SIXTEENTH ANNUAL REPORT 107 



Albatross Expedition. — In February an arrangement was 

 made with the United States Bureau of Fisheries by which the 

 New York Zoological Society, the American Museum of Natural 

 History, the New York Botanical Garden and the United States 

 National Museum cooperated in a voyage of the United States 

 Fisheries Steampship Albatross to the Gulf of California. The 

 expedition was in charge of Dr. C. H. Townsend, Director of the 

 Aquarium, and the Albatross was in command of Comdr. G. H. 

 Burrage, U. S. N. 



The vessel sailed from San Diego, California, February 28, 

 1911, and the voyage was concluded at San Francisco April 28 

 1911. About one month was devoted to marine investigations 

 and inquiries respecting the fisheries of Lower California, and a 

 large collection of fishes and invertebrates was obtained chiefly 

 by deep sea dredging, some of the hauls being as deep as two 

 miles (1,760 fathoms). Another month w^as spent in a zoolog- 

 ical and botanical reconnaisance of the coastal region of the 

 Peninsula and the outlying islands. Large collections were made 

 of mammals, birds, reptiles and plants, among which were many 

 species new to science. 



An incident of the cruise that aroused the interest of zoolog- 

 ists generally, was the re-discovery of a herd of elephant seals on 

 Guadalupe Island, specimens of which were secured. The ele- 

 phant seal, a species long supposed to be extinct and about which 

 comparatively little is known, was carefully observed and photo- 

 graphed by Director Townsend, who published a special account 

 of it in Zoologica (Scientific Contributions of the New York Zoo- 

 logical Society) . He has also prepared an account of the fishery, 

 hydrographic and general results of the voyage for publication 

 by the United States Bureau of Fisheries. Special faunal papers 

 are in preparation for publication by the American Museum of 

 Natural History. A brief account of the scientific results was 

 published in the Zoological Society Bulletin for July, 1911. 



