SCIENCE. 



[Vol. II., No. 22. 



thoroughlj' sea-going steamer for the ex- 

 press purpose of investigating our maritime 

 fisheries, in botli a scientific and practical 

 manner, by means of every known appliance 

 suited to the work. This new undertaking 

 is but an advance step in the progressive 

 work of the U. S. fish-commission, under 

 the able and judicious management of Pro- 

 fessor Baird, and was demanded by the urgent 

 necessitj' for a more extended knowledge of 

 our off-shore fishing areas. The initiative 

 in this direction was taken some three or 

 four 3'ears ago, when Congress sanctioned the 

 building of the steamer Fish Hawk, in the 

 combined interests of fish culture and ex- 

 ploration. Previously, small naval steamers 

 had been adapted to the requirements of 

 the fish-commission as their services were 

 needed ; and, considering the pioneer char- 



high seas, chasing schools of fish, or diving 

 beneath the surface with the dredge and 

 trawl. 



The Albatross is a twin-screw propeller, 

 rigged as a brigantine, and was built at Wil- 

 mington, Del., during 1882, by the Pusey & 

 Jones Company, who were also the builders of 

 the steamer Fish Hawk. She was designed 

 by Mr. Charles W. Copeland, consulting 

 engineer of the U. S. lighthouse board ; and 

 her entire construction and subsequent prep- 

 aration for service have been under the 

 immediate supervision of her present com- 

 mander, Lieut. Commander Z. L. Tanner, 

 U.S.N. The launch was successfullj^ made 

 Aug. 19 ; and the work of fitting up the 

 various quarters and of arranging the scien- 

 tific appliances was rapidly pushed to com- 

 pletion. The trial trip began Feb. 9, 1883 ; 



SITUDINAL SECTION OP UNITED STATES FISH-COMMISSION STEAMER ALBATROSS. 



1. Topgallant forecastle; 2. Fish-davit; 3. Sigsbee Boanding-machine; 4. Dredgine-engine; 5. Lower end of dredging-boom; 

 6. Dredge-rope ; 7. Pilot-house; 8. Chart-room; 9. Upper laboratory; 10. Naturalists' staterooms; 11. Steam-drum; 12. Galley;. 

 13. Upper engine-room; 14. Entrance to wardroom; 15. Poop-cabin; 16. Storerooms; 17. Fore-passage; 18. Berlh-decls; 



acter of their work, they rendered valuable 

 aid. 



In associating fish-culture with scientific 

 investigation, some sacrifice had to be made 

 at the expense of one or other of these 

 IDrojects ; as no steamer, built to enter the 

 shallow rivers and indentures of our coast- 

 line, could venture with safety to any dis- 

 tance from land. Fish-breeding was at that 

 time considered the more important ; and the 

 Fish Hawk, with her shallow draught of 

 water, must confine her operations to the 

 vicinity of the coast ; and yet, from a pe- 

 rusal of recent papers in this journal bj' 

 Professor Verrill, it will be seen that her 

 contributions to biology have been surpris- 

 ingly- great. The Albatross, however, as 

 the new steamer has been christened, will, 

 like her namesake, make her home upon the 



and at the time of writing she is making her 

 first long cruise. 



In the construction of the Albatross, sev- 

 eral novel features in marine architecture 

 have been introduced ; as past experience has 

 proved that the ordinaiy form of hull is but 

 poorly suited to the work of deep-sea dredg- 

 ing and trawling. The most important mod- 

 ification is at the stern, which has been 

 sharply modelled to enable her to back readily 

 and safelj^ in a seaway-, her usual method 

 of propulsion while engaged in this class of 

 work. The rudder and its attachments have 

 also been made of extra strength to withstand 

 the hard service to which thej' are theiveby 

 subjected. 



The greatest length of the vessel is two hun- 

 dred and thirty-four feet ; and the length at the 

 ordinary water-line, with a draught of twelve 



