﻿4 
  REPORT 
  OF 
  COMMISSIONER 
  OF 
  FISH 
  AND 
  FISHERIES. 
  [2] 
  

  

  t 
  he 
  appropriate 
  food 
  or 
  physical 
  characteristics. 
  You 
  will 
  locate 
  on 
  the 
  

   charts 
  the 
  known 
  banks 
  where 
  the 
  fish 
  are 
  found, 
  as 
  well 
  as 
  the 
  new 
  

   oik's 
  that 
  may 
  be 
  discovered. 
  

  

  The 
  fullest 
  information 
  as 
  to 
  the 
  habits 
  and 
  characteristics 
  of 
  the 
  fish 
  

   met 
  with 
  should 
  be 
  gathered 
  and 
  recorded. 
  

  

  You 
  will 
  make 
  New 
  Orleans, 
  in 
  the 
  vicinity 
  of 
  the 
  Exposition 
  build- 
  

   ing, 
  a 
  special 
  point 
  of 
  resort, 
  coming 
  in 
  from 
  time 
  to 
  time, 
  and 
  landing 
  

   such 
  of 
  the 
  collections 
  as 
  it 
  is 
  considered 
  expedient 
  to 
  display 
  in 
  the 
  Gov- 
  

   ern 
  ment 
  building 
  or 
  to 
  send 
  at 
  once 
  to 
  Washington. 
  Arrangements 
  

   will 
  be 
  made, 
  if 
  possible, 
  for 
  a 
  specialist 
  connected 
  with 
  the 
  Commis- 
  

   sion 
  to 
  be 
  on 
  hand 
  at 
  New 
  Orleans 
  and 
  take 
  charge 
  of 
  these 
  collections. 
  

  

  Unless 
  for 
  special 
  reasons, 
  it 
  is 
  not 
  desired 
  to 
  have 
  the 
  cruise 
  occupy 
  

   a 
  longer 
  period 
  than 
  three 
  or 
  three 
  and 
  a 
  half 
  months. 
  Suggestions, 
  

   however, 
  from 
  you 
  as 
  to 
  curtailing 
  or 
  extending 
  this 
  time 
  will 
  receive 
  

   attention 
  ; 
  much 
  will 
  necessarily 
  depend 
  upon 
  the 
  cost 
  of 
  coal 
  and 
  # 
  otlfer 
  

   elements 
  of 
  maintenance 
  chargeable 
  to 
  the 
  Commission. 
  

  

  The 
  scientific 
  staff 
  for 
  the 
  cruise 
  will 
  consist, 
  as 
  heretofore, 
  of 
  Mr. 
  

   Benedict 
  as 
  chief 
  naturalist, 
  who 
  will 
  be 
  assisted 
  by 
  Mr. 
  Thomas 
  Lee. 
  

   Captain 
  Collins 
  will 
  probably 
  start 
  with 
  you 
  and 
  aid 
  in 
  the 
  experiments 
  

   as 
  to 
  the 
  methods 
  of 
  fishing, 
  and 
  you 
  will 
  ask 
  his 
  advice 
  in 
  such 
  mat- 
  

   ters, 
  as 
  already 
  intimated. 
  Mr. 
  Silas 
  Stearns, 
  of 
  Pensacola, 
  may 
  be 
  able 
  

   to 
  accompany 
  you 
  on 
  one 
  or 
  more 
  of 
  your 
  trips, 
  as 
  may 
  be 
  convenient 
  

   to 
  him 
  and 
  yourself; 
  and 
  it 
  is 
  not 
  impossible 
  that 
  for 
  part 
  of 
  the 
  cruise 
  

   the 
  services 
  of 
  Dr. 
  Bean 
  may 
  be 
  substituted 
  for 
  those 
  of 
  Captain 
  Col- 
  

   lins. 
  This 
  special 
  service 
  will 
  not 
  include, 
  however, 
  more 
  than 
  four 
  

   persons. 
  

  

  Should 
  there 
  be 
  any 
  other 
  points 
  in 
  regard 
  to 
  which 
  you 
  desire 
  in- 
  

   structions 
  or 
  suggestions, 
  I 
  shall 
  be 
  pleased 
  to 
  have 
  you 
  call 
  attention 
  

   to 
  them. 
  

  

  Respectfully, 
  SPENCER 
  F. 
  BAIRD, 
  

  

  Commissioner. 
  

  

  IT. 
  S. 
  Commission 
  of 
  Fish 
  and 
  Fisheries, 
  

  

  Washington, 
  1). 
  C, 
  December 
  19, 
  1884. 
  

   Capt. 
  Z. 
  L. 
  Tanner, 
  

  

  Commanding 
  steamer 
  Albatross, 
  

  

  Navy-Yard, 
  Washington, 
  I). 
  C. 
  

   Sir, 
  : 
  If 
  it 
  can 
  be 
  done 
  during 
  any 
  part 
  of 
  your 
  cruise, 
  without 
  in 
  any 
  

   way 
  interfering 
  with 
  the 
  service 
  or 
  increasing 
  the 
  expense, 
  I 
  should 
  be 
  

   glad 
  to 
  have 
  you 
  make 
  a 
  special 
  examination 
  of 
  the 
  food 
  fishes 
  and 
  

   mollusks 
  in 
  the 
  vicinity 
  of 
  the 
  island 
  of 
  Cozumel, 
  off 
  the 
  coast 
  of 
  

   Yucatan, 
  and 
  winch 
  is 
  said 
  to 
  be 
  very 
  rich 
  in 
  such 
  products. 
  

  

  Should 
  it 
  be 
  convenient 
  to 
  do 
  so, 
  without 
  in 
  any 
  way 
  interfering 
  

   with 
  the 
  proper 
  service 
  of 
  the 
  vessel, 
  I 
  wish 
  also 
  to 
  have 
  a 
  careful 
  ex- 
  

   ploration 
  made 
  of 
  the 
  natural 
  history 
  of 
  the 
  island, 
  especially 
  of 
  the 
  

   birds, 
  mammals, 
  and 
  reptiles, 
  which 
  will 
  probably 
  furnish 
  a 
  field 
  of 
  in- 
  

   teresting 
  research. 
  

   Respectfully, 
  

  

  SPENCER 
  F. 
  BAIRD, 
  

  

  Commissioner. 
  

  

  The 
  wind 
  was 
  moderate 
  from 
  the 
  eastward, 
  with 
  cloudy 
  weather, 
  clear- 
  

   ing 
  during 
  the 
  evening; 
  the 
  barometer 
  was 
  unusually 
  high, 
  touching 
  

   31.10 
  at 
  noon, 
  the 
  highest 
  point 
  I 
  recollect 
  ever 
  having 
  seen 
  it 
  on 
  the 
  

  

  