoiogy BE-
comes or the utmost value. OF the deye.-
epmsns OF chimasra nothing has been de-
fermsned from the Atlantic and Medstsr-
ranean forms on account OF their relative
rareness-sndeel. even ths empty egg
cases. like specimens OF aepidcsirea, have
been included among the greatest rarisles
81 European museums- On the Pacific
roast, however. the conditions for the
study OF ts enbryoIogy seemed certainly
far more favorable.
The chances OF obtaining any material
for the study OF the Development OF a
myxfrold seemed. unfortunately. far less
probable. This form. standing next To
anplsioxus at the base OF the vertebrate
series, certainly promises to furnish the
most important evidence as to the mode OF
origin Of many vertebrate structures IL
not Indeed as 10 the ancestral conditions
or vsriebrates themselves So desirable
seemed q degsiopmeufai knowledge Of
mSxfnosd that many European emnrynlo-
Rasts during the past quarter o. a century
have enGeasored to secure Its younger
stages tmsxinet at various points of the
North sea. On the Californian coast as
many az five investigators have at differ
tad ~ ut. r..
hdellostoms). Il was not until fsss-fss5
thar The embryo az a myxtnoia was first
secured: Its dfseoverer. Prof. F. C., Price
Of the Leland Stanford. Jr university.
then succeeded In obtaining three stages.
although these proved ito be but the later
ones
When. therefore, DIR. Dean found that
the neighborhood of Port Townsend was
bot favorable for the study Of either
ehmasra or bdeliostoma. he finally de-
termined To leave the laboratory and
journey further 10 the southwark CHM
AGRA is. indeed. not uncommon In Puget
sound; II IL. in fact. very abundant, but
there were no fishermen who could be de-
pended upon 10 provide Il in quantity
and II was desired 10 secure the eggs while
stiii within The fish and 70 hatch them I'm
heating eases To obtain the eggs al
ready deposited by means OF dredging
seemed at first by no means impossible
fer the egg capsules were dredged In
numbers las many In fact as eighty I'm a
single day.. but In no instance was an
embryo 10 be found. In spite OF continued
efforts. As far as bdeilostoma WAS con-
cerped. IL vas soon found absolutely inn
possible 10 attempt 10 secure this form In
Puget sound
Accordingly. al the end Of three weeks
of field work at Port Townsend, DR. Dean
left the party and proceeded TO the
neighborhood OF Monterey. Cal. and here
at Pacific Grove he continued his studies
for upward Of eleven weeks. lie had been
kindly Invited hy President Jordan OF
the Stanford university, 10 occupy a
room al the Hopkins marin. laboratory.
and had gratefully accepted his invita-
ton. Once al Monterey ne soon was able
10 determine that the conditions were
well suited 10 his undertaking BY means
az the fishermen of the neighboring CHI
ness village he was enabled To take part
in daily fishing trips off tha Coast and
to SECURE by means OF his own ard tire re-
naming boats numbers OF ch!maera. 40
that IN the course OF his stay he had tho
opportunity OF examining over three hum
dred. Of these fish. thirty of the females
proved 10 ee with eggs. and among them
were obtained the earliest stages Of de-
+ veibument. For the latter stages the
esgs were retained In a case sunken in
about thrr. fathoms OF water irnsneala,e.
Iv of the beach Of the laboratory and
from, these several more stages were later
taken. I'll fortune. however, overlook
some or the eggs which had lncubat,.ti
the longest. storm causing the hatch.
ing .fsSe IN te swept away And sfin an
other stFate Of Ill fortune was th. Eoss
10 spite OF additional precautions. Of a
second caSe Of eggs. which DR. Dean had
lsft In charge OF tire fisherman. An Tack
fsse. But still. a third one ia now stocked
with eggs. and from IL ne hopes ,hnt
many Of the later stages will bo OBJ.
tasaed.
As far az che securing OF en,hrvos Of
hdellesso fna was concerned the chances
seemed fer s long time adverse. For I'M
ward Of eight weeks OF his stay DIR Dasn
did act succeed IN Obtaining even 4 sim
cle embryo. Several times strings Of ssvs
had beon brought him nv the fishermen
and be had collected them himself h,.
IN every case they proved 10 be worth.
less TIE eggs. II was found could enlv
he iakee by accident I'm the fe.iowing
way. The mature myxsnosi having
taken hook az the trawl line. secretes
an enormous quantity ~ thick and v.srId
slime. ard II by chance during this pro-
cess i's writhing. body comes In cos.tart
with 4 string Of eggs these may become
ssssismea. and thus together with the
fer. be- brought TO the surface. Such an
accident. Il nay readily As unders cod.
Is decidedly uncommon. and The capture
OF A bunch Of eggs means the catching
oF ss,oTss % even hundreds OF rnvxlnoiss.
~ coed fortune, however, thn first en-
hFEo MAS al last taken by All Tack and
thanks 20 this skiiifui fisherman the
particular sHe& Mas located from which
thts Bad h@en taken. Here X WAS In
fefrsA = as possibly y tasefahte spawning
ground where Eggs were both numerous
HRH roDfa Bets embryaS arA therefore
FFefu tais siaoi Il @as very desirable to
take as many hfeeilosto~na as possible
NJ arrangement w2s accordingly made
~ @a3CA tts dozen or mare fishing boats
~ th' Chinese Village were impressed
tate geological seryics. This Attic feet
MAS then token "a the ground and dur
:nS tae Ftms ludae % nY Beans stay It's
eFcyfS tu Sgawl5nS Welded fhe hesf re-
>alsS. Over sevtM hundred eggs wsra
taken FOR Inspection. ard ~ sawse nx, sssS
than ase hssF@trea and fifty Proved 20
ceasats euArsos. as}d These mhen grays
s4refa}sy examined Welded AZ least twe,,-
Fx~tws weU marked sssvpgorfnanfal
stages
tsa.Eectfeas q as kinds ~ marine forms
acre made az zAe P0rt Townsend lab
orators. TIE Aatnors ~ ths~ first gsap,.
pact speak r. soiseRs - enc srossFs az
.es..r