101 BULLETIN OF THE 



Excepting the investigations of Dr. Stimpson on the coast of New 

 England, the dredge has been as yet very little used along our shores. 

 The character and constituents of the bottom are however pretty well 

 known, thanks to the care, of the late Superintendent of the Coast Sur- 

 vey, Professor A. D. Bache, who, during his whole administration of 

 that work, required the hydrographical parties to preserve the speci- 

 men- brought up l)j the lead. From eight to nine thousand specimens 

 have thus been accumulated at the Coast Survey Cilice, from a region 

 comprised between the shore and the outer edge of the Gulf Stream, 

 and reaching nearly to 1500 fathoms. But, of course, aside from the 

 Foraminifera and Diatomaceae, for the study of which this material has 

 proved of high interest, not much was contributed to our knowledge of 

 the animals of the higher classes, the instrument used being only 

 adapted to procure a small quantity of sand or mud. 



The present Superintendent of the Coast Survey, Professor B. Peirce, 

 has lately directed the resumption of the investigations of the Gulf 

 Stream, so successfully inaugurated by his predecessor, but interrupted 

 fin- several years by the war. Besides observations of the depth, veloci- 

 ty, and direction of that current, and the temperature and density of 

 the water at different depths, the researches will be extended to the 

 Fauna of the bottom, of the surface, and of the intervening depths. 

 Not only will an insight be thus obtained into a world scarcely known 

 heretofore, but that knowledge a\ ill have a direct bearing on many of 

 the phenomena of that great current. Thus a new light may be thrown 

 on its powers of transportation from shallow to deeper water, or along 

 its bed, on its action in forming deposits in particular localities, or on 

 its possible influence on the growth of coral reel's on its shores. 



The first campaign on this plan was organized in 1807, the field of 

 research being in a section between Key West and Havana, incident- 

 ally with the purpose of sounding out the line for the telegraph cable, 

 shortly afterwards laid between these two points. The Coast Survey 

 Steamer Corwin was assigned t<> the work; and here 1 wish to express 

 my thank- to my colleague. Assistant II. Mitchell, charged with the 

 physical pari of the campaign, and to Captain Piatt and his officers for 

 the interest they -bowed to my work, and for their valuable prac- 

 tical a'd. 



The expedition was unfortunately interrupted by the breaking out 

 of yellow fever on hoard, so that the dredgings were few in number. 



