﻿loG 
  REPORT 
  OF 
  COMMISSIONER 
  OF 
  FISH 
  AND 
  FISHERIES. 
  

  

  EMPLOYEES. 
  

  

  Ill 
  addition 
  to 
  the 
  superinteudeiit, 
  there 
  were 
  employed 
  in 
  connection 
  

   with 
  the 
  tiqnarium 
  a 
  machinist 
  to 
  look 
  after 
  the 
  pumps, 
  filters, 
  etc., 
  

   2 
  night 
  watchmen, 
  and 
  2 
  laborers 
  to 
  clean 
  the 
  aquaria, 
  wash 
  sand 
  in 
  

   filter, 
  prepare 
  food 
  for 
  the 
  fishes, 
  etc. 
  

  

  CAEE 
  OF 
  THE 
  AQUARIUM. 
  

  

  The 
  acjuaria 
  tanks 
  were 
  thoroughly 
  cleaned 
  once 
  a 
  week, 
  Sunday 
  

   being 
  selected, 
  as 
  no 
  visitors 
  were 
  allowed 
  in 
  the 
  building 
  on 
  that 
  day. 
  

   In 
  the 
  freshwater 
  tanks 
  a 
  perforated 
  galvanized 
  iron 
  funnel 
  attached 
  

   to 
  a 
  rubber 
  siphon 
  was 
  used 
  to 
  draw 
  the 
  waste 
  food 
  and 
  sediment 
  from 
  

   the 
  bottoms, 
  and 
  about 
  a 
  gallon 
  of 
  Turks 
  Island 
  salt 
  was 
  distributed 
  

   in 
  each 
  aquarium 
  once 
  a 
  week 
  as 
  a 
  disinfectant, 
  60 
  bushels 
  being 
  

   used 
  for 
  this 
  purpose 
  during 
  the 
  Exposition. 
  In 
  the 
  saltwater 
  aipiaria 
  

   the 
  sediment 
  and 
  other 
  deleterious 
  matter 
  was 
  caught 
  and 
  held 
  in 
  sus- 
  

   l)ension 
  by 
  the 
  sand 
  filter. 
  

  

  The 
  losses 
  of 
  fresh 
  and 
  salt 
  water 
  fishes 
  were 
  very 
  small 
  after 
  the 
  

   opening 
  day, 
  when 
  a 
  very 
  heavy 
  loss 
  occurred, 
  owing 
  to 
  the 
  high 
  tem- 
  

   perature 
  of 
  the 
  water 
  and 
  the 
  insufiBcient 
  supply, 
  caused 
  by 
  opening 
  

   np 
  all 
  of 
  the 
  fountains 
  on 
  the 
  grounds. 
  

  

  The 
  heaviest 
  losses 
  of 
  salt-water 
  fishes 
  usually 
  occurred 
  just 
  after 
  

   their 
  arrival, 
  and 
  were 
  caused, 
  apparently, 
  by 
  bruises 
  received 
  in 
  trans- 
  

   portation, 
  though 
  many 
  specimens 
  that 
  were 
  received 
  in 
  a 
  badly 
  

   bruised 
  condition 
  recovered 
  entirely 
  and 
  were 
  alive 
  when 
  the 
  a<iuarium 
  

   was 
  closed 
  on 
  December 
  31. 
  A 
  sudden 
  fall 
  of 
  temperature 
  from 
  65*^ 
  to 
  

   52° 
  in 
  the 
  latter 
  part 
  of 
  October 
  caused 
  the 
  loss 
  of 
  all 
  the 
  pompano 
  

   and 
  a 
  number 
  of 
  red 
  snappers, 
  spade-fishes 
  and 
  cow-fishes. 
  This 
  

   defect 
  in 
  the 
  aquarium 
  was 
  cured 
  by 
  the 
  fitting 
  up 
  of 
  the 
  heater. 
  

  

  COLLECTION 
  OF 
  FISHES 
  FOR 
  THE 
  AQUARIUM. 
  

  

  Marine 
  fishes. 
  — 
  The 
  primary 
  object 
  being 
  to 
  show 
  the 
  commercial 
  

   fishes 
  of 
  the 
  South, 
  the 
  collecting 
  points 
  chosen 
  were 
  Morehead 
  City, 
  

   N". 
  0., 
  and 
  Pensacola, 
  Fla., 
  as 
  they 
  are 
  important 
  commercial 
  fishing- 
  

   centers 
  and 
  accessible 
  by 
  rail. 
  Mr. 
  F. 
  P. 
  Hagan, 
  who 
  had 
  had 
  a 
  valu 
  

   able 
  experience 
  in 
  the 
  collection 
  and 
  transportation 
  of 
  fishes 
  for 
  the 
  

   World's 
  Columbian 
  Exposition, 
  Chicago, 
  111., 
  made 
  the 
  collections 
  at 
  

   Morehead 
  City 
  and 
  transported 
  successfully 
  all 
  the 
  specimens 
  secured 
  

   at 
  that 
  point 
  and 
  at 
  Pensacola. 
  Lient. 
  Franklin 
  Swift, 
  U. 
  S. 
  N., 
  in 
  

   command 
  of 
  the 
  United 
  States 
  Fish 
  Commission 
  steamer 
  Fish 
  Haivk, 
  

   fnrnished 
  two 
  excellent 
  loads 
  from 
  Pensacola. 
  Arrangements 
  were 
  

   also 
  made 
  for 
  securing 
  su])plies 
  of 
  anemone, 
  lobsters, 
  starfish, 
  and 
  other 
  

   marine 
  life 
  from 
  AVoods 
  Hole 
  and 
  Cloucester, 
  through 
  the 
  superintend- 
  

   ents 
  of 
  the 
  stations 
  at 
  those 
  points. 
  These 
  were 
  shipped 
  by 
  express, 
  

   carefully 
  packed 
  in 
  seaweed 
  or 
  moss, 
  and 
  arrived 
  in 
  fairly 
  good 
  condi- 
  

   tion, 
  considering 
  the 
  temperature 
  existing 
  at 
  the 
  time 
  of 
  shipment 
  and 
  

   the 
  length 
  of 
  time 
  they 
  were 
  en 
  route 
  — 
  from 
  four 
  to 
  six 
  days. 
  

  

  Fresh-icaier 
  fishes. 
  — 
  The 
  majority 
  of 
  the 
  fresh-water 
  fishes 
  were 
  fur- 
  

   nished 
  from 
  the 
  U. 
  S. 
  Fish 
  Commission 
  stations 
  at 
  Quincy, 
  111., 
  and 
  

  

  