92 EEPORT OF COMMISSIONER OF FISH AND FISHERIES. [90] 



ainoiiut of material. The bottom was mud aud unsuitable for a large 

 variety of animals. Among the shrimp-like forms Prof. S. I. Smith 

 made out the following : Parapciumis politus^ P. constrictus, and Soleno- 

 ccra siphonocera. Station 2121}, in 34 fathoms, taking a fine Astrophyton, 

 shells, crabs, and Parapencmm poUtus again. 



The Albatross came to anchor in Santa Ana harbor, Curacjao, on the 

 10th of February. Curagao is about 40 miles in length and 10 in width. 

 The surface is hilly, and with the exception of the mangrove trees on 

 \\\e southwestern side of the islands in the harbor, almost no trees are 

 to be seen. Exposed rocks and ledges show fossil shells and corals in 

 abundance, targe rocks on the shores in the harbor are eroded on 

 all sides by the water, aud look as if they were standing on narrow ped- 

 icels ready to topple over. The wind blows from the northeast the 

 greater part of the year, and keeps the water more or less rough. On 

 the windward shores the waves erode the lower iDarts of the banks until 

 the banks project over the water and often break off. On this side also 

 the bottom for some distance from the shore is hard and rocky, while the 

 leeward side is nuiddy, and the shore is lined with mangroves. One of 

 the most interesting features of these islands are the pits excavated by 

 men from the town getting sand for building material. In these places 

 a large number of fossil corals and shells are strewn about. Small 

 bushes near the water are often covered with land shells of the family 

 Pupidcc. 



Birds are not abundant in the part of the island where we were, which 

 is due in i)art, perhaps, to the lack of trees. On our collecting excur- 

 sions we often carried guns, and some birds were collected, though no 

 especial effort was made to do so. The following is a list of the species 

 taken, four of which have been described as new by Mr. Ridgway in 

 the Proceedings of the National Museum : 



Mimufi (lilvris rofitratu)^, Eidgw. Zenaida vinaceo-rtifa, Eidgw. 



Dendroica rvfopUeaia^ Eidgw. ChamcvpeUa passerina (Liu.). 



Icterus cunisocnsu^\\\(\g\^. Ardea hcrodian (Lin.). 



The boat-dredge was used in the harbor with little or no success, as 

 either it came up filled with a soft mud, in which little or nothing lives, 

 or it was caught as soon as it reached the bottom. We also tried to use 

 it outside of the harbor, but with the same result, except that when it 

 was not caught on the bottom it came up filled with coral sand. We 

 found it greatly to our advantage to have a guide acquainted with the 

 different localities. On one occasion this man bought for ten cents all 

 of the small fish and crustaceans from several hauls of a large seine. I 

 hired a man to make several large torches for night-collecting around 

 the shores of the island, and with the guide and two colored men, who 

 volnnteerc^d to go with us, set out at night for the island. We captured 

 several fish and crabs, but the principal catch was the octopus, or "sea- 

 cat," as it is called here. Fifteen specimens were taken during the 



