26 



fish, and Striped Bass, at New York Harbor. Alewives, at the Mystic 

 Kiver, Massachusetts. Additional Bass, at Niles, Michigan, ami Missis- 

 sippi Catfish {^Grystes Sahnonides), or Mississippi Bass, at the Elkhorn 

 Eiver. 



I dispatched Mr. M. L. Perrin to New Jersey, for the Catfish, and hav- 

 ing stowed them safelj^ away at the Cold Spring Trout Ponds, detailed 

 him again, to take charge of the Woods' Hole and Boston fish, which 

 were to be brought from Boston in a special car, with the reserves of 

 ocean water, the night previous to the departure of the aquarium car 

 for California. I then sent Mr. Myron Green and Mr. Waldo Hubbard 

 for the New York fish, and Mr. E. C. Forbes was sent to Castletou, to 

 get the Sha<l and Eels. Mr. Eichard Hubbard I retained at Charles- 

 town, to assist me there. I also telegraphed to Mr. George H. Jerome, 

 of Michigan, to intercept the train at Niles, with the Michigan fish, and 

 Mr. George J3emis, of Omaha, to do the same at the Elkhorn liiver, with 

 the Nebraska fish. 



In the meantime I devoted myself to completing the arrangements of 

 the aquarium car. These, when finished, maj' be described as follows: 

 At the forward end of the car, and occupying the entire width of it, 

 was a large fresh- water tank, made of two-inch pine plank, lined inside 

 with tin and bound firmly on the outside with iron rods. It was nine 

 feet square and three feet high, and held upwards of sixteen hundred 

 gallons, or about seven tons of water. The top of the tank, which was 

 also of two-inch plank — was provided with doors which could be opened 

 and shu-t, and air holes for ventilation. Just over the tanks and passing 

 horizontally through a circular hole in the forward end of the car, 

 was a large tin pipe, arranged on the outside to receive water from the 

 railway tanks along the road. By this arrangement we could throw 

 into our large tank a ton of water a minute. The tank was also pro- 

 vided witli an outlet through the bottom of the car for draining off the 

 waste water. The top of the tank was provided on each side with racks 

 for holding ice. 



In the center of the car and occupying about six feet of the length 

 of it, were four berths, built up against either side, and extending out 

 from the wall about two feet, leaving a passageway of five feet between. 

 Beyond the berths, cupboards and shelves were constructed on one side, 

 the other being left vacant for the boxes of Lobsters. At the rear end 

 of the car, were two salt-water tanks, of tvvo-iuch plank, each nine feet 

 long, four feet wide, and three feet high, holding about seven hundred 

 uud fifty gallons, or upwards of three tons of water each. These were 

 covered at the top with two-inch plank and furnished with doors like 

 the fresh-water tank. Just in front of the salt-water tanks were the 

 revolving belt and counter-shaft, and about eight feet back and nearly 

 at the roof of the car, were the two air-pumps, from which extended 

 forward again, through the car, the system of aerating hose. All the 

 spare space was occupied wdth movable tanks containing the different 

 varieties of fish. 



Besides these larger objects of the furniture of the car, there were a 

 hundred smaller articles for the emergencies of the journey, as, for 

 instance, thermometers, pails, nets, etc. 



The fourth of June was set for the day of our departure. On that 

 day and the daj^ previous there were at least fifty men working at 

 Charlestown, and at tlie other points of rendezvous, for the expected 

 journey. Through the help of telegraphic communication everj^ man 

 was at his post at the required moment, and every man performed his 



