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The following account of explorations undertaken by David S. Jordan and his colleagues during 1875-1885 was printed in the Annual Reports of the Board of Regents of the Smithsonian Institution for the Year 1884 (Washington, 1885). It is a part of Tarleton Bean's "Report upon the Department of Fishes in the U.S. National Museum for 1884," pages 169-174.
RECORD OF COLLECTIONS OF FISHES MADE UNDER THE AUSPICES OF
THE U.S. FISH COMMISSION AND THE U.S. NATIONAL MUSEUM, FROM 1875 TO 1885
By
David S. Jordan
For the past ten years the writer has been engaged in a special study of
the distribution of fishes in the waters of North America. In this
study he has had occasion to do a good deal of field work in the collection
of and preservation of fishes. In this he has been aided by several
students and associates, especially by Mr. Charles H. Gilbert, now
professor of biology in the University of Cincinnati.
All this work has been carried on under the auspices of the U.S.
National Museum and the U.S. Fish Commission. It has been performed,
in a greater or less degree, under the direction of Professor Baird,
and in all cases most of the material obtained, including the types
of all new species, has been sent to the U.S. National Museum.
The amount of financial assistance received from Government sources
has varied very much. At times (1880-'84) it has amounted to considerably
more than the actual expenses of exploration and collection.
At other times it has simply met the cost of the alcohol used. Aid of
varying amount has also been given by Butler University and, since
1879, by the University of Indiana. These details are, however, foreign
to the present purpose. I here give a brief account of the different
excursions for field work in ichthyology, made by my associates and
myself, with a list of the localities explored.
1875
In the spring and fall of 1875, extensive collections were made in
White River and its tributaries about Indianapolis, by the late Prof.
Herbert E. Copeland and myself. A list of the species obtained is
published in the Annals of the Lyceum of Natural History of New York,
1877, pp. 375-377. Some collections were also made by Professor Copeland
in Wisconsin and by myself at the Falls of the Ohio and about
Cumberland Gap.
1876
In the summer of 1876 I made an extended collecting tour in the
Southern States, accompanied by Mr. Charles H. Gilbert, who was then
a botanical student under Professor Copeland. A small collection was
obtained in the Rock Castle River, at Livingston, Ky. About three
weeks were spent by us at Rome, Ga. Here the streams tributary to
the Etowah, Oostanaula, and Coosa Rivers were very thoroughly explored.
A few days were also spent at Flat Shoals, on South River, a
tributary of the Ocmulgee, southeast of Atlanta. Small collections
were also made in Peach Tree Creek and in Nancy's Creek, tributaries
of the Chattahoochee, near Atlanta.
This expedition represents the first attempt to study the fresh-water
fishes of Georgia, and the collection then made is much larger than
any since obtained in that State. The results of this summer's work
have been published by me, under the title of "A Partial Synopsis of
the Fishes of Upper Georgia," in the Annals of the Lyceum of Natural History of New York, XI, 1877, p. 307 et seq.
1877
In 1877 a more extended tour in the Allegheny region of the Southern
States was undertaken by the writer, with the assistance of Dr. Alembert
W. Brayton and Mr. Gilbert. Numerous streams were examined,
representing the following hydrographic basins: Santee, Savannah,
Altamaha, Chattahoochee, Alabama, Tennessee, Cumberland. A detailed
report of these explorations was published by Jordan and Brayton
in Bulletin XII of the U.S. National Museum, 1878, under the title
"On the Distribution of the Fishes of the Allegheny Region of South
Carolina, Georgia, and Tennessee, with Descriptions of New or Little
Known Species." An extended discussion of the distribution of fresh-
water fishes is given in this paper, pp. 91-95.
1878
In 1878 I spent some time at Beaufort, N. C., in the study of the
marine fishes of that port. In my work here I was assisted by Dr.
Brayton, Mr. Gilbert, and Mr. B. W. Evermann. A catalogue of the
species obtained was published in the Proceedings of the U.S. National
Museum, 1878, pp. 365-388, by Jordan and Gilbert, under the title of
"Notes on the Fishes of Beaufort Harbor, North Carolina."
