REPORT OF THE 

 DIRECTOR OF THE AQUARIUM 



TO THE BOARD OF MANAGERS 



THE year 1920 has not passed without events of importance 

 to the Aquarium. 



Through the financial aid of the Zoological Society an ex- 

 cellent collecting boat has been acquired which has made possible 

 a great improvement in exhibits; an increase in exhibition space 

 has been secured by the enlargement of tanks, and at the close 

 of the year improvements have been authorized which will permit 

 of the construction of additional tanks. 



The attendance, which fell off to some extent during the war, 

 has returned to almost the pre-war figures of over two millions. 



The collecting boat Seahorse was in service from May 29 to 

 November 8, and on November 18 was hauled out for the winter. 

 The boat made twenty-six trips, collecting over 3,000 fishes of 

 sixty diff'erent species. In addition to fishes, more than a thou- 

 sand crustaceans, mollusks, and other invertebrates useful both 

 as exhibits and as fish food were brought in. 



The dimensions of the Seahorse are as follows : Length, 35 

 feet; beam, 11 feet; draught, 3Vo feet; length of forward cabin, 

 10 feet ; length of after cabin, 7 feet ; the well amidships is 10 

 feet long at the bottom, with the width and depth of the boat. 

 There are berths for four men. The boat has a 25 horse-power 

 engine, is sloop-rigged and is thoroughly staunch and seaworthy. 



With the exception of one cruise in Long Island Sound, all 

 the collecting was done in lower New York Bay in the vicinity of 

 Sandy Hook. Collections were made partly by seining, but 

 chiefly by visiting the numerous large pound nets located in the 

 lower bay and making selections from the heavy catches of the 

 commercial fishermen. As a rule trips were made only once a 



