720 REPORT OF COMMISSIONER OF FISH AND FISHERIES. 
a more thorough study of the carbohydrates and complex nitrogenous 
and phosphorized fats is much needed. Accordingly it seems to me 
that in these analyses the most accurate measure of the nitrogenous 
compounds is to be found by subtracting the sum of the ether extract 
and ash from the whole. 
Table 3 gives analyses of flesh calculated on fresh substance, and in- 
cludes both protein as estimated by multiplying N by 6.25, and “ albu- 
minoids, etc.,” by difference [100— (water+ether extract+ash)=albu- 
minoids, etc.] The figures of this table are computed from those of 
Table 2, the percentages of water and water-free substance in the flesh 
and of ingredients in water-free substance serving as the basis of the 
calculations. In the subsequent tables, deduced from these and taken 
as representing the actual composition of the flesh, the latter figures 
rather than those obtained by multiplying K by 6.25 are taken as rep. 
resenting the nitrogenous matters. 
Table 4 gives the proportions of proximate ingredients in the water- 
free (dry) substance of specimens of American preserved fish. It cor- 
responds to Table 2, which gives the same ingredients in water-free 
substance of fresh fish. 
Table 5 gives the proportions of proximate ingredients in the flesh 
of American preserved fish, corresponding to Table 3 of fresh fish. 
Table 6 gives the proportions of proximate ingredients in the water- 
free substance of the flesh of American fishes as directly determined ; 
that is to say, it recapitulates the determinations of extractive matters, 
albumen, gelatin, insoluble protein, etc., as made in accordance with 
the statements in the chapter on Methods of Analysis. The figures for 
ether extract and ash are those of the previous tables. As there stated, 
I \Io not consider the determinations of the nitrogenous constituents 
entirely accurate. The methods are not yet well enough worked up to 
give satisfactory results. The figures will, nevertheless, serve for com- 
parison with those obtained by Almen,* and, I presume, with those of 
Kostytschef.* It is to be noted, however, that the figures here given 
refer simply to the flesh, while those of Almen I understand to include 
the skin with the flesh, and I presume that the same may be the case 
with Kostytschef’s, though as to the latter point I am not definitely 
informed. The last column of Table 6 gives the sums of the several 
constituents. These vary more or less from 100 per cent., and they thus 
indicate errors in the determination. Where these footings have varied 
by more than 5 per cent, from 100 per cent, in the water-free substance 
(which would correspond to from 1 per cent, to 2 per cent, in the fresh 
flesh), the insoluble protein for each specimen has been omitted from 
the table. The methods of estimating the extractive matters, gelatin, 
and insoluble protein differ in the different specimens with respect to 
the determinations of ash and fat, as indicated in the table and stated 
in full in the details of the analyses. 
* See beyond, Section B, Pivision 2, Recapitulation of Analyses of European Fishes, 
