- 8 - 
, •• 
These considerations suggest that the relative abundance of reef 
fishes xxcfcx may change during 1947 and later and to measure any change 
in abundanoe at Bikini will require further field work by the poisoning 
aethod during 1947 or 1948 at about 2 favorable tidal series* These 
additional investigations are necessary if the damage to the reef fishes 
by the atomic bombs is properly evaluated* 
There remains an enormous amount of work to be done before a 
complete preliminary report on the reef fishes of the crossroads project 
is prepared. 
, ji 
It is our intention to work out a SPECIES IKDEX whittkwiH 
enumerate the number of different kinds of fish or species of fish at 
each station. This work is new delayed because over half of the speoimexs 
colleoted have not been received at the National Museum. Such an index 
should reflect the suitability of the habitat for a varied fish fauna and 
indicate the disappearance of apecies as a result of the atom bomb if 
suoh occurrs* 
• ' - f ■ 0* *■- • 4 . •. 
The desoeifrtive and systematic catalogue of the fishes of the 
crossroads project is now underway by Dr* d ohults and will require 2 or 
3 years for completion. The fishes, excluding the tunas, colleoted by 
all members of the expedition should be sent to the National Museum 
at the earliest possible moment to be inoluded in this descriptive 
catalogue* 
