620 REPORT OF COMMISSIONER OF FISH AND FISHERIES. [16] 



lowered the trawl in 438 fathoms, gray sand, latitude 29° 16' 30" N., 

 longitude 79° 36' 30" W. Five hauls were made during the day be- 

 tween the above position and latitude 29° 47' N., longitude 80° 05' 45" 

 W., in 263 fathoms, fine gray sand. The first three hauls brought up 

 large masses of branching coral of various species, besides a few fish, 

 sea-urchins, shrimp, &c. The last two had very little coral, but a 

 variety of other specimens, among which were several species of crabs, 

 mollusca, worm-tubes, shrimp, sea-urchins, and numerous species of 

 fish. The surface net and submarine light were used successfully dur- 

 ing the evening. 



The working ground of the day was under the bed of the Gulf 

 Stream and extended diagonally across its course. At 9 p. m. we 

 started ahead to the northward and eastward, and at 5. 20 a. m., May 5, 

 lowered the trawl in 270 fathoms, gray sand, latitude 30° 47' 30" N., 

 longitude 79° 49' W. Seven hauls were made during the day between 

 the above position and latitude 31° 31' X., longitude 79° 05' W.,in 277 

 fathoms, coarse brown sand. The results of the day's work were re- 

 markable for the enormous loads of coral brought up by the trawl 

 and tangles. Other specimens were taken in considerable numbers 

 also, among which may be mentioned hydroids, siliceous sponges, sea- 

 urchins, sea-anemones, and several varieties of fish. A large porpoise 

 was caught during the day, audits skeleton preserved for the National 

 Museum. 



The bottom was so thickly covered with coral that the trawl was 

 soon wrecked, and the tangles were used in subsequent hauls. A re- 

 markable feature of the day's work was the capture of nine sharks, of a 

 species unfamiliar to us. One of them was preserved in salt for future 

 examination at the laboratory of the National Museum. The stomach 

 of one was found to contain about a gallon of oil of a reddish tint, which 

 smelled like ordinary fish-oil. Unfortunately most of it was lost, but 

 we saved about half a pint for examination. The presence of this large 

 quantity of oil in a shark's stomach shows that it had fed bountifully 

 on it a short time before, but it would be difficult to conjecture where 

 it could have found it. The stomach contained nothing else. 



We steamed to the northward and eastward during the night, and 

 at 5.17 a. m. on the 6th lowered the trawl in 240 fathoms, gray sand 

 and coral, latitude 32° 26' N., longitude 77° 43' 30" W., and made seven 

 hauls during the day between that position and latitude 32° 40' N., 

 longitude 76° 40' 30" W., in 7S2 fathoms, light gray ooze. 



The results of the day's work were very satisfactory. The earlier 

 hauls were on coral bottom and the nets were badly cut, but later iu 

 the day, after reaching deeper waters, we found smooth bottom, from 

 which we brought up a great number and variety of specimens. The 

 various forms of deep-sea fish were unusually abundant, besides sea- 

 anemones, corals, hydroids, hermit-crabs, shrimp, cephalopods, pennat- 

 ulaj, squid, shells, glass sponges, ophiurans, holothurians, &c. The 



