REPORT ON THE DEPARTMENT OF FISHES 

 IN THE U. S. NATIONAL MUSEUM, L892, 



Bv Tauleton If. Bean, Honorary Curator, 



The work accomplished in this department lias been in many respects 

 generally similar to that of preceding years. My own duties in con- 

 nection with the U. S. Fish Commission have rendered it impossible 

 for me to devote much time to Museum matters, and the routine work 

 of the department has devolved almost entirely upon Mr. Barton A. 

 Beau, assistant curator. 



The curator has assisted Dr. Goode in the preparation of a bulletin 

 upon the deep-sea fishes contained in the U. S. National Museum, aud 

 the work was pushed rapidly forward during the fall of 1891. 



Several hundred skeletons of fishes were prepared for the depart- 

 ment by Mr. E. E. Howell. These have been turned over to Dr. Theo- 

 dore Gill, temporarily, for study. 



There has been a marked increase in the number of letters received 

 through the Assistant Secretary's office. These for the most part con- 

 tain queries concerning the fishes of various portions of the country, 

 and the questions as a rule have been promptly answered. Others 

 bring information of much importance concerning fishes and their life 

 histories. Intelligent correspondents are much desired, and the policy 

 of encouragement to such is strongly recommended. 



A number of students examined materials belonging to the Museum 

 (Drs. Gill, Jordan, Gilbert, Eigenmann, Smith, and Profs. Evermanu, 

 Hay, aud others). Collections aud papers based upon the same were 

 received from numerous correspondents, a list of which will be found 

 in the Bibliography (Section iv). 



Quite a large number of drawings of deep-sea fishes have been made 

 by Mr. A. H. Baldwin. An important addition to the sectional library 

 was made by the purchase of four volumes of Dr. Bleeker's "Atlas 

 Ichthyologique," which completes the set of that work. 



The explorations here referred to resulted in the addition of impor- 

 tant collections of fishes for the National Museum: 



The U. S. Fish Commission steamer Albatross cruised in the North 

 Pacific and Bering Sea during the summer of 1891 and the spring of 

 1892. During the winter of 1891 and 1892 the vessel was engaged in 

 the survey of a cable route from California to the Sandwich Islands 

 On these cruises collections of fishes were made. 



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