1879
The summer of 1879 was spent in Europe. Considerable collections
were made by Mr. Gilbert and myself at Venice.
1880
In November, 1879, I was appointed special agent of the U.S. Census
Bureau, in charge of the enumeration of the fisheries and other marine
interests of the Pacific coast of the United States. I was also instructed
by the U.S. Commissioner of Fisheries to undertake a thorough study
of the fish-fauna of that region, and to make extensive collections
of the fishes for distribution by the U.S. National Museum to the chief
museums of the world.
Mr. Charles H. Gilbert was appointed assistant in this work. Special
assistance in Puget Sound was rendered by Mr. James G. Swan, of Neah
Bay, and about San Francisco by Mr. William N. Lockington, then of
San Francisco. Important volunteer aid was also given by Miss Rosa
Smith, of San Diego, by Mr. Charles J. Smith, then of Astoria, and by
Capt. Andrea Larco, of Santa Barbara.
Mr. Gilbert and the writer reached San Diego about January 1,1880.
The time between that date and November 1 was devoted to an exploration
of the coast from the Mexican boundary as far north as Saanich on
Vancouver's Island, most of the important points being visited at least
twice, at different seasons.
The chief points at which collections were made are San Diego, San
Pedro (Wilmington), Santa Barbara, San Luis Obispo (Port Harford),
Monterey, Soquel, San Francisco, Humboldt Bay, Astoria, Neah Bay,
Seattle, Tacoma, Victoria, Saanich Arm, and New Westminster.
Few coasts have yet been so thoroughly explored, so far as the shore
fishes are concerned. We had, however, no means of collecting fishes
from any great depth. The results of these explorations have been given
in numerous short papers in the Proceedings of the U.S. National Museum
for 1880 and 1881, in the Synopsis of the Fishes of North America,
and other papers. Our reports to the U.S. Census Bureau still remain
unpublished. Some 55 species new to science were obtained by
this expedition, and the number of species of shore fishes known from
the Pacific coast of California, Oregon, and Washington was raised from
about 200 to nearly 275. Series of specimens containing each from 50
to 250 of these species have been distributed to some 75 different
museums, in various parts of the world.
The most important result of our work on the Pacific coast is probably
the solution of the problem as to the number of species of salmon
(Oncorhynchus) inhabiting the North Pacific. Similar results were
reached at the same time by Dr. T.H. Bean, who was then carrying
explorations in Alaska.
On my return to the East I visited Utah Lake. Here, with the assistance of
Peter Madsen, a fisherman at Provo, I made a considerable collection of
fishes, some of them new to science. These have been described
by Jordan and Gilbert in the Proceedings of the U.S. National Museum,
1880, p. 459.
After finishing his work in California in November, 1880, Mr. Gilbert
continued his explorations southward, spending the winter at Mazatlan
and Panama, returning from Colon to Washington in the spring of 1881.
A remarkably rich and carefully preserved collection was obtained from
the Pacific coast of Mexico and Central America. This included some
60 species new to science. These have been described in several papers
by Jordan and Gilbert in the Proceedings of the U.S. National Museum
and Bulletin of the U. S. Fish Commission in 1881 and 1882. An elaborate
paper containing synonymy and detailed descriptions of all the
species of fishes known from the Pacific coast of tropical America was
prepared by us for publication. This was destroyed by fire in 1883 when
nearly ready for the press.
1881
The summer of 1881 was spent in Europe. Collections were made in
Genoa and Venice.
1882
In the spring of 1882 I visited Galveston, New Orleans, and Pensacola,
making a considerable collection at each point. The most important
part of this collection was that obtained at Pensacola, with the assistance
of Mr. Silas Stearns. The collections of fishes made by Mr. Stearns
at Pensacola are among the most important which the National Museum
has received from any source. The results of this expedition were published
by Jordan and Gilbert in the Proceedings of the U.S. National
Museum for 1882, pp. 241-307.
Part of the summer of the same year was spent by Professor Gilbert
at Charleston, S.C. In his work here Professor Gilbert received
important aid from Mr. Charles C. Leslie. The results of his explorations
were published by Jordan and Gilbert in Proceedings of the U.S. National
Museum, 1882, pp. 580-620.
