Investigations of the albatross. 265 



uralists were out as usual during the day, and a number of officers 

 went on a hunting: expedition to Post-Office Bay, returning with eighteen 

 Ihimingos. 



Leaving Charles Island at 1:05 a. m., April 2, we ran over to Duncan 

 Island and sent i^arties into the mountains for tortoises. Thej^ were 

 away nearly all day, and returned with a single specimen only, 

 although they searched carefully over the ground where three years 

 ago they were quite numerous. A few years more and they will x)rob- 

 ably become extinct. An anchorage was found for the night in Con- 

 way Bay, Indefatigable Island, where we arrived at 5 p. m., giving the 

 collectors an hour or two ashore before dark. Getting under way again 

 at 3:15 a. m., April 3, we steamed to the northward between James and 

 Indefatigable islands, commencing work in 551 fathoms, about 7 miles 

 N. by W. from the Seymour Islands, in prolongation of our lineof 1S88, 

 extending it to Biiidloe, Abingdon, and Weuman islands. Here we 

 were met by another surjnnse; excellent results having been obtained 

 from contiguous stations occupied three years previously, we naturally 

 expected to find the same rich fauna in similar depths a few miles to the 

 westward. ^Ve did not, however; on the contrary, the bottom was 

 foul and contained comparatively little life, while the surface was 

 almost barren. Eight stations were occupied between Indefatigable 

 and Weuman islands in from 337 to 1,270 fathoms. 



Galapagos Islands to Aeapulco and Guaymas. — From the latter island 

 a line was run to Acaj^ulco, nineteen stations being occupied in depths 

 ranging from 2,232 to 04 fathoms. The same general i)lan of investi- 

 gation was continued and the results were satisfactory in the ocean 

 basin, but upon approaching the Mexican coast the bottom became 

 very barren. This condition may be attributed largely to the great 

 amount of decayed and decaying vegetable matter covering the sea 

 bed. Every haul of tlie trawl l)rought up quantities in every stage of 

 decomposition, and occasionally the net was loaded with vegetable muck, 

 which emitted a highly offensive odor. This deposit was not evenly 

 distributed over the bottom, but it prevailed to a sufficient extent to 

 drive animal life from the ground. The same effect was noticed between 

 the Pearl Islands and the mainland in the Gulf of Panama in 1888, 

 where the deposit was even greater and the odor so vile that the chief 

 naturalist requested that no more of it be brought up. The Tanner net 

 was used at several stations with satisfactory results. 



Surface life between the Galapagos and the Mexican coast maj' be 

 summarized as follows: An occasional whale, porjioises, dolphins, and 

 flying fish frequently seen, and green turtles insight almost constantly 

 floating on the surface. Birds were not numerous, though petrels were 

 seen daily; tropic birds and boobies were noticed occasionally, besides 

 gulls and other species wliicli a])peared as we approached the coast. 



We anchored in the harbor of Aeapulco at 3:30 \^. m., April 12, after 

 a successful cruise of nine days between the Garlapagos and that point. 



