50 REPORT OF COMMISSIONER OF FISH AND FISHERIES. 
surface of the body had been injured; in others the fungus seemed to 
be primary and the sore or ulceration secondary, but it was impossible 
to tell whether the fungus was causative or not. Numerous specimens 
were preserved for future examination. 
PROPOSED INQUIRIES BY SPECIAL TREASURY AGENT TO ALASKA. 
In April, 1893, Mr. John K. Luttrell was appointed a special agent 
of the Treasury Department, in accordance with the act of Congress 
providing for the supervision of certain fishery interests in Alaska. 
Although his services in this respect were not connected with the work 
of the Fish Commission, Mr. Luttrell kindly offered to make collections 
of fishes at the different places visited, and to conduct investigations 
relative to the distribution and habits of the more important species. 
He was accordingly supplied with a proper outfit for preserving speci- 
mens and was given full instructions respecting those matters on which 
information was especially desired. He left for the north during the 
latter part of the fiscal veav. 
COLLECTIONS, PREPARATION OF REPORTS, ETC. 
No changes have been made since the last report in the laboratory 
and other quarters occupied by this division in the:Central Station at 
Washington. Very large collections have been received from the ves- 
sels and field parties during the year, but undue crowding of the same 
has been obviated by an arrangement with the United States National 
Museum, whereby many of the specimens have been furnished benperey 
storage-room at the latter place. 
The study of certain parts of the collections, especially the fresh-, 
water fishes, by Prof. B. W. Evermann, has progressed rapidly, and 
some collections have also been placed in the hands of specialists out- 
side of the Fish Commission staff for working up. The mollusks from 
all sources have been turned over to Mr. William H. Dall, curator in 
the National Museum, as fast as they were received. Arrangements 
have also been made with Dr. Alex. Goes, of Kisa, Sweden, to report 
upon the foraminifera from the dredgings of the steamer Albatross on 
both the Atlantic and Pacific coasts, and likewise with Prof. F. E. 
Schulze, of Berlin, Germany, with respect to the siliceous sponges 
from the same source. Prof. William E. Ritter, of the University of 
California, has offered to study the collections of ascidians made by 
the steamer Albatross in the North Pacific Ocean, and they will soon 
be sent to him. 
There has been transferred to the custody of the National Masenene a 
very large quantity of specimens, representing both the reserve series 
and duplicates of collections examined during the year. These consist 
chiefly of fishes and marine invertebrates, but include also representa- 
tives of many other groups, conspicuous among which are the skins 
