bring to a conclusiou the general study of that subject, which I have 

 had in hand since 1880. 



Beginning in November, 1887, surface-net collections have been 

 made twice a week for the Laboratory from the waters of Lake Michi- 

 gan, off Chicago, (except when the ice prevented,) to enable us to 

 follow the succession, development, and relative abundance, at differ- 

 ent seasons, of the forms of animal life upon which we have found 

 the young of the principal food fishes to be strictly dependent. 



During the season of 1888 we have had extraordinary opportu- 

 nities for aquatic work afforded us by the State Fish Commission 

 through its Secretary, Mr. S. P. Bartlett. Lack of time and assist- 

 ance prevented my taking as much advantage as I would have been 

 glad to do of the facilities generously placed at our disposal; but a 

 good beginning was made in July and the latter part of August on a 

 more systematic and thorough-goiiig survey of the life of our waters 

 than we have heretofore been able to undertake. Working from the 

 wharf-boat of the Commissioners as head-quarters and usually accom- 

 panying their field parties, but with boats and asssistants under his 

 own control. Prof. Garman made an especially careful examination 

 of those waters from which young fishes were being taken for dis- 

 tribution throughout the State, studying the plant and animal forms 

 of such situations, noting the size, depth, condition, and surroundings 

 of the bodies of water visited, and collecting all information of every 

 description which could aid us in the preparation of a full and exact 

 account of the assemblage of forms and the system of life exhibited. 

 We learned from these studies enough to show the very remarkable 

 and far-reaching differences occasioned here by differences of situa- 

 . tion with^ respect to the amount and period of overflow, and to fully 

 open up to us this inviting subject of investigation as affecting all 

 the river systems of the State. A general report on this work, made 

 with principal reference to its relations to the operations of the 

 State Fish Commissioners, is now in course of preparation, and will 

 be submitted to them when finished. A more detailed exhibit of the 

 scientific results will be published in the Bulletin of the Laboratory. 

 I hope to have hereafter the funds and assistance to carry stud- 

 ies of this description steadily forward through all the working 

 season, moving the field head-quarters from place to place as circum- 

 stances may require. 



Good progress has been made at the Laboratory in the study and 

 description of all our recent aquatic collections. 



