ICHTHYOLOGY OF THE PACIFIC OCEAN 



By David Starr Jordan 



Dr. Jordan has submitted a plan for completing the study of the 

 Ichthyology of the Pacific Ocean that includes a series of expeditions 

 extending over a period of three years. Dr. Jordan's letter is as 



follows : 



Stanford University, Cal., April g, 1902. 



The writer, with his associates, Prof, C. H. Gilbert, Prof. O. P. 

 Jenkins, and Messrs. Snyder and Starks, instructors in Stanford 

 University, has long had in contemplation an Ichthyology of the 

 Pacific Ocean. To this end, they have thoroughly explored the 

 Pacific coast from Bering Sea to the Galapagos, having already de- 

 scribed all the known species in this region, figuring many of them. 

 V/ith the aid of the Albatross, many or most of the fishes of Bering 

 Sea have been made known. In company with Mr. Snyder, the writer 

 spent the summer of 1900 in Japan, securing about 800 species, 250 

 of them new. Last summer, with Dr. Evermaun and Dr, Jenkins, 

 was spent in the collection of the shore fishes of Honolulu, in the 

 interest of the United States Fish Commission, obtaining about 350 

 species. At present the Albatross, in charge of Professor Gilbert, is 

 at work collecting the deep sea fishes and invertebrates of Hawaii. 

 This summer the writer proposes to spend in similar work in Samoa, 

 Besides these personal excursions and the work of Garman, Bean, 

 and others, the writer has correspondents in Japan, China, Australia, 

 the Philippines, and elsewhere, from whom important collections are 

 frequently received. 



To complete this work properly, competent collectors should visit 

 Peru, Chile, Patagonia, Australia, China, the Okhotsk Sea, and sev- 

 eral of the islands of the East Indies and Pohniesia, For this pur- 

 pose suitable men cati be found who will do the work for their 

 actual expenses. Some of these are instructors at Stanford Vni- 

 versity ; others are advanced students. So far as the American 

 shores and islands are concerned, w-e may count on the co-operation 

 of the United States Fish Com.mission ; and the funds of tlie Hop- 

 kins Laboratory of Stanford University have maintained expeditions 

 to Japan, the Galapagos, Mazatlan, and Panama. The University of 

 Tokyo will co-operate in Japan, 



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