The Chickasha daily express. (Chickasha, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1899-current, 1907-09-26
.Z1Ey Ez-A7zS, REPMInA. R7lpQQrD cWEz roe
RE2zNlNlgl9z7 -61lZOGz14Z, dz4zzQW.

For ii years the work Of studying
and collecting specimens Of the rare
varieties Of fish in the Bermuda
wa ers has been carried on BY zoolo
gists Of the United States, and now
1T is proposed to establish a perma
lnent station to carry on this work so
that within few years every city Of
considerable size in this country
should be able to have an aquarium
wellstocked with rare specimens Of
fish life for the entertainment and ed.
iication Of the many who would visit
such a place, In fact such permanent
station would in time prove as vala
able to America as the famous
Naples station in the Mediterranean
is for Europe According to the plans
now under way the station will be es
tahlished at the Flats. at the juno
tion Of the Harrington reefs, where
the fish abound. and Castle Harhor
which affords a remarkably fine col
lectng ground Contributions for the
station have been made BY several
Americans The colonial government
OF Bermuda is friendly toward the
project and the prospects for the sta.
tion seem very bright
The success OF the work thus far
during the II summers IN which tenn
porary stations have been maintained
has surpassed the expectations Of the
zoologiats who entered the field as an
experiment The scientific results
have been remarkable. in some re-
spects epochaI. The collections have
trebled the known number Of crusta
ceans, doubled The number Of echi-
noderms (the species including the
star fishes, sea urchins, etc) and
greatly increased the numbers In 9th
er lines Moreover. the work at the
station has given a great impetus to
similar biological work generally, as Is
evidenced by the fact that dur.
ing the last II years the number of
known forms Of marine animal life has
quadrupled.
Nor has the work been lacking IN
its practical side Of immediate inter
est to the layman. Since Prof. Charles
l. Bristol, Of New York university.
first began his collecting expeditions
to Bermuda In 1896 about II 1000 i've
fish, unknown IN American waters
have been brought from Bermuda
to enrich American aquariums. No.
table collections have been shipped to
the New York city aquarium, to the
Pan-Amerlcan exposition at Buffalo,
and the st. Louis exposition. 10 the
aquarium Of the United States fish
commission at Washington, and 10 the
Detroit aquarium.
The collections have included a
vide variety Of the gorgeously hued
fnry denizens Of the Bermuda waters.
ugly members OF the octopus family.
and great morays, some Of them aufi-
clently like the traditional sea serpent
to satisfy the most exacting seaside
hotel keeper.
Incidentally, Prof. Bristol has per
fected the methods Of shipping the
live tropical fish, which. on journeys
to the north. are extremely delicate
freight. Before Prof. Bristol began
making bis expeditions. the losses In
shipping fresh FISH alive from Ber-
muda northward we're 80 great as to
make such shipments practically pro
hibitive. Only two unsuccessful at.
tempts were made to bring the fish
north, and they we're never repeated.
When the nsh were carried beyond
the northern edge OF the gulf stream
into the cold coast waters. they died
in great numbers. In the first expe
dltions OF Prof Bristofs party. the
losses were cut down 10 u Or 10 per
cent Nov large conaisnments Of iish
arc shipped north with en average
loss Of only three per cent OF 800
fish shipped 10 St. Louis and trans
ferred in tank cars from New York
only slx died. Last year. SEQ were
shipped 70 Detroit from Bermuda
with loss Of ten These records are
remarkable when Il Is considered that
the United States fish commission in
shipping live FISH, rs satisfied to de
liver lwo-thirds OF them alive.
New York university began It's ex
pedltlons 10 Bermuda under the sug
geston OF Prof John j. Stevenson
who perceived while visiting there n
1896, the great facilities for biological
Investigations. Prof. Stevenson inter
esled alumni OF the university IN the
project and generously contributed
himself IN order to make the first ex
pediton. IN 1887. poss ble Prof BrIs
tol managed the expedition and 8
small party Of students accompanied
Sim.
TIE FIRST expedition was q thorough
success and served To develop lha pos
alhI5lttea fof arlanfiNn study IS Par