650 REPORT OF COMMISSIONER OF FISH AND FISHERIES. [10] 



was to coiitiiuie the exploration of the sea-bottom and its fauna beneath 

 the edge of the Gulf Stream, which had been so successfully carried on 

 during the two ])revious seasons. Owing to the unuspal delay of the 

 Government appropriations our work was delayed about a month, iu 

 the best part of the season, for we could not begin our dredging until 

 August. Unfavorable weather and other causes afterward prevented 

 us from making more than five trips to the Gulf Stream slope this year ; 

 but these were very successful. 



One trip, occupying three days, was also made to the region east of 

 Cape Cod. On this trip very cold bottom-water was found at moderate 

 depths. It extended southward the known range of a number of north- 

 ern species, previously unknown on this part of the coast, but did not 

 reveal any new forms. Among the species of most interest taken on 

 this occasion are the following : Several examples of Urticina multicor- 

 nis V. (of which only one specimen was known previously), 55 to 90 

 fathoms ; Porania spinulosa V., large, 90 fathoms, station 1088 ; Solaster 

 endeca F., many, large and small, 32 to 90 fathoms; Hippasteria pliry- 

 giana Ag., several, large, 34 to 90 fathoms; Astrophyton Agassizii St., 

 many, 55 to CI fathoms, off" Chatham, stations 1078, 1079 ; Pentacta 

 frondosa, large, 34 to 37 fathoms ; Pandalus horealis, 90 to 110 fathoms; 

 Geryon quinquedens, 110 fathoms ; Balanus /tawim, 33 fathoms ; Rossia 

 Hyatti, several, large, 44 to 90 fathoms. 



Of the five Gulf Stream trips one was made southeastward from 'San- 

 tucket, farther east than any of those of 1880 and 1881, while another 

 was made to the region about 100 miles south of the eastern end of Long 

 Island, farther west than any of the former ones ; the other three were 

 in the intermediate region off Martha's Vineyard. Our dredgings in 

 this region, therefore, now cover a belt about 150 miles, east and west, 

 mostly between the 100 and 600 fathom lines. The total number of suc- 

 cessful hauls made along this belt, in more than 100 fathoms, is now 

 over one hundred. These have nearly all been made with the large, 

 improved trawls ; a few have also been made with a large rake-dredge. 

 Probably no other part of the ocean-basin, in similar depths, has been 

 more fully examined than this region. 



The total number of species of Invertebrata, already on our lists of 

 the fauna of this belt, is about 075. This number includes neither the 

 Foraminifera, nor the Entomostraca, which are numerous, and but few 

 of the sponges. Probably the total list of Invertebrata, already obtained, 

 when completed will include not less than 800 species.* Of these less 

 than one-half were known on our coast before 1880. Of fishes, there 

 are, perhaps, 75 species. Of the whole number, already determined, 

 about 275 are Mollusca, including 20 Cephalopoda; 95 are Crustacea; 

 60 are Echinodermata; 35 are j^nthozoa; 75 are Annelida. 



The steamer Fish Hawk, with which we have explored this region 



* Subsequent explorations of this region, up to the end of 1883, have nearly doubled 

 the numbers here given. — A. E. V. 



