﻿I 
  -REPORT 
  ON 
  THE 
  WORK 
  OF 
  THE 
  UNITED 
  STATES 
  FISH 
  

   COMMISSION 
  STEAMER 
  ALBATROSS 
  FOR 
  THE 
  YEAR 
  ENDING 
  

   DECEMBER 
  31, 
  1885. 
  

  

  By 
  Lieut.-Commandek 
  Z. 
  L. 
  Tanner, 
  U. 
  S. 
  N., 
  Commanding. 
  

  

  The 
  Albatross 
  was 
  at 
  the 
  navy-yard, 
  Norfolk, 
  Va., 
  at 
  the 
  close 
  of 
  my 
  

   last 
  annual 
  report, 
  December 
  31, 
  1884. 
  All 
  preparations 
  for 
  sea 
  had 
  

   been 
  completed, 
  and 
  we 
  were 
  waiting 
  the 
  arrival 
  of 
  the 
  naturalists 
  who 
  

   were 
  to 
  join 
  us 
  for 
  the 
  winter's 
  cruise. 
  They 
  arrived 
  on 
  the 
  morning 
  of 
  

   January 
  3, 
  1885, 
  the 
  party 
  being 
  composed 
  of 
  Messrs. 
  Benedict, 
  Bean, 
  

   Collins, 
  and 
  Lee. 
  

  

  We 
  left 
  the 
  navy-yard 
  at 
  2.25 
  p. 
  in., 
  and 
  proceeded 
  to 
  sea 
  under 
  the 
  

   following 
  orders 
  : 
  

  

  U. 
  S. 
  Commission 
  op 
  Fish 
  and 
  Fisheries, 
  

  

  Washington, 
  D. 
  C, 
  December 
  20, 
  1884. 
  

   Capt. 
  Z. 
  L. 
  Tanner, 
  

  

  Commanding 
  steamer 
  Albatross, 
  

  

  Wavy- 
  Yard, 
  Washington, 
  D. 
  C. 
  

  

  Sir 
  : 
  After 
  making 
  the 
  necessary 
  preliminary 
  arrangements, 
  you 
  will 
  

   start 
  from 
  Washington, 
  in 
  the 
  Albatross, 
  on 
  or 
  about 
  January 
  5, 
  1885, 
  

   and 
  proceed 
  to 
  the 
  Gulf 
  of 
  Mexico, 
  for 
  the 
  purpose 
  of 
  making 
  a 
  careful 
  

   investigation 
  into 
  the 
  food-fishes 
  and 
  the 
  fisheries 
  of 
  that 
  body 
  of 
  water. 
  

  

  If 
  circumstances 
  favor, 
  you 
  will 
  make 
  a 
  trial 
  of 
  the 
  trawl-line 
  at 
  Cape 
  

   Hatteras 
  for 
  the 
  tile-fish, 
  selecting 
  the 
  most 
  suitable 
  region 
  kuown 
  to 
  

   you. 
  

  

  In 
  proceeding 
  to 
  the 
  Gulf 
  of 
  Mexico, 
  you 
  are 
  at 
  liberty 
  to 
  touch 
  at 
  

   any 
  of 
  the 
  principal 
  Atlantic 
  or 
  Gulf 
  ports 
  for 
  supplies, 
  or 
  for 
  such 
  

   other 
  purposes 
  as 
  you 
  may 
  deem 
  expedient. 
  On 
  all 
  such 
  occasions 
  you 
  

   will 
  report, 
  by 
  telegraph, 
  your 
  arrival, 
  probable 
  length 
  of 
  stay, 
  and 
  time 
  

   of 
  departure. 
  

  

  Letters 
  will 
  be 
  sent 
  to 
  you 
  at 
  Key 
  West 
  and 
  New 
  Orleans, 
  at 
  which 
  

   points 
  inquiry 
  should 
  be 
  made 
  for 
  them. 
  

  

  The 
  general 
  plan 
  of 
  the 
  service 
  in 
  question 
  is 
  left 
  to 
  your 
  discretion. 
  

   When 
  yon 
  touch 
  at 
  Pensacola, 
  you 
  will 
  call 
  upon 
  Mr. 
  Silas 
  Stearns, 
  of 
  

   the 
  fishing 
  firm 
  of 
  Warren 
  & 
  Co., 
  and 
  ask 
  suggestions 
  from 
  him 
  in 
  re- 
  

   gard 
  to 
  the 
  best 
  points 
  for 
  exploration. 
  This 
  gentleman 
  has 
  kindly 
  

   agreed 
  to 
  accompany 
  the 
  vessel 
  on 
  one 
  of 
  its 
  cruises, 
  and 
  you 
  will 
  ac- 
  

   cordingly 
  make 
  the 
  necessary 
  arrangements. 
  

  

  You 
  will 
  endeavor 
  to 
  ascertain 
  the 
  reasons 
  why 
  the 
  various 
  food- 
  

   fishes 
  affect 
  particular 
  localities, 
  so 
  as 
  to 
  obtain 
  data 
  for 
  deducing 
  the 
  

   probable 
  occurrence 
  of 
  certain 
  fishes 
  on 
  grounds 
  ascertained 
  to 
  possess 
  

   [11 
  3 
  

  

  