704 KANSAS CITY REVIEW OF SCIENCE. 
SCL NPAC Wits Cali ANG 
DEEP SEA DREDGING. 
In the opinion of Prof. A. E. Verrill of Yale College, the recent deep-sea 
dredging expedition off the coast of Rhode Island, on the edge of the Gulf 
Stream, under the auspices of the United States Fish Commission, proved the 
most successful ever sent out by this or any other country. In three days more 
specimens were obtained than by any other expedition in as many months. In 
deed, the English expedition on the Challenger, which was at work deep-sea 
dredging for five years continuously, did not accomplish more or get a larger 
collection. 
The dredging was done from seventy-five to one hundred and fifteen miles. 
south of Newport, in the region known on the charts as Block Island soundings, 
the depth of the water being from one-quarter to three-quarters of a mile. The 
specially constructed steamer Fish Hawk, fitted up with the most approved scien- 
tific appliances, was used, and the expedition was under the direct charge of Prof. 
Baird of Washington. The ground was especially favorable. A peculiar beam 
trawl was used for scraping the bottom of the ocean. It was a net forty or fifty 
feet long. The mouth of it was spread open by an oak beam fifteen feet long and 
six inches in diameter. The beam rested upon heavy iron runners, to keep the 
net-work bag about two feet off of the bottom. The lower side of the mouth of 
the net was formed of a receding rope, weighted with lead. This rope dragged 
along the bottom and scraped the shell-fish, shells and what not into the net. Fish 
swimming at that depth were also scooped in, and once inside they were entangled 
in pockets that prevented their escaping. 
This trawl would be thrown out and drawn along behind the steamer, making 
a swath half a mile long and twelve or fifteen feet wide. Then a powerful hoist- 
ing engine would be set to work and the trawl and its contents hoisted aboard the 
steamer. As many as four thousand pounds weight of stuff would be taken from 
the bottom of the ocean each time the trawl was hoisted. Two barrels of alcohol 
a day were used in preserving rare specimens. To put them in shape will be the 
work of weeks. To thoroughly arrange and classify the thousands of specimens. 
obtained, will occupy the commission all winter. Most of this work will be done 
by Prof. Verrill and his assistants. 
Eighteen species of fish were caught heretofore unknown and undescribed, 
besides others known to Greenland and Northern Europe, but not to our coast ; 
also a wonderful variety of crabs, shrimp and lobster-like creatures, some of them 
very handsome, and forty species of them entirely new. One hundred and fifty- 
five different kinds of shells, one hundred and fifteen of them not before known 
on this part of the coast, fifty-five not known as inhabitants of American waters, 
and thirty wholly unknown to scientists heretofore, were obtained. In addition, 
two new kinds of devil-fish, one about a foot long; two hundred specimens of a 
