[65] FISHERIES OF THE UNITED STATES. 577 



frame work of moderately heavy wire ; the second netting is also of 

 copper wire, with 8 meshes to the linear inch, and the upper is of gal- 

 vanized iron wire, with 2 meshes to the linear inch. The several sieves 

 are smooth and without angular projections on their inner surfaces, and 

 fit snugly together. They are prevented from nesting too deeply by 

 means of a wire bent in around the outer sides of the two upper sieves, 

 1£ inches above the bottom. This. affords interspaces of about an inch 

 between the nettings of the several sieves. The rims of the sieves are 

 strengthened with wire, and the handles, which stand upright, are of 

 such lengths that when the sieves are nested they reach to the same 

 height, and can be grasped together. The nests of three sieves may be 

 worked in a large bucket of water, but those of four sieves are larger, 

 and require at least a small tub for their use. 



Small Sieves for freeing minute animals from fine sand in a dish of water 



without motion. 



United States Fish Commission. 



Several different kinds of small single sieves are used by the United 

 States Fish Commission for special purposes. One style (exhibited) is 

 made with a copper frame, from 5 to 10 or more inches in diameter, and 

 with a moderately fine mesh copper wire bottom, the entire sieve being 

 nickle plated, to prevent corrosion. This sieve is gently lowered into a 

 shallow dish of water, so as to rest against the sides of the dish a short dis- 

 tance above the bottom, the bottom of the sieve having been previously 

 covered with fine dredged material, such as mud or sand, known or sup- 

 posed to contain diminutive forms of life, such as small worms, cope- 

 pods, amphipods, &c, which, in most instances, work quickly down 

 through the meshes of the wire netting into the water in the dish, thereby 

 freeing themselves in much better condition for study than could result 

 from any other method. This style of sieve was first introduced by 

 Prof. H. E. Webster and Mr. James E. Benedict, of Union College. 



Fish Pans. Galvanized iron pans, for the examination offish and other 

 large objects at sea; used on the steamers Albatross and Fish Hawk. 

 United States Fish Commission. 



These pans are made in nests, of heavy (No. 22) galvanized sheet-iron, 

 with the edges strengthened by means of a wire bent in around them. 

 The smallest pan measures 10 inches by 15 inches by If inches deep, 

 and the largest 22 inches by 36 inches by 2£ inches deep. 



Sorting Dishes of clear glass ; nest of four sizes, used in connection with 

 the dredging work of the United States Fish Commission. Made 

 by the New England Glass Company, Cambridge, Massachusetts. 



United States Fish Commission. 



Crockery and earthenware dishes, of many sizes and shapes, are also 

 employed in this work. 



2111— Bull. 27 37 



