REPORT OF COMMISSIONER OF FISH AND FISHERIES. 67 
No. XIV. Birds from the coasts of western North America and adjacent islands, 
collected in 1888-89, with descriptions of new species. By Chas. H. Townsend, resi- . 
_ dent naturalist of the steamer Albatross. (Proc. U.S. N.M., 1890, pp. 131 to 142.) 
No. XV. Reptiles from the Clarion and Socorro islands and the Gulf of California, 
_ with descriptions of a new species. By Chas. H. Townsend, resident naturalist of the 
steamer Albatross. (Proc. U.S. N.M., 1890, pp. 143, 144.) 
No. XVI. Plants collected in 1889 at Socorro and Clarion islands, Pacific Ocean. 
By Dr. Geo. Vasey and J.N. Rose, botanist and assistant botanist, Department of 
Agriculture. (Proc. U.S. N.M., 1890, pp. 145 to 149.) 
No. XVII. Descriptions of new West American land, fresh-water, and marine 
shells, with notes and comments. By Robert E. C. Stearns, adjunct curator of the 
department of mollusks. (Proc. U. 8. N. M., 1890, pp. 205 to 225). 
No. XVIII. Lists of fishes obtained in the harbor of Bahia, Brazil, and in adjacent 
waters. By David Starr Jordan, president of the University of Indiana. (Proc. 
U.S. N. M., 1890, pp. 313 to 336.) 
No. XIX. A supplementary list of fishes colle®ted at the Galapagos Islands and 
Panama, with descriptions of one new genus and three new species. By Charles H. 
Gilbert, professor of zoblogy, University of Indiana. (Proc. U.S. N. M., 1890, pp. 
449 to 455). 
During the period covering the months from February to May, 1891, 
the Fish Commission steamer Albatross, by special authorization of the 
President, made an extended cruise along the west coast of Central 
America and the Galapagos Islands, including also the west coast of 
Mexico and the Gulf of California. The scientific work of the vessel 
was under the direction of Prof. Alexander Agassiz, of the Museum 
of Comparative Zodlogy, Cambridge, Mass. The specimens collected 
were taken in charge by him, and groups distributed to specialists for 
examination and report, and the results will be duly published. 
The distribution of the publications of the Commission consisted of 
1,953 copies of the Reports, 2,045 copies of the Bulletins, and about 6,500 
copies of articles, in pamphlet form, extracted from the Reports and 
Bulletins. In addition to these there were issued 1,572 copies of the 
reports prepared by the Commission in conjunction with the Tenth 
Census on the “Fisheries and Fishery Industries of the United States,” 
and 1,278 copies of the report from the Committee on Merchant Marine 
and Fisheries of the House of Representatives in an “Investigation of 
the Fur-Seal and other Fisheries of Alaska” (Report No. 38383, House 
of Representatives, Fiftieth Congress, second session), of which a num- 
_ber were assigned by act of Congress to this Commission. 
+ 
The accessions to the library, mainly obtained through gift and ex- 
change for the publications of the Commission, embraced 1,694 volumes, 
including pamphlets and periodicals. Of these 457 related to fish, fish- 
culture, and the fisheries, and 1,237 to geology, botany, zodlogy, and the 
natural sciences in general. 
i ale 
