XV.-CONTRIBUTIONS TO THE KNOWLEDGE OF THE CHEMICAL 

 COMPOSITION AND NUTRITIVE VALUES OF AMERICAiN FOOD- 

 FISHES AND INVERTEBRATES. 



By W. O. Atwater, Ph. D., 

 Professor of Chemistry, Wesleyan Universtty, Middletoion, Conn. 



The report of the Commissioner of Fish and Fisheries for 1880 con- 

 tained a preliminary "report of progress" of an investigation of the 

 subject named as title of this article. The investigation has since been 

 ])rosecuted as time and' circumstances allowed, so that a considerable 

 amount of material has accumulated. It is my aim to collate and pre- 

 pare this for publication as soon as may be. Meanwhile, at the request 

 of the editor, I state here a few of the results of that branch of the 

 research Avhich has to do more particularly with the nutritive values 

 of the fish and invertebrates. 

 The investigation embraces — 



I. Chemical analyses of the flesh of American food-fishes and 

 invertebrates. 

 II. Experiments upon the digestibility of the flesh of fish. 

 III. Studies of the constitution of the flesh of fish, 



I. Chemical analyses of the flesh of the American foodflshes and inverte- 

 brates. 



The larger part of the results obtained in the chemical analyses are 

 of interest chiefly in their bearing ujjon the nutritive values of the 

 materials. A not inconsiderable portion of the work done in connec- 

 tion with the analyses has, nevertheless, like the study of the constitu- 

 tion of the flesh, been of a decidedly theoretical tendency. Indeed, I 

 can see no reason why I should not frankly say that, so far as my own 

 couuection with the investigatious is concerned my chief interest in it 

 has been that of the biological chemist, a sentiment which I think is 

 warranted, if by no higher considerations, by the very simple fact that 

 in the present condition of human knowledge and progTess the most 

 abstract research is a condition of the best practical results. The 

 investigation in its present status includes the cliemical analyses ol^ — 



(a) Flesh of fish 118 specimens of 51 species. 



(&) Flesh, &c., of invertebrates 64 specimens of 11 species. 



Total food-fishes and invertebrates . 182 specimens of 62 species. 

 [1] • 433 



H. Mis. 67— -28 



