TmI NEW yohk Aquarium journal. 
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require no food, no manure, no kind of cultiva¬ 
tion ; they are born and go down to the sea and 
draw on nature's inexhaustible storehouse ol 
plant and animalcule life, grow and was fat and 
return ready to be killed thus offering to the poor 
of all the world abundant and excellent food, in 
coming together to night we are lending a hand 
in the good work of bringing about so desirable 
a result.” 
At the close of the address, which was fully 
appreciated by the audience, Mr W. S. Ward 
gave a brief descriptive account of the history, 
purpose and construction of the Aquarium. 
At the close of Mr Ward’s remarks the assembled 
guests were free to listen to the music of Dod- 
worth’s Orchestra ; study more critically the in¬ 
habitants of the tanks; or present their compli¬ 
ments and congratulations to Messrs. Coup and 
Reiche Brothers, proprietors of the New York 
Aquarium. 
Following this interval of social intercourse 
was the announcement that supper was to be 
served. At once the richly loaded tables, which 
had been awaiting appreciative appetites, were 
the centres of attraction. The bill of fare was so 
unique and enticing that it deserves to be placed 
on record, and with it the grateful acknowledge¬ 
ment of the mam gets for the assis ance rendered 
and the contribution to the “Menu” made by 
the United States Fish Commission. 
SOOTS. 
Green Turtle, a la Blackford. 
Bisque of Lobster, Seth Green Style' 
HORS ll’CEUVRBS CI1UD. 
Boucliees of Craw Fish, a la Remy. 
Fried Oysters, Ferguson Style. 
Fried Scollops, a la Edmunds. 
HO US D’OEUVIIES FROID. 
Mackerel in Oil — Norway. Mackerel, Fried—Norway. 
I lalibu:—Norway. S Union—Norway. 
Piuk Kish Norway. Canned Mackerel—Norway. 
Anchovies/—Swedan. Mackerel -Swedan. 
Conger Eel—Portugal. Squid in Oil—Portugal. 
Sardines ill oil — .Portugal. Sole to Oil — Portugal. 
Congro iu Oil—Portugal. Mackerel in oil—Portugal 
Conger Eel with Tomatoes—Spain. 
Sardines in Oil—Spain. Mtxilion—Simla. 
SimUuesin Vinegar—Si ait). 
Fried Bass—Spain. Botargo. (Mullet Roes)—Turkey 
Cray Flail. Cape of Good Hope—Alrioa. 
Shake. Dried Salmon—Japan. Sar.iities—France. 
Anchovies—France. 
Tunny—Fra 1 ce. Salmon—Holland. 
Shark Fins, Black—China. Shark Fins, White—China. 
Ooinc linns—Alaska. Sardines—Daly. 
Caviar—Russia. Poisson au Blanc—Russia. 
Caviar — Caiitoi nia. 
Dried Octopus Eggs—Chinn. Dried Fish Maws—China. 
Sword Fish—Portugal. 
RELENEES. 
Striped Bass, ala Brevoort. Pompano, a la Reeder. 
ENTREES. 
Caisse of Terrapin, a la Norr s. Deviled Crab3, Gill’s Style. 
Filet of English Sules, a la Bucklaud. 
Turbot, a la Whiteher. 
Timball of Frogs, a la uost. 
VEGETABLES. 
Potatoes, Parisienne. French Peas. 
French String Beaus. Stuffed Egg Plants. 
ROAST. 
Sheep’s Head, Agassiz Saube. Blue Fish, a la Goode. 
COLD PIECES. 
Aspic of Eels, a la Huxley. Buisson D’Eerevlsses, ala Atkins. 
Salmon, a la Batrd, Beun'e de Montpelier. 
Lobster Salld. 
DESSERT. 
Pudding, a la Neptune. Napolitan Ice Cream. 
ICan-ten Japanese Sea Weed, a la Sekizawa Akekio. 
ORNAMENTAL PIECES. 
Bateau dePecheUr, a la Roosevelt. 
“ Flsherlnau’3 Luck,” a la Shephard Page 
FRUIT. 4u> CHEESE. COFFEE. 
CULINARY ARTISTS, G. E. GREENE AND SONS. 
The above Bill of Fare furnished by U. S. Fish Commission 
In addition to the many congratulations de- 
livered in person, Mr. Coup was in the receipt 
of letters from various quarters, the gratifying 
tone of which may be understood by the fol¬ 
lowing : 
Washington, October 7, 1876. 
“ W. C. Coup, Esq. — Dear sir : I regret very 
much that my engagements are such that I can¬ 
not accept your kind invitation to be present at 
the opening of the New York Aquarium on Tues¬ 
day next, but I beg leave to embrace this occa¬ 
sion to congratulate New York on the success oi 
an enterprise which affords a rational source ol 
amusement and instruction to its citizens generally, 
and particularly a means of original research to 
students or natural history. 
“ I am especially pleased with that feature of 
your plan which provides a scientific laboratory 
and library furnished with all the useful appli¬ 
ances and books to carry on original investiga¬ 
tions. The invention of aquaria, by which the 
habits and actual life of animals can be studied 
from day to day while in their native element, 
affords a means of advancing a knowledge of 
natural history entirely unknown until within a 
few years past, and the providing of a free labor¬ 
atory and library in connection with an establish¬ 
ment of this kind cannot be too highly com 
mended or too liberally sustained. 
