tainable is necessary to an intelligent understanding of 

 the numerical diminution of any species, its cause and" 

 its proper remedy. Even if a given form is not de- 

 structive to another or beneficial to it as food or other- 

 wise, it holds some such relations to other forms whichj 

 are, and we may find under the waters many parallels j 

 of Darwin's example in which he shows the intimate; 

 dependence of bumble-bees upon old maids through! 

 the medium of cats, field-mice and clover fields. Then 

 too, the complete survey of the field can be made at an 

 expense and trouble little greater than the investigation 

 of points which might seem of particular importance. 



The Sportsman of July 21 gave some account of the 

 opening of the work which is now going rapidly for- 

 ward. 



A systematic exploration of the bays and sounds has 

 been commenced with the aid of pond nets, seins, | 

 trawl pots, gill nets and fyke nets; the aid of most of the 

 Noauk and New London smacks has been secured and ; 

 scarcely a day passes without interesting additions to 

 the collections. All specimens are carefully studied with ' 

 reference to habits, food, time, place and manner of 

 breeding, external and internal parasites, mode of cap- 

 ture economic value relations of size and weight, etc. 

 Sixty-one species of fishes have been observed, two 

 probably new to the fauna. Among the notable cap- 

 tures have been three Drum-fishes {Pogoniaa ehromis) 

 the largest weighiug over one hundred pounds, and 

 three specimens of the Lump Sucker {Liparis liiieatus) 

 taken to-day for the first time south of Capo Cod; others 

 are the Orange File-fish (Ceratacanthus awranUac w), the 

 Hammerhead Shark (Sptyrnasygcena), the Broad-winged 

 Sea Robin {Prwru/tnts Uneatus) and the Box-fish (Chllo- 

 myeterus geometricus). A large Dusky Shark (Eulamia 

 cbscura) was roasted for flavor, being served up as 

 "white sturgeon" but was voted rather tasteless and 

 tough, a similar verdict condemning the Sea Raven 

 (lie in itripter m Madia wis). 



Many species are now breeding and experiments in 

 artificial propagation of some of them are being made 

 Several thousand eggs of the Sea Bass (Centropristes 

 atrarius) were fertilized and are now, on the evening of 

 the third day, in promising condition. An interesting 

 experiment has been tried by Prof. Baird, to ascertain 

 the effect of sea water upon young shad. On the 23d 

 ult. Mr. Fred Mather arrived with 20,000 young fish 



