1164 FISHERIES OF THE UNITED STATES. [10] 



oratories, and where the propagation of sea-fishes will be continued on 

 a larger scale than heretofore. 



" In addition to what has been done at the suminer'station, more or 

 less exhaustive investigations have been carried on by smaller parties 

 in every important position of the coast and interior waters. 



" For several years steamers were lent for the work by the Secretary 

 of the Navy and the Coast Survey and Eevenue Services. 



" In 1880, however, a steamer of 450 tons, the Fish Hawk, was built 

 for the Commission. This being needed for fish-hatching purposes, 

 another larger steamer, of 1,000 tons, the Albatross, has just been built 

 and put into commission. She has already, since April, made two suc- 

 cessful deep-sea explorations, and has been supplied with every means 

 for work of this kind. 



" The general practical results of this part of the work cannot be sat- 

 isfactorily summed up on account of the number of important investi- 

 gations still in progress. 



" One of the important features of the work has been the preparation 

 of life histories of the principal fishes, great quantities of material hav- 

 ing been accumulated relating to almost every species. A portion of 

 this has been published, biographical monographs having been pub- 

 lished on the bluefish, the scup, the menhaden, the salmon, the white- 

 fish, the shad, the mackerel, the swordfish ; and others are being printed. 



" Similar monographs upon the lobster, oyster, and other invertebrates 

 are also ready. 



"In connection with the work of fish -culture much attention has been 

 paid to embryology. The breeding times and habits of nearly all of our 

 fishes have been studied, and their relations to water temperatures. 

 The enfbryological history of a number of species, such as the cod, shad, 

 alewife, salmon, smelt, Spanish mackerel, striped bass, white perch, the 

 silver gars, the clam, and the oyster, have been obtained under the aus- 

 pices of the Commission. 



" Many other problems have been worked out by specialists for the 

 Commission, the details of which are described in the reports. One of 

 these, for instance, has been the determination of the cause of the red- 

 dening of salt codfish, so injurious to commerce. Professor Farlow 

 found this to be due to the presence of a species of alga in the kind of 

 salt in common use, and gave instructions by which the plague has been 

 greatly lessened. 



"An investigation into the chemical composition and nutritive value 

 of fish as compared with other food is still in progress, and all American 

 food-fishes are being analysed by Professor Atwater. 



"The temperature of the water in its relation to the movements of 

 fish, has from the first received special attention. Observations are 

 made regularly during the summer work and at the various hatching 

 stations. At the instance of the Commissioner an extensive series of 

 observations have for several years been made under the direction of 



