38 REPORT OF COMMISSIONER OF FISH AND FISHERIES. [36] 



Having satisfied ourselves as to the working of our apparatus we 

 started at 1 p. m. for Washington, anchoring at 9,20 p. m. off aSTanjemoy 

 Point for the night. The weather was clear and cold, ice mailing rap- 

 idly along the shores. 



At daylight on the morning of the 10th we got under way and steamed 

 up the river. At 9.30 spoke the Lookout off Quantico. They reported 

 the river frozen above that place, and that they were unable to go any 

 farther. We then steamed up to Stump Neck, but were obliged to re- 

 turn, the sharp young ice cutting the unprotected planking of the ves- 

 sel's sides like a knife. 



Having anchored off Quantico, the Lookout, which was short of coal, 

 was taken alongside and a sufScient quantity transferred to her bunk- 

 ers. 1 took the train for Washington to confer with the Commissioner 

 as to the future movements of the vessels, and, returning at 12.30 p. m. 

 the following day, both vessels were got under way for Norfolk, Va. 



There was considerable floating ice about us at this time, and the 

 river was frozen over both above and below. The ice was not more 

 than 2 inches in thickness, and our engines would have forced us through 

 it without the least difficulty, but, owing to the fact that our metal 

 sheathing was below the water line, there was every probability that 

 the vessel would sustain serious damage if we made the attempt. 



Fortunately the Lady of the Lake, an iron steamer, was seen approach- 

 ing, and following in her wake we finally reached clear water and 

 arrived at our destination, the Norfolk navy-yard, at 7.50 a. m. on the 

 12th, with the Lookout in company. Both vessels were carefully ex- 

 amined on the 13th to ascertain the damage by ice. This vessel was 

 repaired by the naval constructor at an expense of $285. The Lookout 

 was repaired by our own mechanics without expense to the government. 



The weather during the remainder of the month was unusually severe; 

 navigation became very difficult in the Potomac, and considerable ice 

 formed even in Norfolk. 



We were actively employed, when the weather permitted, in painting 

 and refitting both vessels, the work being in progress at the close of 

 this report, December 31, 1880. 



REMARKS BY ME. RICHARD RATHBUN ON THE SCIENTIFIC RESULTS 

 OF THE season's EXPLORATIONS. 



The explorations carried on in Narragansett Bay, and to the eastward 

 and southward of Block Island, demonstrated the existence of a fauna 

 similar to that previously discovered by the Fish Commission, in and 

 about Vineyard Sound (1871 and 1875) and in Block Island Sound and 

 the neighboring regions (1874), the species differing more or less, how- 

 ever, according to the depth and character of the bottom on which they 

 lived. No new species of fish were found in these inshore dredgings, and 

 most of the invertebrates obtained were identical with already known 



