3 
! 
bring to a conclusion the general study of that subject, which I have 
had in hand since 1880. 
Beginning in November, 1887, surface-net collections have been 
made twice a week for the Laboratory from the waters of Lake Michi- 
gan, off Chicago, (except when the ice prevented,) to enable us to 
- follow the succession, development, and relative abundance, at differ- 
ent seasons, of the forms of animal life upon which we have found 
the young of the principal food fishes to be strictly dependent. 
During the season of 1888 we have had extraordinary opportu- 
nities for aquatic work afforded us by the State Fish Commission 
through its Secretary, Mr. 8. P. Bartlett. Lack of time and assist- 
ance prevented my taking as much advantage as I would have been 
glad to do of the Faculties generously placed at our disposal; but a 
good beginning was made in July and the latter part of August on a 
more systematic and thorough-going survey of the life of our waters 
than we have heretofore been able to undertake. Working from the 
wharf-boat of the Commissioners as head-quarters and usually accom- 
panying their field parties, but with boats and asssistants under his 
own control, Prof. Garman made an especially careful examination 
of those waters from which young fishes were being taken for dis- 
tribution throughout the State, studying the plant and animal forms 
of such situations, noting the size, depth, condition, and surroundings 
of the bodies of water visited, and collecting all information of every 
description which could aid us in the preparation of a full and exact 
account of the assemblage of forms and the system of life exhibited. 
We learned from these studies enough to show the very remarkable 
and far-reaching differences occasioned here by differences of situa- 
fion with respect to the amount and period of overflow, and to fully 
open up to us this inviting subject of investigation as affecting all 
the river systems of the State. A general report on this work, made 
with principal reference to its relations to the operations of the 
State Fish Commissioners, is now in course of preparation, and will 
be submitted to them when finished. A more detailed exhibit of the 
Scientific results will be published in the Bulletin of the Laboratory. 
* I hope to have hereafter the funds and assistance to carry stud- 
ies of this description steadily forward through all the working 
Season, moving the field head-quarters from place to place as cireum- 
tances may require. 
Good progress has been made at the Laboratory in the study and _ 
description of all our recent aquatic collections. 
a 
