212 RECENT REPORTS OF FISHERY AUTHORITIES. 



2^ in. in twelve months. Another objection is tliat, according to 

 Masterman, the plaice of 13 in. mid-size are in July in their fourth 

 year ; although it is known that plaice on the east coast of Scotland 

 are at that size, with few exceptions, immature, while three-year-old 

 plaice are nearly all mature. It is true that Masterman only urges 

 that by the method, with a proper series of observations, valuable 

 results might be obtained ; and if we could explain away the cusp 

 of the curve for July at 6 in., the two cusps at 8^ and 13 in. would 

 represent the plaice in their second and third years, a result which 

 would agree with my own conclusions. In his second paper Mr. 

 Masterman describes two hermaphrodite specimens of the cod, and 

 discusses their condition in relation to hermaphroditism in general. In 

 the course of his remarks he refers to "Nansen's observation of the 

 protandric hermaphrodite condition of Mijxine," apparently in ignorance 

 of the fact that Nansen's description of that condition was a confirmation 

 of my previous discovery. This is the second time that my discovery 

 of the hermaphroditism of Myxine has been attributed in a Eeport of 

 the Scottish Fishery Board to ISTansen. On the former occasion the 

 error was corrected, not by myself, in the columns of Nature. If 

 ]\Ir. Masterman had consulted my paper he would have found that the 

 habits of the hag-fish were more definitely known than he seems to 

 suppose. 



It should be mentioned that the Eeport of the United States Com- 

 missioner, whose title is given at the head of this article, is merely 

 the report proper, without the appendices, which were issued previously, 

 and which contain detailed accounts of many of the investigations 

 mentioned in the general report. This general report consists of 

 four parts — the Commissioner's own statement, and three divisional 

 reports, one on the division of investigations by Kichard Eathbuu, one 

 on the division of statistics and methods, and the third on artificial 

 propagation and distribution. Eeference to interesting points in the 

 last two divisions has been made, and it remains to mention the 

 character of the investigations carried on by the Commission in the year 

 1892-93. In 1892 the Albatross was employed by the United States 

 Government in investigations of the seal and seal fisheries of the 

 Behring Sea. From August, 1892, till April, 1893, she was under 

 repair at San Francisco, after which, by direction of the President, 

 she joined the fieet which was employed in patrolling the North 

 Pacific and Behring Sea. The naturalists belonging to the ship 

 remained with her, except when she was under repair, and carried 

 on observations concerning the seals, and the fishes of the places visited, 

 as opportunities occurred. 



On December 6tli, 1892, an agreement was concluded between the 



