[25] 



FISHERIES OF THE UNITED STATES. 537 



merchant ships sailing from Boston, was one of the most faithf ul volunteer collectors 

 in the service of the museum, and during his manj^ voyages, especially to the west 

 coast of South America and the South Pacific islands, he obtained most valuable 

 contributions to science, which were always added to the museum collections. 



From 1861 to 1863, Mr. Caleb Cook, a student of the museum, was stationed at Zanzi- 

 bar, on the coast of Africa, where he made a large collection of animals, both terrestrial 

 and aquatic. In 1861, a museum party, consisting of A. E. Verrill, Alpheus Hyatt, and 

 N. S. Shaler, spent the summer at the Island of Anticosti, in the Gulf of Saii.'t Law- 

 rence, and, although they were mainly interested in the land animals and plants and 

 in geological problems, their contributions to marine zoology were very important. 

 Dredgings were made along the coast of Nova Scotia, in the Gulf of Saint Lawrence, 

 and along the southern coast of Labrador. Mr. A. S. Bickinore visited the island of 

 Bermuda the same year, and explored its marine fauna, with interesting results. 



During 1885-'66, the memorable Thayer expedition to Brazil took place. This ex- 

 pedition was rendered possible through the munificence of Mr. Nathaniel Thayer, of 

 Boston, one of the most constant and generous contributors to the museum fund, and 

 in every way proved a complete success. The party was in charge of Professor 

 Agassiz, and consisted of a large corps of associates and assistants, many of whom 

 were volunteers. In reporting upon the results of his expedition, Professor Agassiz 

 states: '' One of my principal objects during the whole journey was to secure accu- 

 rate information concerning the geographical distribution of the aquatic animals 

 throughout the regions we visited. Allowed to take with me a. corps of six assistants 

 already trained in the work of the museum, and our party being also strengthened by 

 the addition of six volunteer assistants, I was able to lay out a scheme for a thorough 

 exploration of large tracts of country in Brazil, parts of which had not yet been visited 

 by zoologists." These explorations extended along the entire sea-coast, from Para to 

 San Paulo, and included all the principal rivers and many of their tributaries. Much 

 assistance was rendered by the Emperor of Brazil, in the way of vessels, boats, and 

 men. Tbe alcoholic collections received at Cambridge from the expedition filled 

 nearly 400 kegs and barrels, and in addition there were many cases of dried speci- 

 mens. In the official report of the museum for 1866 the following statement occurs 

 regarding the extent of the collections : " An idea of the magnitude of our new stores 

 can be formed from the fact that in the class of fishes alone no less than 50,000 speci- 

 nuus were counted, representing over 2,200 species, the majority of which, say 2,00<J, 

 are probably new to science and to our collections. This estimate does not include 

 the smaller specimens, less than two inches ia length, which also number many thou- 

 sands." 



In May, 1867, began the first series of deep-sea dredgings off the coast of Florida 

 by the United States Coast Survey, in which Count L. F. de Pourtales took charge of 

 the dredging operations. Count Pourtales was then an assistant on the Coast Survey, 

 but later became an assistant of the museum, and the collections he obtained were 

 mainly worked up by himself or under his direction. From this period dates the 

 intimate connection of the Museum of Comparative Zoology with the Coast Survey, in 

 nearly all matters relating to deep-sea investigations of zoology on the Atlantic coast, 

 a connection that was undoubtedly strengthened by the warm personal friendship ex- 

 isting between Professor Louis Agassiz and Professor Peirce, then Superintendent of 

 the Coast Survey. The full discussion of these explorations is given in connection 

 with the work of the Coast Survey, and we need but briefly refer to them here. 



The Hassler Expedition, during 1871-72, in which Professor Louis Agassiz partici- 

 pated, obtained important results. With reference to the causes which led to it, Pro- 

 fessor Agassiz wrote, in 1872, as follows: 



"About two years ago, Professor Peirce, Superintendent of the United States Coast 

 Survey, found it necessary to build a vessel especially for the work of the survey on the 

 Pacific Coast. When she was nearly ready for sea, it occurred to the superintendent that 

 it was a pity to send her empty around the continent, the more so since a great part of 



