REPORT OF THE COMMISSIONER OF FISHERIES. 63 



priate purposes. In the basement tliere are a boiler room, a coal 

 vault, dynamo room, two storage rooms, packing room, ciinin<i^ room, 

 pantrv, and kitchen, and finally two lar<j!;e rooms for tanks and an 

 a(iuarium. The floors are concrete except in the library. Marble 

 terrazzo is employed for floors in bathrooms, in first and second 

 story public halls and corridors, and on main stairways. The build- 

 in<r is equipped with electric lijxhts and with conduits for an inter- 

 connnunicatinir telei>hone system. It is steam heated, provided with 

 hot and cold water, and is piped for gas in the principal laboratories. 

 Plans for a boil<M' and engine house and machine shoi) at the 

 AVoods Hole (Mass.) station, to replace the wooden structure, which 

 was burned in March, are completed and the contract will be let at 

 an early date. 



VESSEL SERVICE. 



At the beginning of the fiscal year the steamer Albatross "was at 

 Baltimore fitting out and being put in order for the Bureau's needs 

 after her use by the Xavy. Considerable additions were made to her 

 equipment, including a pow^erful modern dredging winch and an 

 otter trawl. She sailed October 2T for a cruise in Florida and Cuban 

 waters to initiate fishery investigations to serve as a basis for further 

 operations by the ship during the next two years. Biological and 

 physical oceanographic stations were occupied on four sections across 

 the Cxulf Stream between Cape Henry and Key West : Across Florida 

 Strait, between Key West and Habana; from Habana to Cape San 

 Antonio at the western end of Cuba ; across the Yucatan Channel to 

 Cape Catoche ; and from Cape Catoche to Dry Tortugas. The vessel 

 returned to Baltimore on January 1, 1920. 



On February 16 the Alhatross sailed for Boston, arriving there 

 February 24, and making this port headquarters for fishery and 

 oceanographic investigations in the Gulf of Maine. This Avas a con- 

 tinuation of investigations conducted in the same waters by the 

 Grampus^ beginning in 1912. On the trip to Boston the vessel made 

 three hauls with a 60-foot otter trawl in the vicinity of the 100- 

 fathom curve, Avith the purpose of determining the occurrence of tile- 

 fish and other ground fish off the middle Atlantic coast; she also 

 occupied a series of hydrographic stations on a line across Georges 

 Bank. The work in the Gulf of Maine lasted until April 21. 



On May 3 the Albatross started an inquiry regarding the spawn- 

 ing habits of the haddock in the Gulf of Maine. This work lasted 

 until May 19, when the vessel returned to Baltimore, arriving May 

 20. A general survey of the ship w-as made on May 25. While she 

 was found to be in generally good condition, certain repairs and im- 

 provements were authorized and w^ere in progress at the end of the 

 fiscal year. 



OAving to the inability of obtaining satisfactory scientific assist- 

 ants it was not possible to utilize the steamer Fish Hawk during the 

 first half of the fiscal year, but on January 10 active operations were 

 undertaken. A hydrographic and biological survey of Chesaj^eake 

 Bay was commenced, to be carried out by a series of cruises, each of 

 one to two weeks' duration, at approximately monthly intervals. This 

 work is being continued with satisfactory results. The vessel is in 

 excellent condition. 



