APPENDIX TO THE EEPORT OF TPIE SECRETARY. 145 



A similar estimate for the fishes indicates the discovery of at least 

 one hundred species on the eastern Atlantic coast within ten years; half 

 of these are new to science. Forty species have been added to the 

 fauna north of Cape Cod ; sixteen of these are new and have been found 

 within three years ; seventeen have been described as new from the Gulf 

 of Mexi(X) ; sixty, and more, have been added upon the west coast. The 

 results of the summers' campaigns are worked in winter by the special- 

 ists of the National Museum, and under the direction of Professor Ver- 

 rill, in New Haven. 



One of the important features of the work is the preparation of life 

 histories of the useful marine animals of the country, and great quanti- 

 ties of material have been accumulated relating to almost every species. 

 A portion of this has been published; more or less complete biographical 

 monographs having been printed on the blueflsh, the scup, the menhaden, 

 the salmon, and the whitefish, and others are nearly ready. 



Another monograph which may be referred to in this connection is 

 that of Mr. Starbuck on the whale fishery, giving its history from the 

 earliest settlement of North America. 



The temperature of the water in its relation to the movements of fish 

 has from the first received special attention. Observations are made 

 regularly during the summer work, and at the various hatching sta- 

 tio'ns. At the instance of the Commissioner, an extensive series of 

 observations have for several years been made under the direction of 

 'the Chief Signal Officer of the Army, at light-houses, light-ships, life- 

 saving and signal stations, carefully chosen, along the whole coast. 

 This year thirty or more fishing schooners and steamers are carrying 

 thermometers to record temperatures upon the fishing grounds, a jour- 

 nal of the movements of the fish being kept at the same time. One 

 practical result of the study of these observations has been the demon- 

 stration of the cause of the failure of the menhaden fisheries on the 

 coast of Maine in 1879— a tailure on account of which nearly li,000 per- 

 sons were thrown out of employment. 



Another important series of investigations carried on by Commander 

 Beardslee, of the Navy, shows the error of the ordinary manner of 

 using the Casella ]\Iiner deep-sea thermometer; still another series 

 made by Dr. Kidder, of the Navy, and to be carried out in future, had 

 for its object the determination of the temperature of the blood of 



marine animals. 



Observations have also been made by Mr. Milner upon the influence 

 of a change from sea water into fresh water, and from fresh water into 

 sea water, upon the young of different fishes. 



Mr. H. J. Ptice carried on a series of studies upon the eflect ot cold m 

 retarding the development- of incubating fish eggs. 



A series of analyses has been made by Professar Atwater to deter- 

 mine the chemical composition and nutritive value of fish as compared 

 with other articles of iood. This investigation is still in progress. 

 S. Mis. 31 10 



