172 BULLETIN OF THE UNITED STATES FISH COMMISSION. 



tematic studies; the preparation of museum specimens and of reports. 

 Since the organization of the commission, the deep-sea work and the 

 investigation of invertebrate animals has been under the charge of Pro- 

 fessor Verrill, who had for many years before the commission was estab- 

 lished been studying independently the invertebrate fauna of New En- 

 gland. 



In addition to what has been done at the summer station, more or less 

 exhaustive investigations have been carried on by smaller parties on 

 many parts of the coast and interior waters. The fauna of Grand 

 Rapids, and other off-shore fishing grounds, has been partly explored. 

 In 1872, 1873, and 1874, dredging was carried on from the Coast Survey 

 steamer Bache, by Professor Packard and Mr. Cooke, Professor Smith, 

 Mr. Harger, and Mr. Eathbun. In 1879 Mr. H. L. Osborn spent three 

 months in a cod schooner collecting material on the Grand Banks, and 

 Mr. N. P. Scudder as long a time on the halibut grounds of Davis' 

 Straits. 



A most remarkable series of contributions have been received from 

 the fishermen of Cape Ann. When the Fish Commission had its head- 

 quarters at Gloucester, in 1878, a general interest in the zoloogical work 

 sprang up among the crews of the fishing vessels, and since that time 

 they have been vieing with each other in efforts to find new animals. 

 Their activity has been stimulated by the publication of lists of their 

 donations in the local papers, and the number of separate lots of speci- 

 mens received, to the present time, exceeds eight hundred. Many of 

 these lots are large, consisting of collecting-tanks full of alcoholic speci- 

 mens. At least thirty fishing vessels now carry collecting-tanks on 

 every trip, and many of the fishermen, with characteristic superstition, 

 have the idea that it insures good look to have a tank on board, and 

 will not go to sea without one. The number of specimens acquired in 

 this manner is at least fifty or sixty thousand, most of them belonging 

 to species unattainable. Each halibut vessel sets, twice daily, lines from 

 ten to fourteen miles in length, with hooks upon them six feet apart, 

 in water twelve hundred to eighteen hundred feet in depth, and the 

 quantity of living forms brought up in this manner, and which had 

 never hitherto been saved, is very astonishing. Over thirty species of 

 fishes have thus been added to the fauna of North America, and Profes- 

 sor Verrill informs me that the number of new and extra-liinital forms 

 thus placed upon the list of invertebrates cannot be less than fifty. 



A permanent collector, Mr. Vinal 1ST. Edwards, has been employed at 

 Wood's Holl and vicinity since 1871, and many remarkable forms have 

 also been discovered by him. 



No dredging has yet been attempted by the commission south of Long 

 Island, though much has been done in shore work, especially among the 

 fishes, by special agents and friends of the commission, and by the 

 parties stationed here and there in the work of fish culture. Mr. E. G. 



