The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1901-11-13

Dean of the department of zoology in
Columbia University has returned from
stay of fifteen months in the Far East,
where he has spent his vacation, on
leave from the university, engaged in re-
search work IN zoology. He has succeed
ed in securing some wonderful speci-
mems of rare fish and animal life, as
well as other important relics of the civ
-.zation of Japan and the Philippines.
these specimens fill a large number of
cases and will be distributed between the
American Museum OF Natural History.
the Smithsonian institution. and the Mu-
, scum OF Columbia University.
Prof. Dean secured living specimens. in
the deep waters off the port OF Toxic.
: japan. of fish called the Port Jackson
shark, a form OF great interest to zoolo-
gists because of its being the only living
survivor OF a great group of sharks of
the corbaniferous and devonIan periods
in geological history. These sharks were
captured at very great depths of water.
Fossils of them are considered rare in
museums. and it is only in these very
deep waters off the coast or Japan that
| they can be secured in a living condition.
Efforts have in past years been made to
secure similar specimens off Santa Cata-
lima. Cal, but the fishermen there are
not equipped with the apparatus for sue
cessful deep-water fishing. Prof. Mitsu-
kuri, the leading zoologist OF Japan. in
formed Prof. Dean OF the existence of
these sharks in Japanese waters. and the
-.
sors visit was TO secure specimens of
them.
DIT. Dean also obtained many embryos
of the eel-shaped friIled shark. This is
regarded by science as the most primi-
tive form of a skeleton-bearing verte-
brate animal. a representative of the
first steps in the evolution OF living be-
ings. These eggs are regarded by Prof.
Dean as being Of particular value, In
that an embryo often shows geological
relationships which are not displayed in
the living form Through his inyestiga-
lions DIT. Dean discovered many pre-
viously unknown species OF animal life,
and has secured material which it is
said Will lead to complete revision Of
the species of a number of genera.
Prof. Dean during his stay In Japan
was guest of the University of Toxic,
and spent a large part Of that time at
the university's seaside laboratory at
-nlSdhl, near the AuOuiIl VI blit DdS VI
Toxic.
Scientific investigation at this place"
said Mr. Dean, must all be carried on
through the assistance of the fishermen.
There is a fishing village of some five
thousand people, by whom the fish mar
kets of Toxic are supplied. These are
very dangerous waters, and the people
are noted for their daring. Many OF the
people are very skillful divers. They will
dive without any protection whatever,
into depths of several fathoms, remain
ing below sometimes nearly two minutes,
and bringing up specimens of fish ami
NAL or plant life which may be wished.
THE fishing itself is done in a unique
manner. A line of strong hemp is let
down from a boat and anchored on the
bottom. Attached TO this anchor is
line of any desired length. This line
stretches along the bottom of the sea,
and at the opposite end is anchored
again This line on the bottom of the
sea contains hooks baited with fish at
intervals of about a yard. The fisher
man anchors his line at one end, then
goes to the other, anchors it; then re-
turns to the original starting point and
begins pulling the line up. The depths
at which this work are done is from half
a mile to three-quarters of a mile.
Not only are rare and remarkable fish
caught by these lines. but often deep
water animals, rare spOnges, sea lilies,
and other valuable specimens become ac-
caught, either by the hooks
themselves or through the struggles of
the fish TO escape the line viii be wound
around some specimen. This deep-water
of Misaki contains such extremely inter-
esting forms as glass sponges. sea lilies,
the curious lamp shells, and the giant
crab"
Specimens OF all OF these were obtain
ed by Prof. Dean. The arms of the giant
ah 70. ns.l Of nT1n Of tha 70
markable Of these deep-sea forms of life,
sometimes have the extraordinary spread
of thirteen feet specimen of one of
the largest OF these has been presented
by Prof. Dean to the American Museum
of Natural History.
China and the Philippine Islands. and
while in the latter region visited the ISL
and of Negros IN the Southern Philip
pines. Here ne obtained a collection
which is to be divided between the
Institution and Columbia
In the latter ueighborhood
the remarkable pearl nautilus can De OBJ
tanned. and he was able to study the liv-
ing specimens.
Or. Dean secured a number OF speci-
mems of the living pearly nautilus. These
are Of priceless value to the naturalist.
the fossils Of these denizens of the sea
being themselves rare and much sought
by museums.
on his return trip DIT. Dean visited the
Hawaiian Islands and examined the vol
cauo Of Kilauea in Hawaii.
DR.. Dean speaks enthusiastically of the
way in which the Americans have sue
-eeied in the Philippines. and he believes
II 10 he certain that the occupation OF
the islands will be Of great value to the
United States. lie says that one can
hardly realize the richness OF the coun-
try economically unless he has visited It.
That il has been 50 profitable under the |
regime Of the Spanish appears a sure |
est of its great intrinsic richness. The |
sugar industry OF the Southern Philip |
,.ucs 10 take but n single instance has |
,een vastly profitable even under the I'M /
favorable methods OF cultivation which |
nave hitherto been adopted. Thus in Ne
.ros where proprietor after proprietor
las returned to Spain with a fortune, |
he land IS cultivated by oxen instead OF |
y steam, the planting and cutting IS