16 
BULLETIN OE THE UNITED STATES FISH COMMISSION. 
3. Mr. Wilcox devoted his time to the statistical inquiry, visiting the customs 
officials, the dealers, and the fishermen. The records in the custom-houses were 
critically examined as to the extent and character of the trade in fishery products 
with other countries; the dealers were interviewed, the fishermen were visited, and 
the methods of the fisheries investigated. 
4. Whenever the weather permitted, the Fish llcvwk was engaged in using the 
beam trawl or dredge, and in making soundings. This work was under the imme- 
diate direction of Dr. Moore, assisted by Dr. J. D. Milligan, the ship’s pharmacist. 
By adhering as strictly as possible to this general plan a greater amount of work 
was accomplished than would otherwise have been possible. It frequently happened 
that one or more of these lines of work was interrupted from one cause or another; 
and the dredging operations especially, on account of unfavorable weather, the 
breaking of apparatus, and other causes, were not altogether satisfactory. 
The Fish Hawk reached San Juan Harbor on the morning of January 2, and 
preparations were at once begun for field work. During the afternoon of the 2d 
and the morning of the next day observations were made along the shore of the 
harbor and on the seaside of the little island upon which San Juan is built, and 
in the afternoon of the 3d the first collecting was done. With the cutter, Messrs. 
Evermann, Moore, Marsh, and Wilson went to the head of the harbor, then up 
Martin Pena Inlet some 4 miles to beyond the railroad bridge and the military road. 
This inlet is from 30 to 150 feet wide, 2 to 10 feet deep, and extends through low-tide 
flats covered with a dense growth of low mangrove bushes. The water was more or 
less stained with vegetable juices and the bottom was usually of black mud or mixed 
mud and broken shells. The only fishes seen were a few young mullets. Beginning 
a few rods above the mouth of the inlet and continuing well toward the railroad 
bridge we found the mangrove stems thickly covered with the shells of the small 
native oyster (a form of Ostrea virginica). The majority of these shells were alive, 
though many, particularly those highest on the stems, were dead. On these stems 
we also found many small barnacles, an occasional Mytilus exustus , and groups of 
bryozoans, and among the stems were a good many small crabs and an occasional 
individual of a larger species with red back and white claws ( Goniopsis cruentatd). 
At one place on this inlet the low ground or mangrove swamp is quite narrow 
on the south side and a considerable hill of cherty limestone rises from near the 
water’s edge. In this hill are three or four small caves in which a few bats were 
found, apparently all of one species, probably Artibeus perspicillatus. 
During the subsequent days spent at San Juan other trips were made up this 
inlet and the boat dredge was used at several places. The bottom, however, proved 
quite barren, and very little life of any kind was found. Fishes were extremely rare 
and mollusks and crustaceans were scarcely less so. Among the mangroves several 
specimens of water birds were seen, the kingfisher ( Ceryle alcyon), brown pelican 
( Pelecanus fuscui) , great blue heron (Ardea hero (Mas), little blue heron ( Ardea ecerulea), 
little green heron ( Ardea virescens ), a species of rail and a sandpiper. On the shore a 
number of land birds were seen, among them the American redstart ( Setophaga ruti- 
cilla), a fly-catcher called yntirre by the natives ( Tyrannus dominicensis ), summer 
yellow-bird ( Dendroica petechia ruficapilld), a vireo ( Vireo calidris), and several 
others which we did not know and of which no specimens were obtained. 
