50 REPORT OF COMMISSIONER OF FISH AND FISHERIES. 



surface of the body had been injured; in others the fungus seemed to 

 be primary and the sore or ulceration secondary, but it was impossible 

 to tell whether the fungus was causative or not. Numerous specimens 

 were preserved for future examination. 



PROPOSED INQUIRIES BY SPECIAL TREASURY AGENT TO ALASKA. 



In Aj)ril, 1893, Mr. John K. Luttrell was appointed a special agent 

 of the Treasury Department, in accordance with the act of Congress 

 providing for the supervision of certain fishery interests in Alaska. 

 Although his services in this respect were not connected with the work 

 of the Fish Commission, Mr. Luttrell kindly offered to make collections 

 of fishes at the different places visited, and to conduct investigations 

 relative to the distribution and habits of the more important species. 

 He was accordingly supplied with a proper outfit for j)reserving speci- 

 mens and was given full instructions respecting those matters on which 

 information was especially desired. He left for the north during the 

 latter part of the fiscal year. 



COLLECTIONS, PREPARATION OF REPORTS, ETC> 



No changes have been made since the last report in the laboratory 

 and other quarters occupied by this division in the* Central Station at 

 Washington. Very large collections have been received from the ves- 

 sels and field parties during the year, but undue crowding of the same 

 has been obviated by an arrangement with the United States National 

 Museum, whereby many of the specimens have been furnished temporary 

 storage-room at the latter place. 



The study of certain parts of the collections, especially the fresh- 

 water fishes, by Prof. B. W. Evermann, has progressed rapidly, and 

 some collections have also been placed in the hands of specialists out- 

 side of the Fish Commission staff for working up. The mollusks from 

 all sources have been turned over to Mr. William H. Dall, curator in 

 the National Museum, as fast as they were received. Arrangements 

 have also been made with Dr. Alex. Goes, of Kisa, Sweden, to report 

 upon the foraminifera from the dredgings of the steamer Albatross on 

 both the Atlantic and Pacific coasts, and likewise with Prof. F. E. 

 Schulze, of Berlin, (Jermany, with respect to the siliceous sponges 

 from the same source. Prof. William E. Bitter, of the University of 

 California, has offered to study the collections of ascidians made by 

 the steamer Albatross in the North Pacific Ocean, and they will soon 

 be sent to him. 



There has been transferred to the custody of the National Museum a 

 very large quantity of specimens, representing both the reserve series 

 and duplicates of collections examined during the year. These consist 

 chiefly of fishes and marine invertebrates, but include also representa- 

 tives of many other groups, conspicuous among which are the skins 



