22 KEPORT OF COMMISSIONER OE FISH AND FISHERIES. 



100-fathom line and along the edge of the Black Current, until June 

 1 2, when the vessel left for Alaska to continue the commercial inves- 

 tigation of the salmon fisheries, on which she was engaged in 1897. 



The full reports of this expedition are not yet ready for publica- 

 tion, but a narrative of the voyage will be found on pp. 137-161 of 

 this volume. 



STEAMER FISH HAWK. 



During July and August this vessel, under the command of Mate 

 James A. Smith, XJ. S. N., was employed in making collections of 

 marine fauna off the southern coast of New England in connection 

 with the biological work of the station at Woods Hole, Mass., and in 

 September she was sent to Beaufort, N. C, to assist in the topo- 

 graphic and hj^drographic surveys incident to an inquiry into the 

 cause of the failure of the various attempts at oyster-culture whicli 

 had been made in that State. 



As the time during which the vessel could be available was limited, 

 and as it was desired to make the investigation with some degree of 

 thoroughness, it was considered advisable to limit the field of oper- 

 ations, and the regions examined were selected upon the suggestion 

 of Prof. J. A. Holmes, director of the North Carolina geological and 

 natural history survey, who took keen interest in the subject. At 

 first the work was carried on in the vicinity of Beaufort and More- 

 head, but in December the Fish Hawk proceeded to Pamlico Sound, 

 where Swan Quarter Bay and other productive oyster-grounds were 

 examined. Reports upon the work are in course of preparation and 

 will be published. 



On March 25 the vessel was detached from this duty in order to 

 prepare for taking up the customary shad work in the Delaware 

 River. Some time was spent in making necessary repairs at Balti- 

 more, and on April 25 she reached her usual anchorage off Gloucester 

 City, N. J., where shad hatching was successfully carried on until the 

 middle of June, when she was ordered to proceed to Woods Hole. 

 The work above referred to is described in detail in the accompanying 

 reports of the divisions of Scientific Inquiry and of Fish-Culture. 



NEW STATIONS. 



The development of Cold Spring station, near Bulloch ville, Ga., and 

 of the stations at Edenton, N. C, and Nashua, N. H., has been carried 

 on during the year, and has been sufficient to permit the beginning 

 of fish-cultural operations. 



The water supply at Cold Spring is derived from three springs with 

 an aggregate flow estimated at 2,800 gallons per minute and having a 

 temperature of G2° to 64°. The principal spring has been surrounded 

 with a substantial retaining- wall, a distributing-tank and conduits 

 built, and five ponds finished with their supply and outlet pipes. 

 Four of the ponds contain from 6,000 to 12,000 square feet each, and 



