138 CARNEGIE INSTITUTION OF WASHINGTON. 



supplement the deep-sea forms obtained in 1902 by the U.S. Bureau of 

 Fisheries, the writer having in hand the preparation of a report upon 

 the group. Observations and experiments were also made upon the 

 unique commensalism of certain crabs and actinians, the former 

 carrying the latter in their claws and utilizing them for the purpose 

 of securing food. 



Carl H. Eigenmann, University of Indiana, Bloomington, Ind. 

 Grant No. 68. For ifivestigation 0/ bli?id fishes in Cuba. $1,000. 



Abstract of Report. — In March, 1902, Professor Eigenmann made 

 extensive collections in the caves of western Cuba, and secured, 

 among others, one female blind fish containing unborn young 20 

 mm. long, in which the eyes are remarkably well developed. 



In order to determine the breeding season and to obtain early 

 embryos of the blind fishes Lucifuga and Stygicola, he spent parts 

 of October and November and December of 1903 and August and 

 September of 1904 in Cuba. Large numbers of adult fishes were 

 taken, and many more could have been secured. But it was found 

 that while occasional specimens containing young may be expected 

 at any time of the year, the chief breeding season has so far been 

 missed, and that these fishes probably breed in June and July, at the 

 culmination of the wet season, when the height of water in the 

 caves may make collecting difficult. The caves will be visited again 

 in June and July of 1905. 



Cages of fine wire screening, protected by strong screening, were 

 built in one of the caves and stocked with fish. These cages proved 

 worthless under the conditions existing in Cuba, and other plans 

 will have to be tried to rear fishes in the light. 



Several attempts were made to bring living fishes to Indiana with 

 a view of possibly colonizing them in one of the Indiana caves. 

 While a few specimens were brought through alive, the mortality 

 en route and their extreme sensitiveness to cold puts the idea of 

 colonizing them in northern caves out of court. 



A monograph on the eyes of the fishes from birth (20 mm.) to 

 old age will probably be finished during the winter. 



L. (). Howard, Department of Agriculture, Washington, D. C. 



Grant No. 122. For preparing a report 07i American niosqtdtoes. 



(For first report see Year Book No. 2, p. xlii.) $2,500. 



Abstract of Report. — Dr. Howard has submitted a full report of 



progress, from which it appears that the number of species of mos- 



