528 FISHERIES OF THE UNITED STATES. [16] 



made with the Coast Survey schooner " Humboldt," included the region of the Aleutian 

 Islands, from Unalashka eastward, and was continued from August, 1871, to Septem- 

 ber, 1872. The second cruise, with the Coast Survey schooner ' ' Yukon, " in 1873, 

 embraced the western half of the same group of islands. In 1874 the schooner "Yukon " 

 first proceeded to Sitka, and thence followed along the coast as far as Unalashka. From 

 this place it visited the Pribiloff Islands and Nunivak Island, and thence skirted the 

 Alaskan coast southward to the point of departure. 



In April, 1880, Mr. Dall, accompanied by Dr. Tarleton H. Bean, of the United 

 States National Museum, left San Francisco for Alaska by the regular passenger 

 steamer, andjoinedthe schooner "Yukon" atSitka. The course taken this year agreed 

 in part with that of 1874, but many additional places were visited and the explorations 

 were extended to the Siberian coast and to Point Belcher, in the Arctic Ocean. Col- 

 lections were principally obtained from the following localities : Sitka, Port Althorp. 

 Port Mulgrave, Cook's Inlet, Kodiak, Shumagin Islands, Belkoffsky, Unalashka, Saint 

 Paul's Island, Plover Bay (Siberia), Cape Lisburne, Icy Cape, Point Belcher, Esch- 

 scholtz Bay, Port Clarence, Big Dromide Island, and Saint Mathew's Island. 



Aside from the regular surveying work, most attention was paid to collecting 

 marine animals of all kinds, and fresh- water fishes. The dredge was in constant use, 

 and much valuable material and data were also obtained from the natives. Dr. Bean, 

 as the guest of the Coast Survey, was enabled to devote his entire time to natural 

 history investigations, and made the trip mainly for the purpose of studying the fish 

 fauna of Alaska, from both a scientific and practical standpoint. 



All of the Alaskan collections of natural history made by the Coast Survey are 

 now safely housed at the National Museum in Washington. Mr. Dall, in an official 

 report, states, regarding them, that "our collection of natural history is very valu- 

 able and contains more material for the determination of geographical distribution 

 and specific development than has ever been sent from the west coast before." 



Tidal observers in Alaska who have made valuable collections of marine animals 

 have been Mr. W. J. Fisher, stationed at Kodiak, and Mr. McKay, stationed at 

 Fort Alexander, Bristol Bay. 



Treasury Department. — Mr. Henry W. Elliott, as an agent of this Department, visited 

 the Fur Seal Islands, Alaska — Saint Paul, and Saint George — in 1872-'73, and made 

 many large collections of marine fishes and cetaceans, and many sketches illustrative 

 of the habits of seals and the seal fisheries. The revenue cutters " Corwin," Captain 

 Hooper, and " Richard Rush," stationed in Alaskan waters, have both rendered effi- 

 cient service in the field of marine zoology. 



Signal Service Bureau of the War Department. — Much valuable aid has been rendered 

 zoological science in this important section of the War Department by observers 

 stationed in Alaska and the northern portion of Eastern North America. In mak- 

 ing appointments for these distant stations, the Signal Service Bureau has generally 

 accepted candidates recommended by the Smithsonian Institution, who are especially 

 qualified to carry on zoological investigations in addition to their other observations. 

 These observers have already made very extensive contributions in all departments 

 of natural history, among which the marine animals are prominently represented. 



Mr. Lucien M. Turner was stationed at Saint Michael's, Norton's Sound, Alaska, from 

 1874 to 1877, and in 1879 went to the Aleutian Islands, where he had charge of several 

 temporary stations at different localities besides the main station at Sitka. In journey- 

 ing from place to place, he was able to bring together a vast amount of material, all of 

 which has been received at Washington in good condition. In 1882, Mr. Turner was 

 transferred to a new station at Fort Chimo, Ungava Bay, Northern Labrador, where 

 he now is, fully equipped for all kinds of collecting. 



Mr. E. W. Nelson replaced Mr. Turner at the Saint Michael's station, where he re- 

 mained, doing the same class of work for about four years. At the close of this serv- 

 ice, he made a trip in the revenue cutter "Corwin," to Wrangel Land, in the Arctic 

 Ocean, touching at various interesting points in Bering Sea, and returning to the 



