CXXX REPORT OF COMMISSIONER OF FISH AND FISHERIES. 



luade ill the elaboration of results by the few assistants now employed, 

 it must be exi)ected that large quantities of material will always remain 

 on hand. 



The extensive investigations conducted in the interior of the country 

 have supplied the main part of the natural-history collections received 

 during the past year, much less than usual having been derived from 

 the inquiries of the Albatross, in consequence of the almost continuous 

 detail of that vessel to special duties. The dredgings and fishing 

 trials made in the Strait of Juan de Fuca, at the Hawaiian Islands 

 while on the cable survey, and to some extent in Bering Sea and 

 along the Aleutian Islands in connection with the fur-seal expeditions, 

 contributed many things of interest, however, and on the visit paid to 

 the Commander Islands several specimens were obtained of the fur 

 seals belonging on the Asiatic coast. 



The fresh-water fishes have been mostly studied by Prof. B. W. Ever- 

 maun, who has the direct charge of tliat group. The general collection 

 of marine fishes made by the steamer Albatross has been referred to 

 Prof. Cbarles H. Gilbert, of Leland Stanford Junior University, who 

 has been at work for sometime on the earlier collections from the same 

 source, while Prof. O. P. Jenkins, also of the Stanford University, will 

 report upon the special and A^ery interesting series secured at the 

 Hawaiian Islands. The Albatross mollusks and higher crustaceans are 

 being attended to at the U. S. Isfational Museum, the former group by 

 Mr. William H. Dall, curator of the department of mollusks, the latter 

 by Mr. James E. Benedict and Miss M. J, Eathbun, of the department 

 of marine invertebrates. To Mr. Benedict has also been assigned the 

 collection of annelids made during the cruise of the steamer Albatross 

 from Isl^orfolk to San Francisco in 1887-88. The crayfishes obtained in 

 connection with the interior investigations are being studied by Prof. 

 Walter Faxon, of the Museum of Comparative Zoology. 



During the summer of 1891, when Prof. Charles II. Gilbert finally 

 severed his connection with the Indiana University, he returned to 

 Washington all of the Albatross fishes on which he had completed his 

 observations, comprising nearly all of the specimens collected in the 

 North Pacific Ocean south of Alaska, and forming a very large collec- 

 tion. The remainder, chiefly from Bering Sea, were forwarded to him 

 at the Stanford University. 



The last annual report contains an account of an expedition by the 

 steamer Albatross during the early part of the calendar year 1891 off 

 the west coast of Mexico and Central America and to the Galapagos 

 Islands, under the scientific direction of Mr. Alexander Agassiz, director 

 of the Museum of Comparative Zoology of Harvard University, and 

 reference is also made in the same connection to the valuable natural- 

 history results obtained. As Mr. Agassiz ottered to provide, at his own 

 expense, for the study of this material and tlie publication of the 

 reports upon it, the matter was placed entirely under his supervision 

 and will be directed by hjra from Cambridge, Mass, 



