﻿REPORT 
  OF 
  COMMISSIONER 
  OF 
  FISH 
  AND 
  FISHERIES. 
  99 
  

  

  Professor 
  Tovver, 
  besides 
  assisting 
  in 
  the 
  administration 
  of 
  the 
  lab- 
  

   oratory 
  affairs, 
  continued 
  his 
  studies 
  of 
  the 
  functions 
  of 
  the 
  swim 
  blad- 
  

   der 
  in 
  lishes. 
  Professor 
  Parker 
  conducted 
  a 
  series 
  of 
  interesting 
  and 
  

   ingenious 
  experiments 
  as 
  to 
  the 
  sense 
  of 
  hearing 
  in 
  tishes 
  — 
  a 
  subject 
  

   which 
  has 
  been 
  much 
  discussed 
  and 
  is 
  not 
  without 
  its 
  practical 
  bearing 
  

   on 
  the 
  fisheries. 
  His 
  report 
  has 
  been 
  published 
  in 
  the 
  Bulletin 
  for 
  

   1902. 
  Professor 
  Herrick 
  experimented 
  on 
  the 
  sense 
  of 
  taste 
  as 
  de- 
  

   veloped 
  in 
  tishes, 
  and 
  submitted 
  a 
  very 
  interesting 
  report 
  thereon, 
  

   which 
  was 
  published 
  as 
  a 
  part 
  of 
  the 
  Bulletin 
  for 
  1902. 
  Doctor 
  Sum- 
  

   ner 
  made 
  some 
  experimental 
  studies 
  of 
  fish 
  development, 
  and 
  also 
  

   considered 
  variation 
  and 
  eliminative 
  selection 
  in 
  the 
  killifish, 
  Fundulus 
  

   majalis. 
  Mr. 
  Field 
  took 
  up 
  the 
  question 
  of 
  the 
  destructive 
  powers 
  of 
  

   fishes 
  having 
  little 
  or 
  no 
  food 
  value. 
  

  

  The 
  following 
  were 
  engaged 
  in 
  a 
  systematic 
  study 
  of 
  the 
  groups 
  

   indicated, 
  having 
  in 
  view 
  the 
  preparation 
  of 
  special 
  reports 
  thereon 
  

   pertaining 
  to 
  the 
  Woods 
  Hole 
  region: 
  Dr. 
  Robert 
  P. 
  Bigelow, 
  the 
  

   crabs; 
  Prof. 
  Charles 
  W. 
  Hargitt, 
  the 
  medusae; 
  Miss 
  Harriet 
  Richard- 
  

   son, 
  the 
  isopods; 
  Prof. 
  H. 
  L. 
  Clark, 
  the 
  echinoderms; 
  Prof. 
  C. 
  B. 
  

   Wilson 
  and 
  Dr. 
  M, 
  T. 
  Thompson, 
  the 
  copepods 
  parasitic 
  on 
  fishes. 
  

   The 
  work 
  of 
  Professors 
  Hargitt 
  and 
  Wilson 
  was 
  completed 
  and 
  their 
  

   reports 
  submitted; 
  and 
  Prof. 
  S. 
  J. 
  Holmes, 
  who 
  had 
  been 
  engaged 
  for 
  

   several 
  years 
  in 
  a 
  study 
  of 
  the 
  amphipods 
  of 
  the 
  region, 
  also 
  completed 
  

   his 
  report. 
  

  

  Beaufort, 
  North 
  Carolina 
  (Dr. 
  Caswell 
  Grave, 
  Director). 
  

  

  The 
  new 
  laboratory 
  buildings, 
  which 
  had 
  been 
  thrown 
  open 
  on 
  May 
  

   26, 
  1902, 
  were 
  occupied 
  until 
  September 
  30. 
  The 
  laboratory 
  proved 
  

   to 
  be 
  admirably 
  adapted 
  in 
  every 
  way 
  to 
  the 
  climate 
  and 
  to 
  the 
  special 
  

   work 
  intended 
  to 
  be 
  carried 
  on, 
  and 
  called 
  forth 
  unstinted 
  praise 
  from 
  

   all 
  who 
  had 
  an 
  opportunity 
  to 
  occupy 
  or 
  visit 
  the 
  station. 
  As 
  in 
  

   previous 
  seasons, 
  the 
  launch 
  Petrel 
  was 
  employed 
  in 
  making 
  collec- 
  

   tions 
  for 
  the 
  laboratory 
  and 
  in 
  determining 
  the 
  aquatic 
  resources 
  of 
  

   the 
  sounds, 
  the 
  harbor, 
  and 
  the 
  ocean 
  in 
  the 
  vicinity 
  of 
  the 
  entrance; 
  

   it 
  was 
  not 
  considered 
  safe, 
  however, 
  to 
  send 
  the 
  launch 
  more 
  than 
  5 
  

   miles 
  from 
  the 
  mouth 
  of 
  the 
  harbor. 
  The 
  Fish 
  Hawh 
  was 
  attached 
  to 
  

   the 
  laboratory 
  during 
  Jul}^, 
  August, 
  and 
  September, 
  and 
  was 
  employed 
  

   in 
  exploring 
  the 
  ocean 
  floor 
  as 
  far 
  as 
  the 
  Gulf 
  Stream. 
  The 
  dredgings 
  

   of 
  the 
  vessel 
  showed 
  a 
  barren 
  condition 
  of 
  most 
  of 
  the 
  bottom, 
  owing 
  

   probably 
  to 
  the 
  shifting 
  character 
  of 
  the 
  sand 
  of 
  which 
  it 
  is 
  mainly 
  

   composed. 
  A 
  conspicuous 
  exception, 
  however, 
  was 
  a 
  bank 
  or 
  reef 
  

   called 
  locally 
  " 
  the 
  fishing 
  ground." 
  It 
  lies 
  20i 
  miles 
  ssw. 
  i 
  w. 
  from 
  

   the 
  outer 
  buoy 
  on 
  Beaufort 
  bar, 
  covered 
  by 
  13i 
  fathoms 
  of 
  water, 
  and 
  

   has 
  been 
  known 
  to 
  the 
  fishermen 
  for 
  some 
  time, 
  although 
  their 
  ideas 
  of 
  

   its 
  size, 
  location, 
  and 
  character 
  are 
  very 
  indefinite. 
  The 
  exploration, 
  

   measuring, 
  and 
  charting 
  of 
  this 
  ground 
  was 
  the 
  most 
  important 
  work 
  

   done 
  by 
  the 
  Fish 
  Hawh, 
  for 
  this 
  reasonably 
  accessible 
  locality 
  will 
  

  

  