108 REPORT OF THE COMMISSIONER OF FISHERIES. 



University, and Dr. William E. Hitter, professor of zoology in the 

 University of California. 



The investigations were begun at San Diego March 1, 1904, and 

 were carried on in that vicinity for more than one montli. Various 

 localities on that part of the coast were examined, especially Oabral 

 Bank and vicinity and the deep water beyond the 2,000-fathom curve. 

 La JoUa submerged valley and the region about Coronado Island 

 also received attention. In all, 82 dredging and 12 plankton stations 

 were occupied, and plankton work was done at many of the other sta- 

 tions. Considerable attention was given to certain hydrographic mat- 

 ters, and current observations were continued for several days on and 

 in the vicinit}^ of Cabral Bank with interesting results. Numerous 

 soundings in this locality resulted in establishing the extension of 

 Cabral Bank several miles farther northward than it appears on the 

 Coast Survey charts. As this bank is the chief fishing ground in the 

 San Diego district, this discovery is regarded as one of the most 

 important results of the month's work. 



The few dredge hauls made beyond the 2000-fathom curve proved 

 of much interest." The abundance of life and the character and con- 

 formation of the bottom indicate this to be a field promising very 

 rich results. Mention should also be made of the few hauls in the 

 lOOO-fathom sink between Point Loma and Cortez Bank. These 

 mark a locality which also promises interesting results for future 

 examination. 



Certain areas, particularly the Coronado submerged valley, were 

 found to be very rich in bottom life, while others proved rather bar- 

 ren. One of the interesting problems for future inquiry in this 

 region will be to determine accurately'' the areas of distribution and 

 to correlate this distribution with the conformation of the bottom and 

 the character of the bottom deposits. 



The groups of animals most abundantly represented, both as to 

 species and genera, and individuals, were found to be the glass sponges, 

 the actinians, all the classes of echinoderms excepting the crinoids, 

 and the crustaceans. The lish fauna is not particularly rich nor varied. 

 A large quantity of plankton material was collected, though the work 

 in this field was less satisfactory than the bottom collecting. 



After the completion of the work about San Diego, some investiga- 

 tions were made off the Santa Barbara Islands in order to connect the 

 San Diego work with the investigations which were to be taken up at 

 Monterey Bay. 



The survey of Monterey Bay was carefully planned, and occupied 

 the remainder of the fiscal year. The Coast Survey signal stations 

 were reestablished, thus making it possible for all dredging and other 

 stations occupied by the Albatross to be accurately indicated upon 

 the chart. The geographic distribution of the various species inhab- 



