EEPOET OF THE SECEETARY. 5^5; 



of ]^ew Haven ; J. H. Trumbull, of Hartford ; Prof. F. L. O. Eoehrig, 

 of Ithaca, New York ; Dr. Henry Wurtz and Prof, Eaymond, of New 

 York; Dr. L. D. Gale, Edw. Clark, esq., v7. Q. Force, Prof. C. Abbe, 

 of Washington, and others, especially in natural history, mentioned in 

 connection with the operations of the museum. 



WORK DONE IN THE INSTITUTION AND IN CONNECTION WITH OTHER 



ESTABLISHMENTS. 



The Secretary, in addition to the general direction of the scientific 

 operations of the Institution, has continued during the past year his 

 investigations in regard to fog-signals and other aids to navigation, and 

 has discharged the duties of chairman of the Light-House Board, visitor 

 to the Government Hospital for the Insane, president of the National 

 Academy of Sciences, and trustee of the Corcoran Art Gallery. 



Professor Baird, the assistant secretary, in addition to the arrange- 

 ment of the materials received by the museum, making up duplicates 

 for distribution, and the general direction of the system of exchanges, 

 has continued the duties with which he was charged by the President of 

 the United States in accordance with the law of Congress, namely, that 

 of prosecuting an inquiry into the present condition of the fisheries of the 

 coast and lakes, and the suggestion of methods for their improvement. 

 As in 1871 and 1872, he spent the principal part of the summer season 

 in carrying on his mission. He established himself on Peak's Island 

 in Portland Harbor, where, with a large force of volunteer naturalists, 

 he was engaged from July until October. 



The law of Congress under which his work is carried on directs the 

 departments of the Government to render him all the aid in their power, 

 and in pursuance of this the Secretary of the Navy placed at his dispo- 

 sition the United States steam-tug Blue Light, under Commander L. 

 A. Beardslee, United States Navy, properly fitted for her purposes and 

 provided with all the apparatus necessary for deep-sea research ; and 

 with the co-operation of Prof. A. E. Verrill, an eminent zoologist of 

 Yale College, his associate in this work, he succeeded in solving many 

 of the problems of the inquiry, as well as in securing at the same time 

 a great amount of material in the way of specimens of marine animals 

 for the National Museum, embracing a very largfe number of species^ 

 among them numerous forms entirely new or previously unknown on- 

 our coast. 



In addition to the examination and classification of the minerals w^hicli 

 have been received at the Institution, and making up sets for distiribu- 

 tion. Dr. Endlich has made a qualitative examination of a large number 

 of specimens of minerals which have been submitted for that purpose 

 to the Institution. For purposes of education the Institution furnishes 

 qualitative determinations of mineralogical specimens, but in no case- 

 will it undertake to furnish percentages of the different components ot 



