538 FISHERIES OF THE UNITED STATES. [26] 



her track would be especially interesting for scientific research. He proposed to me 

 to join the vessel with some assistants, and to make such explorations as might not 

 interfere with the progress of the voyage and with the regular work of the survey. 

 At the same time he appointed Count de Pourtales, whose dredgings in the Gulf of 

 Mexico have had such valuable results for science, to take charge of the dredging 

 operations for the whole voyage." 



The expenses of the scientific party, consisting of Professor Agassiz, Count Pour- 

 tales, Dr. Steindachner, and Mr. J. H. Blake, were entirely paid by private subscrip- 

 tions from patrons of the museum. The course of the expedition was southward aloug 

 the Atlantic coast and northward along the Pacific coast of America, to San Fran- 

 cisco, California. Dredgings were made at intervals, and numerous collections were 

 obtained from the surface and from the shore, wherever the vessel touched. 



In 1877 began the interesting series of explorations by the Coast Survey steamer 

 Blake, under Commanders Sigsbee and Bartlett, in which Mr. Alexander Agassiz, as- 

 sisted by Mr. S. W. Garman, had the direction of the natural history operations. The 

 cost of the collecting outfit was entirely defrayed by Mr. Agassiz. During the several 

 cruises, which terminated in 1880, the methods of deep-sea dredging were entirely 

 revolutionized, mainly through the suggestions of Mr. Agassiz, who was the first to 

 recommend the use of iron wire dredge rope. 



During March and April, 1881, under the same auspices, Mr. A. Agassiz, assisted by 

 Mr. J. Walter Fewkes, explored the Tortugas, Florida. It had been Mr. Agassiz's 

 intention, by means of a small steam launch placed at his disposal, "to explore the 

 surface fauna of the Gulf Stream, and ascertain the part taken by the innumerable 

 surface organisms in building up the base (plateau) upon which the coral reefs of 

 Florida have been raised." Stormy weather, unfortunately, greatly interfered with 

 this undertaking, but many good results were obtained. 



Dr. G. A. Maack, an assistant in the museum, as naturalist and geologist of the 

 United States Darien Exploring Expedition, during 1870-'71, made large collections 

 of shells, in addition to his other work. 



In this connection may be mentioned the conchological studies of Mr. John Anthony, 

 an assistant of the museum, which date back to before 1840. By his own dilligent 

 labors he had amassed an exceedingly large collection of shells, mainly from the fresh 

 waters of the United States, which are now in the possession of the museum. 



In 1873, the Penikese summer school of natural history was established under the 

 auspices of the museum, through a liberal gift of Mr. Anderson, of New York. The 

 Island of Penikese, on which the school was located, is situated at the mouth of Buz- 

 zard's Bay, on the east side, in a region moderately rich in marine life. Although the 

 primary object of the school was the instruction of teachers in natural history sub- 

 jects, some original investigations were carried on. Soon after the death of Professor 

 Louis Agassiz, however, the school was discontinued. 



In 1875, Mr. Alexander Agassiz, accompanied by Mr. S. W. Garman, visited various 

 portions of the west coast of South America, from Valparaiso to Lima, mainly for the 

 purpose of making zoological collections. The principal object of the explorations 

 was the investigation of the fauna of the high plateau, on which Lake Titicaca is 

 located. The lake was dredged to a depth of 154 fathoms and many temperature ob- 

 servation were taken. The fauna of the lake was fouud to be very meager, but the 

 paucity of life was to a large extent explained by the observations made. 



In 1877, Mr. Alexander Agassiz built, at Newport, Rhode Island, one of the most- 

 favorable sites on the New England coast, a sea-side zoological laboratory, for his 

 own use and that of advanced students in biology from the museum and the public 

 schools of the State of Massachusetts. While the accommodations are sufficient for 

 only about half a dozen students, they are very perfect and permit of the most deli- 

 cate observations on living forms from the surrounding waters. 



This laboratory is occupied every summer, and many valuable series of observations 

 have already been carried on there and published. Concerning the motives which 



