126 REPORT OF NATIONAL MUSEUM, 1887. 



nearly as many more having been placed in the hands of naturalists 

 elsewhere for special study. The regular winter and spring cruises of 

 the Albatross were unfortunately omitted, for reasons explained below, 

 and the Museum was thereby deprived of the source of revenue from 

 southern waters, which had so greatly enriched its collections during 

 the previous three years. A small amount of material was, however, 

 obtained by this steamer from the shallow water off Fortress Monroe, 

 Virginia, in April, while giving instructions in dredging to the officers 

 of the U. S. S. Thetis. 



The Fish Commission schooner Grampus has secured and transmitted 

 to the Museum, in the course of its special fishery investigations in 

 different regions, a large number of interesting specimens, including a 

 fine series of surface towings taken on the southern mackerel grounds 

 during April and May, to illustrate the food of that important econo- 

 mic species. Several collections, made in the vicinity of Wood's Holl, 

 Massachusetts, during the winter and spring, have been received from 

 Mr. Vinal N. Edwards. They were especially rich in specimens of fish 

 parasites. Mr. S. E. Meek, who was in the employ of the Commission 

 in the summer and fall, has also supplied a number of interesting lots 

 of specimens of the same character, obtained from the many varieties 

 of fish that are brought to Fulton market in a fresh condition during 

 those seasons. Mr. John Marshall, captain of the Gloucester fishing 

 schooner Landseer, has presented, through the Fish Commission, a small 

 but interesting series of Iceland crustaceans, mostly fish parasites, ob- 

 tained from the shark fishermen of that region. 



To officers of the United States Navy this department is indebted for 

 several valuable contributions. Lieut. J. F. Moser, in command of the 

 Coast Survey steamer Blake, has forwarded a large tank of alcoholic 

 preparations, dredged in depths of 10 to 20 feet of water, in the neigh- 

 borhood of Cedar Keys, Florida. Ensign W. E. Safford, formerly at- 

 tached to the National Museum and Fish Commission, and now of the 

 U. S. S. Mohican, has recently sent from San Francisco, California, an in- 

 teresting assortment of specimens, mostly secured at the surface of the 

 water by means of the tow-net, from off the Kio de la Plata, the South 

 Pacific Ocean, and the western coast of America. Collections have also 

 been received from Lieut. Commander H. E. Nichols, of the U. S. S. Pinta, 

 obtained in southern Alaska ; from Dr. N. McP. Ferebee, of the U. S. S. 

 Trenton, obtained in Corea and China ; and from Lieut. William C. Bab- 

 cock, of the U. S. S. Hartford, obtained at Payta, Peru. Signal- Service 

 observers Henry D. Woolfe and S. Applegate have supplied small col- 

 lections from the northern and central Alaskan coasts. 



The largest and most important accession of the year, next to that fur- 

 nished by the Fish Commission, has been received from the Wesleyan 

 University, Middletown, Connecticut. It comprises a portion of the ex- 

 tensive collection made at the Bermudas in 1877 for that institution by Dr. 

 G. Brown Goode, and consists of 484 specimens of sponges and 266 speci- 



