204 REPORT ON NATIONAL MUSEUM, 1886. 



of Cape Hatteras, on the eastern coast. The collections from the Pa- 

 cific coast of the United States and from Alaska and other northern 

 regions were accordingly sent to him at the Museum of Comparative 

 Zoology, Cambridge, and at the close of the year he had nearly com- 

 pleted his work upon them. With - Mr. Lyman's assistance it will be 

 possible soon to place this group in as complete order as the echini. 



EXPLORATIONS. 



The steamer Albatross, Lieut. Commander Z. L. Tanner, U. S. Navy, 

 commanding, continued in service during a large part of the year, and 

 accomplished very important results for the fisheries and for natural 

 history, as well as in matters of special hydrographic interest. The 

 permanent naturalists were Mr. James E. Benedict and Mr. Thomas 

 Lee, but Mr. Sanderson Smith also accompanied the steamer on all its 

 trips during the summer and fall, and Mr. Willard Nye, jr., Mr. C. H. 

 Townsend, and Mr. F. Washburn participated in the spring cruise to 

 the Bahama region. 



The Albatross left Newport, R. I., June 17, 1885, on its first cruise to 

 the fishing-grounds off the coast of the maritime provinces. The myth- 

 ical Hope Bank of the fishermen, said to be located in about latitude 

 41° N., longitude 64° W., was the first objective point, and considerable 

 time was spent in making soundings in its supposed position. The 

 average depths observed were about 1,900 or 2,000 fathoms, with no 

 indications of shoal water. Farther to the eastward several reported 

 dangers, such as Watson's, Hamilton's, Daraith's, and Akett's, lo- 

 cated between latitudes 40° and 41° N., and longitude about 55° W., 

 were also investigated without obtaining other than very deep sound- 

 ings. From this point the Albatross steamed to the southern part of 

 the Grand Bank of Newfoundland, where dredging and fishing were 

 begun. A line of twenty-nine stations was run along the eastern side 

 of the bank, terminating near the Virgin Rocks. The depths ranged 

 from 33 to 826 fathoms, and the work covered all characters of bottom 

 occurring in that region. After spending a few days in the harbor of 

 St. John's, the steamer started westward on July 2, making four dredg- 

 ings during the first day out between the southeastern coast of New- 

 foundland and the Grand Bank, in depths of S6 to 89 fathoms. Thence 

 the cruise extended over Green and St. Peters Banks, where the depths 

 were all less than 36 fathoms, to the channel between St. Peter's and 

 Banquereau, in depths of 114 to 265 fathoms, and the eastern edge of 

 Banquereau, in depths of 33 to 39 fathoms. 



Misaine Bank, off Nova Scotia, was next visited, and a line of dredg- 

 ing and fishing stations was made across it from east to west. This 

 shoal water had been previously regarded by American fishermen as 

 comparatively barren, but the investigations of the Albatross showed 

 it to be an important feeding-ground for cod, large numbers of which 

 were captured with hook and line. These explorations were continued 