1883
The winter of 1882-'83 was spent by Professor Gilbert in making collections
of fishes at Panama and at neighboring points on both sides of the Isthmus
as well as in the fresh waters of the Isthmus and of Costa Rica. A large
collection obtained was extremely rich in fresh-water forms and contained
some 40 species new to science. It was unfortunately totally destroyed by
the burning of the museum building of the Indiana University, July 12, 1883.
At this time about one-third of the collection previously made by Professor
Gilbert at Mazatlan and Panama was destroyed, as well as the
private collections of Professor Gilbert and myself which were very
rich in the department of fishes. Nothing was published concerning
these collections of 1883.
In the spring of 1883 a small collection of fishes was made in the
Fork of the Cumberland River by Mr. Joseph Swain and the writer.
After the fire a third collection was made at Venice by Mr. Swain
and myself. Small collections were also obtained at Wood's Holl [sic],
Mass., and in different streams of Indiana.
In November and December, 1883, 1 undertook a reconnaissance of
the fish-fauna of the Florida Keys. A day was spent at Jacksonville,
a few days at Cedar Keys, Fla., about three weeks at Key West,
and nearly two weeks in Havana. In this work I was assisted by
William H. Dye, a student of Indiana University. Large collections
were obtained, especially at Key West and at Havana--upwards of
25 species being new to science. The collections made in Florida have
been described in different papers in the Proceedings of the
U.S. National Museum for 1884. Those from Havana have not yet been
placed on record.
1884
In July 1884 I was asked by Prof. G. Brown Goode, curator of the
U.S. National Museum, to take charge of a series of explorations of the
streams of the Southern States, to be undertaken in connection with
the New Orleans Exposition. In this work I was assisted by Professor
Gilbert, Prof. Joseph Swain, and Mr. Seth E. Meek.
Field work was begun early in July by Professors Gilbert and
Swain in different streams in Indiana. Later they extended their
explorations southward, making collections in the Rolling Fork, the Rock
Castle, Cumberland, Clinch, French Broad, and Stone's Rivers; later
in the tributaries of the Tennessee, about Florence, Tuscumbia, and
Huntsville, in Alabama, and in those of the Black Warrior, about
Cullman, Blount Springs, Warrior, and Tuscaloosa. This exploration
of the Tennessee basin brought to light a number of new forms, especially
in the group of Etheostominae.
Meanwhile the writer, assisted by Mr. Seth E. Meek, began field
work in the Des Moines River, in Southern Iowa. The Des Moines,
Chariton, and Hundred and Two Rivers, in Iowa, were investigated,
and the Missouri, La Mine, and Osage, in Missouri. After a time I
was obliged to return to Indiana for a few days, and Professor Gilbert,
with Mr. Meek's assistance, continued the work in tributaries of the
Neosho, Osage, White, Niangua and Gasconade, in Southern Missouri.
I rejoined them at Eureka Springs, in Arkansas, where we made large
collections in the White River. Here Mr. Meek left us, and Mr. Gilbert
and I proceeded to Fort Smith, where we made collections in Lee's
Creek, the Poteau River, and the Arkansas. Proceeding southwestward
from Little Rock, we explored in succession the Saline River at
Benton, the Washita River at Arkadelphia, the Red River at Fulton,
the Sabine River at Longview, the Trinity River at Dallas, the Lampasas
and Leon Rivers at Belton, the Colorado River at Austin, the Rio
Blanco and San Marcos Rivers at San Marcos, and the Rio Comal at
New Braunfels. From New Braunfels we returned to Washington.
The explorations in 1884 are in several respects the most extensive
yet undertaken in the fresh waters of the United States. As results
of the summer's work a considerable number of new species have been
added to our lists. The range of many species hitherto supposed to be
rare and local has been greatly extended, and numerous species supposed
to be well distinguished have been shown to be geographical
varieties of others. We have been enabled in many cases to recognize
subspecies among our fresh-water fishes and to properly distinguish
these from individual and accidental variations. This work cannot be
fully done until all our interior waters have been explored. There still
remain many hydrographic basins in which no collections have yet
been made.
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