<PAGE> PAGE 1
000 A000000 02/29/96
000 C000000 0000853911
000 D000000 N
000 E000000 NF
000 F000000 Y
000 G000000 N
000 H000000 N
000 I000000 3.0.a
000 J000000 U
001 A000000 MERRILL LYNCH SENIOR FLOATING RATE FUND, INC.
001 B000000 811-5850
001 C000000 6092827165
002 A000000 P.O. BOX 9066
002 B000000 PRINCETON
002 C000000 NJ
002 D010000 08543
002 D020000 9066
003 000000 N
004 000000 N
005 000000 N
006 000000 N
007 A000000 N
007 B000000 0
022 A000001 GENERAL ELECTRIC CAPITAL CORP.
022 C000001 5632992
022 D000001 5665782
022 A000002 ASSOCIATES CORP. OF NORTH AMERICA
022 C000002 2195722
022 D000002 2028520
022 A000003 CS FIRST BOSTON CORPORATION
022 B000003 13-5659485
022 C000003 1176174
022 D000003 1038412
022 A000004 GOLDMAN, SACHS & CO.
022 B000004 13-5108880
022 C000004 1072760
022 D000004 1059522
022 A000005 HSBC SECURITIES, INC.
022 B000005 13-2650272
022 C000005 895519
022 D000005 597138
022 A000006 FORD MOTOR CREDIT CO.
022 C000006 699349
022 D000006 604640
022 A000007 UBS SECURITIES INC.
022 B000007 13-2932996
022 C000007 593838
022 D000007 600000
022 A000008 CHEMICAL SECURITIES, INC.
022 B000008 13-3379014
022 C000008 262411
<PAGE> PAGE 2
022 D000008 54408
022 A000009 LEHMAN BROTHERS INC.
022 B000009 13-2518466
022 C000009 108666
022 D000009 108682
022 A000010 SBC CAPITAL MARKETS INC.
022 C000010 91538
022 D000010 91560
023 C000000 13215019
023 D000000 12025678
024 000000 N
055 A000000 Y
055 B000000 N
056 000000 Y
057 000000 N
062 A000000 Y
062 B000000 0.0
062 C000000 8.8
062 D000000 0.0
062 E000000 0.0
062 F000000 0.0
062 G000000 0.0
062 H000000 0.0
062 I000000 24.9
062 J000000 0.0
062 K000000 0.0
062 L000000 0.0
062 M000000 0.0
062 N000000 0.0
062 O000000 0.0
062 P000000 0.0
062 Q000000 0.0
062 R000000 65.9
063 A000000 0
063 B000000 5.7
064 A000000 N
070 A010000 Y
070 A020000 N
070 B010000 N
070 B020000 N
070 C010000 N
070 C020000 N
070 D010000 N
070 D020000 N
070 E010000 N
070 E020000 N
070 F010000 N
070 F020000 N
070 G010000 N
070 G020000 N
070 H010000 N
<PAGE> PAGE 3
070 H020000 N
070 I010000 N
070 I020000 N
070 J010000 Y
070 J020000 Y
070 K010000 Y
070 K020000 N
070 L010000 Y
070 L020000 Y
070 M010000 N
070 M020000 N
070 N010000 Y
070 N020000 N
070 O010000 Y
070 O020000 Y
070 P010000 Y
070 P020000 N
070 Q010000 N
070 Q020000 N
070 R010000 N
070 R020000 N
071 A000000 828430
071 B000000 612901
071 C000000 1780260
071 D000000 34
072 A000000 6
072 B000000 100132
072 C000000 0
072 D000000 0
072 E000000 2195
072 F000000 11786
072 G000000 3249
072 H000000 0
072 I000000 615
072 J000000 73
072 K000000 0
072 L000000 49
072 M000000 18
072 N000000 231
072 O000000 0
072 P000000 0
072 Q000000 0
072 R000000 34
072 S000000 48
072 T000000 0
072 U000000 0
072 V000000 0
072 W000000 146
072 X000000 16249
072 Y000000 0
072 Z000000 86078
<PAGE> PAGE 4
072AA000000 2234
072BB000000 2071
072CC010000 0
072CC020000 2438
072DD010000 86160
072DD020000 0
072EE000000 0
073 A010000 0.3473
073 A020000 0.0000
073 B000000 0.0000
073 C000000 0.0000
074 A000000 0
074 B000000 0
074 C000000 964187
074 D000000 0
074 E000000 0
074 F000000 124
074 G000000 0
074 H000000 0
074 I000000 1882110
074 J000000 0
074 K000000 0
074 L000000 32631
074 M000000 1392
074 N000000 2880444
074 O000000 0
074 P000000 2645
074 Q000000 0
074 R010000 0
074 R020000 0
074 R030000 0
074 R040000 20625
074 S000000 0
074 T000000 2857174
074 U010000 285507
074 U020000 0
074 V010000 10.01
074 V020000 0.00
074 W000000 0.0000
074 X000000 105369
074 Y000000 0
075 A000000 0
075 B000000 2494944
076 000000 0.00
077 A000000 N
078 000000 N
086 A010000 77912
086 A020000 779920
086 B010000 8377
086 B020000 83858
086 C010000 0
<PAGE> PAGE 5
086 C020000 0
086 D010000 0
086 D020000 0
086 E010000 0
086 E020000 0
086 F010000 0
086 F020000 0
SIGNATURE GERALD M. RICHARD
TITLE TREASURER
<TABLE> <S> <C>
<ARTICLE> 6
<CIK> 0000853911
<NAME> MERRILL LYNCH SENIOR FLOATING RATE FUND, INC.
