Mat 25, 1SS3.] 



SCIENCE. 



445 



Under these circumstances, the dredging and 

 the care of the specimens were uniisuallj' tire- 

 some : otherwise our enthusiasm would, per- 



FlG. 1. — The beam-trawl. The length of the 

 beam, a, a, varies from 12 to 15 feet in those used by 

 us. The height of the iron runners, 6, h, supporting 

 the beam, varies from 24 to 30 inches; the length of 

 the net, d, from 25 to 35 feet or more. The pockets, e, 

 within the net, are to prevent the escape of fishes. 

 The drag-rope, c, c, is weighted with lead sinkers. 



haps, not have allowed us to retire, even at 

 midnight. But a touch of genuine seasickness 

 will dampen the ardor even of the most enthu- 

 siastic naturalists when hundreds of new and 

 strange species are before them. 



This first trip having been so successful, two 

 others were made, later in the season, to other 

 parts of the slope, in depths ranging from 85 

 to 500 fathoms. Each trip proved equally' 

 productive, and added many species to the 

 long list of discoveries. 



In 1880 the headquarters of the fish-com- 

 mission were at Newport, R.I. ; but in 1881 

 and 1882 thej' were at Wood's Holl, Mass., 

 where a laborator}- had already' been fitted up 

 in 1875. In 1881 and 1882 the exploration 

 of the Gulf Stream slope was continued, when- 

 ever the weather was sufBcieutly favorable to 

 permit us to make a trip in the Fish Hawk 

 ■without too much risk. 



The steamer Fish Hawk, with which we 

 have explored this region during the past three 

 seasons, was built particularity for use in the 

 hatching of shad-eggs in the mouths of shal- 

 low rivers, and was therefore not adapted for 

 service at sea, unless in fine weather. A much 

 larger iron steamer — the Albatross, of 1,000 

 tons — has recently been built for the use of 

 the fish-commission, and is now being fitted 

 up expressly for deep-sea service, for which 

 she will be in every respect well adapted, and 

 will have the best equipment possible for such 

 investigations at all depths. The examina- 

 tion of the bottom beyond the depth of about 



700 fathoms has, therefore, been deferred until 

 the completion of the Albatross. 



In addition to the three trips made in 1880, 

 seven trips were made hy us in 1881 from 

 Wood's Holl, and in 1882 five trips. During 

 these fifteen trips, on each of which a single 

 entire daj- was usuall}' employed in dredging, 

 we occupied about 113 stations. At nearly 

 all these stations we used a large beam-trawl 

 of improved construction (fig. 1). In a few 



Fig. 2. — The rake-dredge rigged for use. The 

 iron frame cari-ying the teeth, d, is about 3 feet wide; 

 the teeth, about a foot long. The frame, a, carrying 

 the net, 6, is 4 feet long; c is a canvas bag to pro- 

 tect the net. 



instances we used a large rake-dredge (fig. 2). 

 On every trip fine surface-nets, or towing- 



