PUBLIC DOCUMENT- -No. 25. 81 



their specimens and towings to the laboratory, where these samples were 

 examined and recorded. This laboratory has been mentioned in previous 

 reports and does not require further description. It was not used during 

 1913, and in the spring of 1914 was dismantled. 



In 1913 a small laboratory was built at the Sutton hatchery for investi- 

 gations upon the diseases of fish and game birds. During 1913 this 

 laboratory was in charge of Arthur B. Merriam. The laboratory con- 

 sisted of a room, 13 by 15 feet, in a small building on the hatchery grounds. 

 It was fitted with tables and benches for microscopic work, and furnished 

 with good light through eight small windows on three sides. A high table 

 in the center of the room, with space for drawers and closets below, made 

 an excellent dissecting table, while a sink with running water and exten- 

 sive shelving were conveniently situated. Electric light and power were 

 obtained from the car line near the hatchery. The laboratory equipment, 

 in addition to the usual microscopical outfit, consisted of an Arnold steam 

 sterilizer, a small electric centrifuge, a microtome, a small electric incuba- 

 tor, a hot-air sterilizer, a still, a kerosene stove, and suitable glassware and 

 reagents for ordinary pathological and bacteriological work. In 1914 

 this laboratory was further stocked with glassware and other material 

 from the Wellfleet laboratory. Work was conducted during part of the 

 summers of 1913 and 1914. 



Courtesies. The commission desires tc express its appreciation of the 

 courtesy of the estate of L. D. Baker of Wellfleet in furnishing facilities 

 for laboratory accommodations. The Wellfleet laboratory was situated 

 upon a wharf, the property of the L. D. Baker estate, and all possible 

 opportunities were afforded the commission to carry on investigations 

 upon the sbellfisher ies and other salt and fresh water fisheries. 



This department is likewise under obligation to the United States 

 Bureau of Fisheries for the excellent laboratory facilities afforded to the 

 members of the biological staff during the summers of 1913 and 1914 at 

 Woods Hole. Not only were laboratory facilities provided by Com- 

 missioner Hugh M. Smith, but the use of various boats and equipment 

 was placed at the disposal of our department. Without the assistance 

 and help of the men at the Woods Hole laboratory the work of carrying 

 on the investigation of the Buzzards Bay fisheries would have been severely 

 handicapped. 



Mollusk Fisheries. As described in previous reports, the experiments 

 upon clam culture were chiefly carried on between the years 1906 and 1912. 

 During the years 1912, 1913 and 1914 various observations were made 

 upon the different economic mollusk fisheries, and to some extent records 

 were kept of the abundance of mollusks in certain localities. Two lines 

 of work were followed during 1912: 



1. The identification of the different larval mollusks in the towings 

 was continued, as in previous years, making the sixth year that the dif- 

 ferentiation of the various species of larval shellfish has been carried on. 



2. Growth and cultural experiments upon the soft clam (Mya arenaria) 



