Report of the commissioner for 1875-1876.

  • United States Fish Commission
Date:
[1878]
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Report of the commissioner for 1875-1876. Source: Wellcome Collection.

    19/1102 page 5
    1S7G. An appropriation was made by Congress, in tlie early spring of 1875, to enable tbe various executive departments of tbe Government to present an exhibit of the character and extent of their operations, to include a representation of the animal, vegetable, aud mineral re- sources of the United States, and their primary applications to the wants and luxuries of man. Among the departments designated by the act was the United States Fish Commission, for the purposes of which an appropriation of $5,000 was made. As the south coast of New England furnished an excellent ground for securing a portion of the material for this exhibition, Wood’s Holl, as being the most convenient station yet established by the Commission, was found to be very available. Reference, in the previous report, has been made to the supply, under the law, by the Navy Department, of thesteam-tug Blue Light, a staunch vessel of about 85 tons, and well adapted for the inshore work. Her first cruise in the service of the Commission was at Portland; her second, at Noauk. She was again furnished by the Department in 1875, and, as before, was under the command of Commander L. A. Beardslee. Dr. J. H. Kidder was detailed to act as surgeon and naturalist, having acquired well-merited distinction while serving in a similar capacity during the Transit of Venus Expedition, on board the Swatara, and at Kerguelen Land. The Commissioner reached Wood's Holl on the 21st of June, with his assistants, and immediately commenced his labors, the field of inquiry and research being proportionally enlarged on the arrival of the Blue Light on the 12th of July. As before, the inquiry into the invertebrate animals was prosecuted under the direction of Prof. A. E. Verrill, assisted by Mr. S. 1. Smith, Mr. S. F. Clark and Mr. C. Hart Merriam. The work connected with the fishes aud cetaceans was directed by Mr. G. Brown Goode, assisted by Mr.Tarle- ton H. Bean, Capt. H. C. Chester and Mr. Vinal N. Edwards. With the special object of securing illustrations for the Centennial display, the services of Messrs. J. H. Blake and J. H. Richard, artists, T. W. Smillie, photographer, and Mr. William Palmer, modeler, were engaged. As usual, a number of scientific specialists embraced the occasion fur- nished by the facilities and opportunities of the Commission to visit Wood’s Holl for the purpose of carrying on their investigations, remain- ing there during the greater part of the season. Among these may be mentioned Prof. A. Hyatt, custodian of the Boston Society of Natural History; Dr. William G. Farlow, professor of botany in Harvard Col- lege; Dr. H. A. Hagen, of the Museum of Comparative Zoology, Cam- bridge; Mr. Symouds, of the Boston Natural History Society; Prof. Theodore Gill and Mr. William H. Dali, of Washington; Mr. Sander- son Smith, of New York; Prof. D. C. Eaton, Mr. Oscar Harger, aud Mr. J. K. Thatcher, of Yale College. Wood’s Holl was also visited for shorter periods by numerous persons interested in the operations of the Commission and desirous of witnessing their nature; among them Mr.
    digitised image 1
    digitised image 2
    digitised image 3