<S> <C>
<PERIOD-TYPE> 6-MOS
<FISCAL-YEAR-END> AUG-31-1996
<PERIOD-START> SEP-01-1995
<PERIOD-END> FEB-29-1996
<INVESTMENTS-AT-COST> 2848685675
<INVESTMENTS-AT-VALUE> 2846421385
<RECEIVABLES> 32631007
<ASSETS-OTHER> 1391541
<OTHER-ITEMS-ASSETS> 0
<TOTAL-ASSETS> 2880443933
<PAYABLE-FOR-SECURITIES> 0
<SENIOR-LONG-TERM-DEBT> 0
<OTHER-ITEMS-LIABILITIES> 23269922
<TOTAL-LIABILITIES> 23269922
<SENIOR-EQUITY> 0
<PAID-IN-CAPITAL-COMMON> 2858497849
<SHARES-COMMON-STOCK> 285507330
<SHARES-COMMON-PRIOR> 215972462
<ACCUMULATED-NII-CURRENT> (82541)
<OVERDISTRIBUTION-NII> 0
<ACCUMULATED-NET-GAINS> 1022993
<OVERDISTRIBUTION-GAINS> 0
<ACCUM-APPREC-OR-DEPREC> (2264290)
<NET-ASSETS> 2857174011
<DIVIDEND-INCOME> 0
<INTEREST-INCOME> 100131506
<OTHER-INCOME> 2195043
<EXPENSES-NET> (16248655)
<NET-INVESTMENT-INCOME> 86077894
<REALIZED-GAINS-CURRENT> 162466
<APPREC-INCREASE-CURRENT> (2437645)
<NET-CHANGE-FROM-OPS> 83802715
<EQUALIZATION> 0
<DISTRIBUTIONS-OF-INCOME> (86160436)
<DISTRIBUTIONS-OF-GAINS> 0
<DISTRIBUTIONS-OTHER> 0
<NUMBER-OF-SHARES-SOLD> 73561942
<NUMBER-OF-SHARES-REDEEMED> (8377397)
<SHARES-REINVESTED> 4350323
<NET-CHANGE-IN-ASSETS> 693704398
<ACCUMULATED-NII-PRIOR> 0
<ACCUMULATED-GAINS-PRIOR> 860527
<OVERDISTRIB-NII-PRIOR> 0
<OVERDIST-NET-GAINS-PRIOR> 0
<GROSS-ADVISORY-FEES> 11786225
<INTEREST-EXPENSE> 0
<GROSS-EXPENSE> 16248655
<AVERAGE-NET-ASSETS> 2494944008
<PER-SHARE-NAV-BEGIN> 10.02
<PER-SHARE-NII> .35
<PER-SHARE-GAIN-APPREC> (.01)
<PER-SHARE-DIVIDEND> (.35)
<PER-SHARE-DISTRIBUTIONS> 0
<RETURNS-OF-CAPITAL> 0
<PER-SHARE-NAV-END> 10.01
<EXPENSE-RATIO> 1.31
<AVG-DEBT-OUTSTANDING> 0
<AVG-DEBT-PER-SHARE> 0
</TABLE>