﻿REPORT 
  OF 
  COMMISSIONER 
  OF 
  FISH 
  AND 
  FISHERIES. 
  XXVII 
  

  

  torn 
  and 
  the 
  marine 
  fauna, 
  after 
  which 
  the 
  vessel 
  proceeded 
  to 
  New 
  

   Orleans, 
  reaching 
  there 
  on 
  February 
  13. 
  Here 
  from 
  February 
  20 
  to 
  

   March 
  1 
  the 
  Albatross 
  was 
  on 
  exhibition 
  at 
  the 
  exposition 
  wharf, 
  dur- 
  

   ing 
  which 
  time 
  many 
  thousands 
  of 
  people 
  from 
  all 
  parts 
  of 
  the 
  country 
  

   visited 
  her 
  and 
  expressed 
  great 
  interest 
  in 
  what 
  they 
  saw. 
  

  

  On 
  the 
  1st 
  of 
  March 
  the 
  steamer 
  left 
  New 
  Orleans 
  for 
  Pensaco'la, 
  

   making 
  soundings 
  and 
  dredgings 
  on 
  the 
  way. 
  From 
  the 
  6th 
  to 
  the 
  19th 
  

   the 
  time 
  was 
  occupied 
  in 
  an 
  examination 
  of 
  the 
  fishing-grounds 
  and 
  

   fisheries 
  off 
  the 
  west 
  coast 
  of 
  Florida, 
  especial 
  attention 
  being 
  given 
  to 
  

   the 
  red-snapper 
  banks 
  off 
  Cape 
  San 
  Bias, 
  which 
  were 
  visited 
  under 
  the 
  

   guidance 
  of 
  Mr. 
  Silas 
  Stearns, 
  of 
  Pensacola. 
  Capt. 
  Joseph 
  W. 
  Collins 
  

   was 
  also 
  on 
  board, 
  and 
  a 
  fall 
  account 
  of 
  the 
  investigation 
  will 
  be 
  found 
  

   n 
  his 
  report 
  in 
  the 
  appendix. 
  On 
  March 
  20 
  the 
  vessel 
  arrived 
  at 
  Key 
  

   West, 
  where 
  coal 
  was 
  taken 
  on 
  and 
  some 
  necess 
  ary 
  repairs 
  were 
  made. 
  

  

  On 
  the 
  30th 
  the 
  return 
  passage 
  to 
  Washington 
  was 
  begun, 
  and 
  un- 
  

   successful 
  attempts 
  were 
  made 
  to 
  take 
  tile-fish. 
  From 
  the 
  middle 
  of 
  the 
  

   Gulf 
  Stream 
  to 
  the 
  coast 
  and 
  for 
  some 
  distance 
  up 
  Chesapeake 
  Bay 
  a 
  

   line 
  of 
  soundings 
  and 
  a 
  set 
  of 
  serial 
  temperatures 
  were 
  taken, 
  which 
  are 
  

   likely 
  to 
  prove 
  of 
  great 
  value 
  in 
  connection 
  with 
  the 
  study 
  of 
  the 
  move- 
  

   ments 
  of 
  migratory 
  fish 
  at 
  this 
  season. 
  On 
  the 
  0th 
  o 
  f 
  April 
  the 
  vessel 
  

   was 
  again 
  at 
  the 
  Washington 
  navy-yard, 
  having 
  made 
  the 
  entire 
  cruise 
  

   without 
  any 
  notable 
  accident 
  or 
  loss. 
  

  

  The 
  next 
  trip 
  was 
  made 
  from 
  June 
  2 
  to 
  the 
  7th, 
  being 
  chiefly 
  in 
  search 
  

   for 
  tile-fish 
  off 
  the 
  mouth 
  of 
  the 
  Chesapeake 
  Bay 
  an 
  d 
  along 
  the 
  coast 
  

   towards 
  Cape 
  Hatteras. 
  None 
  were 
  taken, 
  but 
  much 
  trawling 
  and 
  

   dredging 
  was 
  done, 
  and 
  the 
  naturalists 
  obtain 
  ed 
  a 
  considerable 
  variety 
  

   of 
  deep-water 
  and 
  surface 
  forms 
  of 
  life. 
  

  

  The 
  summer 
  cruise 
  of 
  the 
  Albatross 
  was 
  begun 
  June 
  13, 
  when 
  she 
  

   left 
  the 
  Washington 
  navy-yard 
  under 
  instructions 
  to 
  visit 
  and 
  make.an 
  

   examination 
  of 
  the 
  Newfoundland 
  Banks. 
  Arriving 
  at 
  Newport, 
  further 
  

   preparations 
  were 
  made 
  for 
  the 
  cruise, 
  and 
  on 
  the 
  17th 
  she 
  again 
  pro- 
  

   ceeded 
  to 
  sea. 
  Two 
  reported 
  shoals 
  were 
  sounded 
  on, 
  in 
  accordance 
  

   with 
  a 
  request 
  from 
  the 
  Bureau 
  of 
  Navigation, 
  and 
  their 
  non-existence 
  

   was 
  verified. 
  Numerous 
  soundings 
  and 
  inves 
  tigations 
  of 
  the 
  bottom 
  at 
  

   various 
  portions 
  of 
  the 
  banks 
  were 
  made, 
  with 
  a 
  vie 
  w 
  of 
  furnishing 
  data 
  

   for 
  a 
  contour 
  map 
  of 
  the 
  fishing-banks, 
  while 
  the 
  usual 
  examinations 
  

   were 
  made 
  to 
  determine 
  the 
  biological 
  conditions 
  of 
  the 
  grounds. 
  Some 
  

   torpedoes 
  were 
  exploded 
  for 
  the 
  purpose 
  of 
  ascert 
  aining 
  the 
  results 
  on 
  

   the 
  marine 
  life 
  of 
  the 
  vicinity. 
  The 
  vessel 
  returned 
  to 
  Wood's 
  Holl 
  on 
  

   July 
  16, 
  where 
  she 
  remained 
  until 
  August 
  6, 
  making 
  necessary 
  repairs 
  

   and 
  preparing 
  for 
  a 
  fresh 
  trip 
  to 
  the 
  former 
  tile-fish 
  grounds. 
  

  

  During 
  August 
  and 
  September 
  two 
  trips 
  were 
  made 
  from 
  Wood's 
  

   Holi, 
  having 
  for 
  their 
  principal 
  object 
  the 
  investigation 
  of 
  grounds 
  

   where 
  tile-fish 
  were 
  formerly 
  found, 
  and 
  the 
  taking 
  of 
  specimens 
  of 
  that 
  

   fish 
  if 
  possible. 
  Much 
  valuable 
  scientific 
  work 
  was 
  done 
  in 
  dredg- 
  

   ing, 
  sounding, 
  taking 
  temperatures, 
  and 
  in 
  investigating 
  some 
  of 
  the 
  

  

  