New-York tribune., 1905-06-11

These corporators and number OF other
friends Of the college. including ]. Pierpont
Morgan, have guaranteed the expenses of carry
ing on a permanent expedition. A schooner OF
100 OF 80 tons will be purchased for the home
of the laboratory. 1t will be fitted next winter
for its new duties and will be equipped with all
the necessary instruments. Accommodations
will be provided for the crew and for ten
dozen passengers who will include the professor
in charge, artist to make drawings of fish
and flora found, and the BEST Of the students of
marine biology from the college, with perhaps
one or two from other colleges
The first trip is planned for the summer Of
1906. The start will be made either from Es-
sex. near the mouth of the Connecticut, where
the schooner will be fitted, or from New-Yorh
Harbor. The destination will be the Bahama
Islands. where Professor Edwards has already
spent much time Investigating from station
on shore. Conditions there favorable for
abundant marine fauna. The Gulf Stream. de-
bouching between Florida and Cuba, brings
with it myriads of creatures picked up in the
Gulf The stream encompasses the Bahamas,
ana the water is wonderfully transparent and
white. Although the islands semi-tropical,
the summer climate is pleasant. since the trade
winds always blow. The islanders simple
hearted and picturesque. the biological in
Vestigators will find mixture of pleasure and
science.
The vesse. upon its arrival there will cast
anchor in some quiet harbor and remain sta
toned month six weeks Upon the COM
pletion of the Investigations there the vessel
would sail to another point and continue them
there. AS fall approaches it is planned for
the first season to sail gradually north, stop
ping at harbors about one hundred miles apart
to obtain material for comparative observa-
tons. Such an expedition. says Professor Ed
wards, would be invaluable TO scientists. MAX
ing a quantitative study of variation in species
of wide range.
In entering new waters each summer large
collections Will be made for research and class
a dana rtrY1an will LIo
individuals and institutions to obtain materials
preserved as desired. The usefulness of the lab
oratory to science will in this manner be widely
extended. Among the instruments with which
the schooner will be equipped will be Tanner
sounding machine, Sigsbee detacher with
cylinder or rod. winding engine and reel, ther-
mometers, tangles, travis, tow nets and differ
ent articles for littoral work.
The usual method of studying marine biology
is by constructing stations on the coast Prom
inent among these the stations at Woods
Hole Mass; Cold Spring Harbor Long Island:
Beaufort, n. c.: the Tortugas and Pacific Grove
Cal But it is vessels that the most favor
forded. Among the famous deep sea expeditions
were those on the Blake the Albatross, the
Beagle. the Challenger and the Vladivia
The records of discoveries made by scientists
on these vessels fill volumes. and among the
most important gifts to the advance of science
and are the most interesting for the study of
problems of descent, heredity and reproduction
The ocean both provides a wider range of varied
forms and furnishes them in a smaller area
than the land or fresh water. The ocean is gen.
orally believed to have been the original home
great advance in the study of biology has been
in the line of marine investigation.