RErORT OF COMMISSIONER OF FISH AND FISHERIES. *3 



A. G. Kcllo.nj;-, with Dr. T. IT. Stivfts, siu-icon, ^Ir. A. V. Zauo as chief 

 engineer, and Mr. J. A. Smith, wlio liad liiul nuich experience in K<-ien- 

 tific work on tlic vessels of tlie Coast Snrvey, as first mate. A detail of 

 the necessary petty oflicers and seamen completed the pcmonnel of the 

 vessel. 



The usual corps of specialists in science took part in the operations of 

 the Commission during;- the summer. Prof. A. E. Verrill, of Yale, had 

 charge of the marine invertebrates, assisted by E. B. Wilson. 



Mr. G. Brown Goode, of the ^STational Museum, assisted by Dr. T. H. 

 Bean, superintended all matters connected with the fisheries. The 

 laboratory and the dredging and trawling apparatus were in charge of 

 Capt. II. C. Chester. 



I reached Salem on the 3d of July, and was joined a few days after 

 by the remainder of the force, the Speedwell not arriving, as stated, 

 until July 31, before which date, however, a considerable amount of pre- 

 liminary work was accomxdished, especially in the collecting of statistics 

 of the fisheries at Salem. 



The Commission had a large number of visitors during the summer, 

 many of them engaged in special research, for which ample material was 

 fiumished them by the collections of the Commission. 



The usual routine of exploration was followed at the Salem Station, 

 consisting of frequent trips of the steamer in various directions, during 

 which the dredge and trawl were brought into requisition, and specimens 

 secured of various marine animals and plants. Soundings were made, 

 and their depth and character recorded, and an accompanying series of 

 observations made upon the temperature of the ocean at various ilis- 

 tances below the surface. 



STATION AT HALIFAX. 



On the 14th of August, for reasons to be referred to hereafter, I pro- 

 ceeded to Halifax, Xova Scotia, there to form a second station for the 

 summer, arriving on the 17th. (I had previously dispatched INIr. Goode 

 to that city to select suitable accommodations for the steamer and labo- 

 ratory.) The steamer left Salem a few" days later, and proceeded directly 

 across, arriving on the 22d, and bringing with her the i^rincipal portion 

 of the scientific corps. The occasion of the trip from Salem to Halifax 

 was embraced to make numerous deep-sea investigations of the temper- 

 ature of the water, the depth, and the animal life, resulting in the dis- 

 covery of quite a number of new" forms. A suitable berth and buildings 

 for the service of the steamer having been engaged from Mr. Belcher, 

 on "Bennett's wharf, at Halifax, the sea work was continued with very 

 little intermission until the 13th of October, when the vessel returned 

 to Salem to complete some inquiries that bad been commenced diu-ing 

 the summer, and closing oi)erations on the 24th of October, she pro- 

 ceeded to Portsmouth and went out of commission, having thus been iu 

 service since the 20th of July, or for rather more tban three months. 



