ROCKFISH ROCKFORD. 



393 



the institution may be found in Gilmore's Outline 

 Hiftory of the University of Rochester. 



The University has Deen characterized by steady 

 growth in all the features which give strength and 

 stability to such an institution. It began its work in 

 1850 in rented quarters in an old hotel. It now owns a 

 beautiful campus of 23 acres on which are situated 3 

 large, costly buildings, amply providing for a library 

 of over 23,000 volumes, one of the best and most com- 

 plete geological and niineralogical collections in the 

 country, consisting of over 40.000 specimens, chapel 

 and lecture-rooms, and a chemical laboratory new and 

 complete in all its appointments. The value of property 

 and endowment has grown from $13.000. the amount 

 raised at the organization of the University, to very 

 nearly $1,000, 000. The faculty has been nearlydoubled 

 in numbers and now consists of 12 members, while the 

 courses of instruction have been more than doubled in 

 scope. 



There are several features which distinguish the 

 University of Rochester from most other colleges and 

 some which are peculiar to it. Among the former 

 may be mentioned the absence of dormitories, which 

 are rendered entirely unnecessary by the ample accom- 

 modations furnished to the students in private families. 

 Among the former is a system of "Honor courses," 

 which include a wide range of studies supplementing 

 and extending the regular curriculum, and designed 

 to develop to the utmost the capacity for independent 

 study and investigation. They are open to all students 

 who attain a certain standing in the regular course. 

 In most of them regular instruction is given, and they 

 all terminate in a written examination, entitling the 

 student to honorable mention, if successfully passed. 

 Another feature consists in Saturday morning lectures, 

 affording every student supplementary instruction for 

 one hour per week throughout the course, and includ- 

 ing elocution and composition, the Greek, Roman, 

 French, and German literatures, historical geography, 

 comparative philology, chemical physics, embryology, 

 eanitary science, and history of art and principles of 

 aesthetic criticism. 



Pres. _Anderson introduced at the beginning of 

 his administration a feature which he called "chapel 

 talks," consisting in the brief discussion before the 

 whole body of students of questions suggested by the 

 events of the day, especially with a view to pointing 

 out their significance, and exhibiting the historical, 

 social, and ethical principles involved. 



The University of Rochester exists primarily to give, 

 under Christian influences, that general and liberal cul- 

 ture which is felt to be essential to the highest suc- 

 cess in life, and to be thi, best preparation for special 

 and professional study. In the establishment and 

 modification of the curriculum, therefore, the aim has 

 been to secure a natural, logical order of studies; 

 thorough, continuous discipline ; and the greatest pos- 

 sible symmetry of culture by grounding the student in 

 the fundamental principles of all the great departments 

 of human knowledge. Election of studies is permitted 

 to a limited extent in the junior and senior years, and 

 even earlier when such election will not interfere with 

 the objects above mentioned. Of the scope of instruc- 

 tion Pres. Anderson says: "The organic law of 

 the University is such as to give free play to all the 

 elements in education which modern progress has 

 developed. In our curriculum we have retained the 

 studies which the world's experience has tried and 

 proved, and welcomed all new subjects whose promise 

 justified trial;" and he has further defined the end 

 which the institution seeks to attain for the student 

 as : "The foundation of correct moral and intellectual 

 habits through the scientific comprehension of speci- 

 men portions of the field of organized knowledge. 



Of these Pres. Anderson says : "The true aim of 



the teacher is to give breadth, culture, elevation, and 



power to the minds of his pupils. This aim we have 



set before ourselves in this institution. Each instructor 



VOL. IV. 2 



is expected to bring before his classes the results of 

 original thought and independent investigation, and 

 instead of a mere memoriter recitation, the student is 

 trained and encouraged to raise questions and suggest 

 ! difficulties. We have sought to make our instruction 

 at once historical, comparative, scientific, practical, and 

 personal" 



The alumni of the university now number about one 

 thousand, and nearly as many more have taken partial 

 courses. Of the alumni over 200 have entered the 

 Christian ministry, about 160 have studied law, 30 

 have studied medicine, 12 have become journalists, 

 while more than one hundred have made teaching 

 their life-work. Of the teachers, above 50 per cent, 

 have become professors in or presidents of colleges or 

 professional schools. 



At the close of the college year 1887-8 Rev. M. B. 

 Andei-son, I). D., retired from his work as president, 

 and Rev. David J. Hill, D. D., LL. D., who had 

 already discharged with conspicuous ability the duties 

 of president in the Buckneli University, Lewisburg, 

 Pa., was chosen his successor. (d. M. F.) 



ROCKFISH. the common name given to Rocciin 

 lineatiti, a member of the family Pcrcidce, which is 

 known also as the Striped Bass, and extends from the 

 Gulf of St. Lawrence to the Gulf of Mexico. From 

 the New Jersey coast northward it bears the name of 

 striped bass, but is called rockfish in the Delaware 

 River and southward. It is a strong, active, and 

 voracious fish, which annually ascends the rivers to 

 spawn, and remains in them through a considerable 

 portion of the season. It is non-migratory, being found 

 on the coast summer and winter, and caught in all the 

 rivers of the Eastern United States. Great numbers 

 are taken during the winter in Chesapeake Bay and 

 its tributaries. In the rivers of New Brunswick it is 

 taken in abundance in the winter by spearing through 

 the ice. 



At the time of the spring run of the shad the rivers 

 are well supplied with rockfish, which are then plump 

 and well fed, preying on the small river fishes. The 

 rockfish is said to lay as many as 2,250,000 eggs. The 

 young grow very rapidly, the mature fish attaining a 

 weight of 20 Ibs. , though individuals of 50 Ibs. have 

 been caught, and there is record of one weighing 112 

 Ibs. The rock is one of our most valuable food-fishes, 

 the flesh being firm and of fine flavor. As a game- 

 fish it ranks next to the salmon in popularity. It was 

 formerly very abundant in the waters of Cape Cod 

 Bay, but has been greatly reduced there, though not 

 evidently so farther south, from which region great 

 quantities are annually sent to market. It is taken 

 largely in the shad seines in the spring. It was intro- 

 duced by the U. S. Fish Commission into the waters 

 of California some years ago. A related species, 

 R. la/irrjx, is an important European fish. There are 

 three other North American species of Roccus, of 

 which R. Americamts, the white perch, is a favorite 

 pan or frying fish . 



Fishes of several other families are known as rock- 

 fish, this name being given in Bermuda to all the 

 species of the subgenus Mi/c.teroperca, which are large 

 and important food-fish. The log perch. I'ercina cti- 

 prodts, little perch-like fresh-water fishes, are also 

 known as rockfish. On the Pacific coast fishes of the 

 family Scorpunidrp. are commonly known as rockfish 

 and rock -cod. They are enormously abundant, of large 

 size and brilliant color, and are caught largely, all the 

 species being excellent food-fish. In average size they 

 are about 15 inches long, and 2 or 3 Ibs. weight, and 

 their rich and attractive hues give great brilliancy of 

 color to the San Francisco fish-stalls. (c. M.) 



ROCKFORD, a city of Illinois, the seat of Winne- 

 bago co., is on both sides of Rock River, 91 miles W. 

 of Chicago, on branches of the Chicago, Burlington, 

 and Quincy, the Chicago, Milwaukee, and St. Paul, 

 the Chicago and Northwestern, and the Illinois Central 

 Railroads. Three . railroad bridges and one w.igon 



