92 APPENDIX TO JOURNAL. 



operations. Dr. Steindacbner, altliougli an admirable collector in all 

 departments, was especially engaged in the care of the ichtbyological 

 collections. His great knowledge and nntiring industry made bis 

 assistance invaluable. Indeed, witbout bim I could not bave carried out 

 tbe coraprebensive scbeme for collecting wbicb I bad laid out. Mr. 

 Blake bad special cbarge of tbe mollusks, and bis time was cbietly em- 

 ])loyed in tbe drawing of perisbable specimens. As I cannot give you 

 an accurate summary of tbe zoological collections, I will give you a 

 sligbt sketcb of my general scbeme, alluded to above, tbat you may 

 understand tbeir signiticance as a wbole. 



"I bave endeavored, in tbe tirst place, to collect as many specimens of 

 tbe same species as possible, in every stage of growtb and every con- 

 dition of development, in order to ascertain tbe range of variation in 

 eacb species. My second object was to learn tbe boundaries of tbe dif- 

 ferent fauuiE, especially along tbe Pacific coast from tbe strait of 

 Magellan to California. In tbis I bave included, wberever it was pos- 

 sible, tbe fisbes from tbe rivers on tbe western slope of tbe continent, 

 for comparison witb tbose on tbe eastern ; but tbis part of my plan was 

 difticult of execution, because I bad not tbe means of collecting in land. 



"During our wbole journey I was careful to make, or to bave made, 

 large numbers of anatomical preparations of sucb parts of marine ani-^ 

 mals as can rarely be well studied from alcobolic specimens. Tbe most 

 valuable of tbese i^reparations are tbose of fisb brains. 



"I need bardly add tbat we owed tbe great opportunity for scientific 

 investigation afforded by tbe voyage of tbe Ilassler to tbe liberal policy 

 of tbe Superintendent of tbe Coast Survey, wbo is ever ready to com- 

 bine tbe larger interests of science with tbe special work of tbe survey, 

 wben it can be done witbout detriment to tbe latter. I sbould add, 

 however, that the means for making tbe zoological collections were con- 

 tributed by gentlemen of Boston, wbo raised nearly $20,000 for the pur- 

 chase of alcohol, jars, and other apparatus for collecting on a large scale, 

 and for charges of freight in forwarding tbe specimens from foreign 

 ports. Tbe latter charges were, however, comparatively small, owing 

 to the liberality of both railroad and steamship companies, of the com- 

 manders of our naval forces in various ports, to whom I had special 

 recommendations from the Secretary of tbe Navy, and of tbe captains of 

 vessels employed upon whaling voyages or in private mercantile enter- 

 prises." 



