﻿[1M] 
  WORK 
  OF 
  STEAMER 
  ALBATROSS. 
  21 
  

  

  tude 
  73° 
  28' 
  W., 
  and 
  another 
  at 
  5.40 
  a. 
  m., 
  in 
  1430 
  fathoms, 
  No. 
  704, 
  

   latitude 
  30° 
  57' 
  30" 
  K, 
  longitude 
  73° 
  47' 
  W. 
  A 
  water 
  specimen 
  was 
  

   taken 
  at 
  4,000 
  fathoms, 
  in 
  a 
  new 
  water-bottle, 
  intended 
  to 
  retain 
  the 
  free 
  

   gases 
  in 
  sea-water, 
  and, 
  as 
  far 
  as 
  we 
  could 
  judge, 
  with 
  complete 
  suc- 
  

   cess. 
  The 
  specimen 
  was 
  retained 
  in 
  the 
  bottle 
  for 
  transportation 
  to 
  the 
  

   Smithsonian 
  Institution. 
  

  

  Wind 
  and 
  sea 
  increased 
  rapidly 
  during 
  the 
  forenoon, 
  making 
  the 
  tem- 
  

   perature 
  work 
  exceedingly 
  difficult. 
  Another 
  sounding 
  and 
  serial 
  tem- 
  

   peratures 
  were 
  taken 
  at 
  40.25 
  a. 
  m. 
  in 
  1208 
  fathoms, 
  latitude 
  37° 
  04' 
  08" 
  

   N., 
  longitude 
  74° 
  40' 
  W., 
  and 
  at 
  42.25 
  p. 
  in. 
  the 
  course 
  to 
  the 
  westward 
  

   was 
  resumed 
  until 
  2.30 
  p. 
  in., 
  when 
  the 
  vessel 
  was 
  hove 
  to 
  under 
  steam, 
  

   head 
  to 
  wind, 
  which 
  at 
  the 
  time 
  was 
  blowing 
  a 
  fresh 
  westerly 
  gale, 
  with 
  

   rough 
  sea. 
  At 
  G.20 
  p. 
  m. 
  a 
  sounding 
  was 
  taken 
  with 
  serial 
  tempera- 
  

   tures 
  in 
  33G 
  fathoms, 
  latitude 
  37° 
  09' 
  23" 
  K, 
  longitude 
  74° 
  30' 
  30" 
  W., 
  

   and 
  at 
  10.40 
  p. 
  m. 
  the 
  engines 
  were 
  stopped 
  and 
  the 
  vessel 
  allowed 
  to 
  

   drift, 
  as 
  we 
  were 
  near 
  our 
  intended 
  working 
  ground. 
  

  

  At 
  G.20 
  a. 
  m., 
  April 
  5, 
  we 
  cast 
  the 
  trawl 
  in 
  404 
  fathoms, 
  sand, 
  mud, 
  

   and 
  gravel, 
  latitude 
  37° 
  03' 
  20" 
  K., 
  longitude 
  74° 
  31' 
  40" 
  W., 
  and 
  took 
  

   large 
  numbers 
  of 
  Hunidas, 
  several 
  species 
  of 
  fish, 
  ophiurans, 
  starfish, 
  

   &c. 
  After 
  the 
  haul 
  was 
  finished, 
  we 
  made 
  an 
  unsuccessful 
  trial 
  with 
  

   hand-lines 
  for 
  tile-fish. 
  Dogfish 
  were 
  plentiful, 
  however, 
  and 
  several 
  

   were 
  taken. 
  A 
  change 
  of 
  position 
  brought 
  no 
  better 
  success, 
  dogfish 
  

   only 
  being 
  taken. 
  We 
  made 
  the 
  trial 
  in 
  this 
  particular 
  spot 
  from 
  the 
  fact 
  

   that 
  it 
  corresponded 
  more 
  nearly 
  with 
  the 
  region 
  otf 
  Martha's 
  Vine- 
  

   yard, 
  where 
  tile-fish 
  have 
  been 
  taken, 
  than 
  any 
  other 
  locality 
  on 
  the 
  

   Atlantic 
  coast. 
  The 
  fauna 
  is 
  much 
  the 
  same, 
  the 
  character 
  of 
  the 
  bot- 
  

   tom 
  is 
  similar, 
  and 
  the 
  temperature 
  of 
  the 
  water 
  corresponds 
  with 
  that 
  

   off 
  the 
  New 
  England 
  coast 
  later 
  in 
  the 
  season. 
  This 
  trial, 
  though 
  fail- 
  

   ing 
  to 
  show 
  any 
  indications 
  of 
  the 
  presence 
  of 
  these 
  fish, 
  should 
  not 
  be 
  

   considered 
  conclusive. 
  They 
  may 
  be 
  migratory 
  in 
  their 
  habits, 
  and 
  as 
  

   none 
  were 
  ever 
  taken 
  earlier 
  than 
  August, 
  they 
  may 
  not 
  as 
  yet 
  have 
  

   reached 
  that 
  locality; 
  even 
  if 
  they 
  were 
  there 
  it 
  is 
  not 
  at 
  all 
  certain 
  that 
  

   they 
  would 
  take 
  a 
  hook 
  so 
  early 
  in 
  the 
  season. 
  The 
  presence 
  of 
  dog- 
  

   fish 
  in 
  such 
  large 
  numbers 
  would 
  of 
  itself 
  account 
  to 
  fishermen 
  for 
  their 
  

   failure 
  to 
  take 
  other 
  fish. 
  

  

  Having 
  finished 
  the 
  trials 
  above 
  mentioned, 
  we 
  started 
  for 
  Washing- 
  

   ton, 
  continuing 
  the 
  line 
  of 
  soundings 
  and 
  serial 
  temperatures 
  to 
  the 
  

   Capes, 
  up 
  Chesapeake 
  Bay, 
  and 
  to 
  Piney 
  Point 
  in 
  the 
  Potomac, 
  obser- 
  

   vations 
  being 
  made 
  at 
  intervals 
  of 
  20 
  miles 
  or 
  less. 
  

  

  This 
  series 
  of 
  temperatures 
  from 
  the 
  middle 
  of 
  the 
  Gulf 
  .Stream 
  to 
  the 
  

   coast, 
  taken 
  at 
  this 
  particular 
  season 
  of 
  the 
  year, 
  when 
  so 
  many 
  of 
  the 
  

   migratory 
  fishes 
  are 
  making 
  their 
  appearance 
  in 
  our 
  waters, 
  will 
  prove 
  

   of 
  great 
  value 
  in 
  the 
  study 
  of 
  the 
  movements 
  of 
  these 
  fish. 
  The 
  ques- 
  

   tion 
  of 
  water 
  temperatures 
  must 
  enter 
  largely 
  into 
  the 
  investigation 
  of 
  

   this 
  important 
  subject, 
  and, 
  although 
  its 
  influence 
  has 
  to 
  a 
  certain 
  ex- 
  

   tent 
  been 
  recognized, 
  it 
  seems 
  probable 
  that 
  it 
  will 
  be 
  given 
  greater 
  

   consideration 
  by 
  future 
  investigators. 
  

  

  