Cq

F

Figure 1. Abactinal (left) and actinal views of the mud star,Ctenod,scus crispatus (Retzius) from Hero Station 20. This is acommon subtidal species from the Davis Strait to the Gulf ofMaine. The reproductive biology of this sea star is currently

being investigated.

The qualitative zooplankton collections will be usedby Bernard J . McAlice to describe the latitudinal dis-tribution of species in the surface waters of the Lab-rador Sea. Morphometric data for copepod specieswill be analyzed to see whether geographic variationexists. The population structure (age and sex) of themore abundant copepod species will be determined.

Twenty-four phytoplankton samples were obtainedby utilizing the vessel's uncontaminated sea-watersystem at regular intervals between 49°N. and 67°N.These and samples from vertical tows will be analyzedto ascertain species and community distributions. It ishoped that such data can be correlated with the hy-drographic data. Preliminary examination of zoo-plankton and phytoplankton collections has revealed aprofound change in the species composition of theplankton between southern Labrador and the westernDavis Strait.

Figure 2. Modified Beyer epibenthic sled being hosed down aftersampling plankton about 0.5 m above the bottom at 245 m depth

east of Angijak Island (65'41'N. 62°05'W.).

Systematic or ecological reports on selected groupsof invertebrates are in preparation by Blake and Dean(polychaetes), Bullock (mollusks and brachiopods),Dearborn (echinoderms), and McAlice (phyto-plankton and zooplankton). Preliminary work hasshown that a number of species of polychactes andmollusks previously recorded only from west Green-land also occur off the coasts of Baffin Island andnorthern Labrador.

ReferencesHolme, N. A. 1964. Methods of sampling the benthos. Ad-

vances in Marine Biology, 2: 171-260.Muus, B. J. 1964. A new quantitative sampler for the meio-

benthos. Ophelia, 1: 209-216.

Participation in Antarctic ExpeditionsI. EUGENE WALLEN

Of/ice of Oceanography and LimnologySmithsonian Institution

Funds for field expenses from the National ScienceFoundation made it possible for four scientists fromthe Smithsonian Institution to work in the southerrChile—Antarctic Peninsula area during fiscal year1969. This continuing program attempts to insurethat all USARP cruises have someone on board totake biological samples and preserve thein properlyfor shipment to the U.S.A. and further study.

Dr. John C. McCain, after joining the SmithsonianOceanographic Sorting Center (SOSC) staff as As-sistant Supervisor for Benthos on March 1, 1969, con-tinued for a few days research and collections begunwith Dr. Joel W. Hedgpeth of Oregon State Univer-sity. Specimens collected by Dr. McCain near PalmerStation were processed at SOSC and distributed forstudy to scientists on the SOSC specialist lists.

Dr. H. A. Fehlmann and Messrs. Ernani Meñezand Victor Haley worked with a Bureau of Coinmer-cial Fisheries party on Hero for two months inMarch—May, 1969. The principal effort was mid\vatertrawling, which yielded few organisms. A few benthicsamples were taken and the SOSC personnel partici-pated in fixing, preserving, packaging, and shippingthis material. Samples were obtained from a total of28 locations including 5 terrestrial, 1 stream, 4 shore,10 pelagic, and 4 benthic stations, as well as 4 pur-chases of specimens from fishermen. In all, 69 gallonsof collections were taken, consisting of lichens, bry-ophytes, angiospermns, algae, invertebrates, and fishes.

In addition to the collections for SOSC, duplicatematerial (19 samples) was collected during the Herocruise for the National Institutes of Health (NIHThese sammiples, preserved in alcohol and shipped toNIH via the Smithsonian Institution, were expected

September—October 1969 195

to include at least 1 kg wet weight of each species ofmarine organism. They are to be analyzed for thekinds of individual chemicals present in each of thespecies, and a search will be made for possibly inter-esting marine-derived drugs.

Cooperative Systematic Studiesin Antarctic Biology

I. EUGENE WALLEN

Office of Oceanography and LimnologySmithsonian Institution

Since 1962, the NSF research vessel Eltanin hasmade 35 cruises into antarctic waters, generally usingnets, trawls, and dredges to sample the biota. Addi-tional collections have been taken by Hero, by Coast(;uard and Navy vessels, and occasionally by vessels ofoceanographic institutions. Collections, or parts ofthem, have also sometimes been made available toU.S scientists from foreign-flag vessels.

An active NSF support program for U.S. investiga-tors has resulted in significant research being accom-plished on the biology of many antarctic plants andanimals. However, an acute shortage existed of biolo-gists with the training and time to do good system-atics. An important accomplishment of NSF wouldbe to develop a biological resource evaluation of theAntarctic; however, such an evaluation is dependenton knowledge of the identities, populations, and dis-tributions of the antarctic biota. It appeared unlikelythat many of the taxa would be identified and studiedunless special attention were given to them. For thispurpose, the Smithsonian Institution agreed with NSFto arrange for service contracts with specialists tostudy and provide publishable reports on antarcticspecimens not under active study.

During the first 3 years of this specialist project,agreements have been reached with 12 scientists toproduce 16 manuscripts on groups of organisms.Manuscripts have been forwarded to the AntarcticResearch Series from Patricia Mather, Ryuzo Marumo,Robert Moreira, William A. Newman, Thomas E.Bowman, and George A. Schultz. Several other manu-scripts have been examined and are being revised forpresentation.

Publications have been completed or are under wayon antarctic gorgonaceans, diatoms, ascidians (2groups. benthic isopods, pelagic isopods, amphipods,holothurians. asteroideans (2 groups), barnacles (2groups. copepods (2 groups), aplacophorans, andlichens.

Through the Smithsonian Oceanographic SortingCenter, the archives of the National Museum of Na-

tural History and other museums, and the collectionsat several universities, there still exists a large series ofunworked taxa of antarctic organisms. Additional spec-imens being accumulated by current antarctic expe-ditions are also available.

Substantial numbers of specimens in several groupsnot committed for study are available from theSmithsonian Oceanographic Sorting Center. Quali-fied scientists are encouraged to make requests for thismaterial if it can he studied in sufficient depth toproduce good monographic papers. The followinggroups are available in sizable numbers:

Actinaria Mollusk eggsAntipathariaMysidaBryozoa PoriferaCladocera PyrosomidacCopepoda RadiolariaDoleodidae RhynchocoelaEchinoderm larvaeSalpidaeEuphausiaceaSessiliaGalatheidae TurbellariaHydroida Zoanthidea

A Handbook to theBirds of the Antarctic

GEORGE E. WATSON

National Museum of Natural HistorySmithsonian Institution

At present there exists no comprehensive guide orhandbook to the birds of the Antarctic. Researchscientists and travelers, who are invading the Ant-arctic in increasing numbers, have to rely on an out-dated field guide with poor illustrations, or severalregional guides of which no one covers all species. Tomeet this need, the Smithsonian Institution has un-dertaken production of a manuscript for a handbookon antarctic birds to be illustrated in color. J . PhillipAngle and Peter C. Harper have been collaboratorson the text.

The area covered includes the Antarctic Continentand Peninsula, all unequivocal antarctic islands southof the Convergence and 60°S., as well as Tristan daCunha, Gough, Marion, Crozet, Amsterdam, St. Paul,Kerguelen, and Macquarie Islands. Species regularlyoccurring in the area are covered as well as vagrants,but the land birds of Tristan and Gough are omitted.

Information on each regular species consists ofidentification, flight and habits, voice and display,food, reproduction, molt, parasites, predation andmortality , habitat, and distribution. Only identifica-tion characters and distribution documented by litera-ture citations are given for vagrant records. Refer-

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