“With my best wishes for the entire success of 
the scheme, I remain, yours very truly, 
Joseph Henry, Secy Sm. Institute. 
“Cambridge, Mass., October 9, 1876. 
“W. C. Coup, Esq. —Dear Sir: I am sorry 
I cannot be present at the opening of the new 
aquarium, and I shall take the first opportunity 
when next in New York of seeing it. 
Yours truly, 
A. Agassiz. 
Utica, Sept. 9 th, 1876. 
W. C. Coup, Esq. 
Dear Sir : Your kind request to be present at 
a private opening of the New York Aquarium, 
has been received. Thanking you therefor, I 
am compelled to send you my regrets, because 
of my inability to be present, and I avail myself 
of the opportunity to express my earnest desire 
tor the abundant success of your most laudable 
and useful enterprise. 
I am very respectfully yours, 
Scott Lord. 
Grace Church Rectory. 
W. C. Coup, Esq. 
My Dear Sir: I have to acknowledge the 
courtesy of your invitation to be present at the 
private opening of the New York Aquarium to¬ 
morrow evening. 
If I do not accept it, it will not be from any 
want of interest in your enterprise, but because 
I am likely, on Tuesday evening, to be absent 
from the city. But whether I am absent or 
present, I shall feel the heartiest interest in the 
success of your undertaking. It is one which 
cannot but exercise the happiest and healthiest 
influence upon such a community as ours, and I 
cordially congratulate you upon the energy with 
which, under repeated discouragement, you have 
persevered in it. I am, dear sir, 
Faithfully yours, 
Henry C. Potter. 
WHAT WE ARE DOING. 
In the first number of The JournaL our readers 
were fully informed regarding the history of the 
New York Aquarium ; the plan of its construc¬ 
tion; and its proposed purpose as an important ed¬ 
ucational and entertaining place of popular resort. 
Having thus made the public acquainted with 
what has been don ., we are prompted to briefly 
refer to what we are now doing and what it is 
proposed to do in order to retain the favors 
which hive been so generously accorded to us; 
To build an aquarium is by no means an easy 
task, and as is demonstrated elsewhere in these 
columns, is a work calling for patience as well as 
energy and wisdom. And yet when once built 
the labor of sustaining and supporting it is an 
equally important and arduous one. Let it be 
remembered that an aquarium, in order to be 
perfect, must be complete, and must therefore 
contain as many varieties of marine forms as it is 
possible to obtain. Visitors from all parts of 
the land will view the work, and each will look 
for some favorite member of the finny tribe with 
the forms and habits of which he is familiar. 
To fail in gratifying this desire is to take rank 
in that individual mind as an incomplete work. 
And it is in order to prevent this judgment that 
die following extensive preparations have been 
undertaken by the managers of the New York 
Aquarium, which arrangements relate solely to 
the collection of fish, as the plans for their 
proper exhibition and maintenance belong to 
another though equally important department. 
Beginning with a list of special stations and 
those in charge of them, we find that they are 
as follows : 
Detroit, Michigan, E. B. Paxton, 
Ecorse, “ J. B. & G. Clark, 
.Cincinnati, Ohio, A. A. Stewart, 
Sandusky, “ Louis Zitsel, 
Columbus. “ C. Muller. 
We also have at Hamilton, Bermuda, a special 
agent who has the gratuitous assistance of Mr. 
C. N. Allen, the United States Consul. 
In addition to these resident collectors, there 
are special stations established and regular col¬ 
lectors at work at the following points : 
Menemsha Bight, Mass., 
Wood’s Hole, “ 
Cedar Keys, Florida, 
Isle aux Coudres, Gulf of St. Lawrence, 
An important expedition has also been engaged 
on s.pecial service on the Pacific coast, the main 
object of their search being for such monsters 
as the sea lion, walrus, etc., while still another 
party has been sent to the Florida coast with in¬ 
structions to procure, at any cost, an Octopus, 
or Devil Fish. 
In reviewing this list! it should be 
noticed the above-mentioned services relate 
merely to the securing of objects within their 
own district. When obtained special agents 
are despatched to bring them to the Aquarium, 
a work which can only be successfully accom¬ 
plished by those experienced in the methods of 
handling and transportation which are required. 
Finally, a corps of active and experienced col¬ 
lectors is constantly in attendance at the Aqua¬ 
rium, either to act as assistants to the supenn- 
tendant and naturalist, or as special collectors. 
The following is a list of those who are thus 
engaged and are subject to the orders of Mr. 
W. C. Coup, the Manager of the institution. 
PROP. II. D. BUTLER.Gen’i Sup’t. 
MR. W, S. WARD..'..Naturalist, 
Ami Director of Educational Department. 
MR. 0. P. HOLDER.Assistant Naturalist. 
MR. PRED. MATHER.Sup’t of Fish Culture. 
MR. A. W. ROBERTS....In charge of Fisheries. 
P. T. YANCE...Illustrative Artist. 
