XX REPORT OF COMMISSIONER OF FISH AND FISHERIES. 



On July 13 she went to sea to investigate tlie migrations of the 

 menhaden and mackerel from the capes of the Chesapeake to the Gulf 

 of Maine, and reached Wood's Holl, Mass., on July 26.. In August a 

 number of dredging and exploring trips were made from Wood's Holl. 

 During the summer the Secretary of the Navy, Hon. W. E. Chandler, 

 made application for the use of the vessel for a few days at Newport, 

 during a review of the vessels of the North Atlantic squadron and an in- 

 spection of the torpedo practice by the President and other public offi- 

 cials, which was granted. In September numerous trips were made to 

 the fishing grounds for the purpose of studying their character, and on 

 October 8 the vessel proceeded to New York, and thence to Washington, 

 where she arrived on the 23d. 



Congress having authorized and ordered an exhibition by the U. S. 

 Fish Commission at the International Exposition at New Orleans, it 

 was determined to make the Albatross one of the features of display 

 on that occasion, and to combine with it a research into the fisheries of 

 the Gulf of Mexico. The vessel having been properly refitted and sup- 

 plied with coal left Washington on the 24th of December, 1884. The 

 details of her winter cruise, and of her presentation at the New Orleans 

 Exposition, will be found in the report for the year 1885. 



Accompanying the appended report by Captain Tanner of the work of 

 the Albatross for the year 1884 will be found full details as to list of 

 officers and specialists on board and of her several exploring trips. 



B.— The Steamer Fish Hawk. 



With a view to ascertain whether anything could be done to increase 

 shad in the Southern rivers by transferring the hatching operations 

 to those rivers, this vessel was ordered early in the year to make a re- 

 connaissance of certain streams in South Carolina and Florida. She 

 left Washington on March 8 and proceeded to the Saint Mary's River, 

 arriving at King's Ferry, Fla., March 10. After visiting Fernandina 

 on the 31st, and touching at Savannah and Charleston, a landing was 

 made at Georgetown, S. C, and the fisheries of Winyaw Bay were ex- 

 amined, and the vessel returned to Washington the 10th of April. Re- 

 ports of the results obtained by Lieutenant Wood have already been 

 published in the Bulletin for 1884, pages 140, 241, and 242. Lieutenant 

 Wood expressed the opinion that these waters afforded little encour- 

 agement for artificial propagation. From April 24 to April 28 the Fish 

 Hawk was engaged in a cruise of investigation in the lower part of 

 Chesapeake Bay to ascertain the character of the fisheries for shad, 

 herring, &c. An account of this trip will be found in the Fish Com- 

 mission Bulletin for 1884, page 199. 



From the 1st of May to the 27th the vessel was occupied in shad 

 hatching on the Upper Potomac and located near Bryant's Point. From 

 June 23 to July 7 she was engaged in transporting supplies from Wash- 

 ington to Saint Jerome and Battery Stations. 



