596 THE FOOD FISHES. 



on by the Legislature. The question, unfortunately, became a political one ; but there were 

 some scientific men in the State, notably Mr. Samuel Powel, of Newport, a member of the 

 State Senate, who urged a scientific investigation, as the question was one too little understood. 

 Touching the shad fisheries, which are the more important in Connecticut, the latter State at 

 this time united in some movements for reform in the methods of fishing. The question now 

 began to assume an importance it deserved. It was considered that as the general United 

 States government had absolute control of the rivers, harbors, and estuaries, the States really 

 had no rights in this matter, and even if so, there naturally would be some conflicting measures 

 that would be difficult of reconciliation. Then the interests of individuals whose rights might 

 be themes of conflict would be difficult of adjustment. Accordingly, it seemed altogether best 

 that a United States officer be commissioned for the purpose of taking entire charge of the 

 question of coast fisheries, and by a fair adjustment reconcile all difficulties, first instituting 

 an extensive series of investigations, to get at the exact cause of the apparent failure of the 

 supply of food fishes. All depended now on determining the nature of the food sought by our 

 food fishes, the growth of their spawn, and other circumstances bearing upon the solution of 

 the problem in question. A bill was therefore introduced in Congress on the 9th of February, 

 1871, for the above purpose. This called for the "appointment by the President, by and with 

 the consent," etc., "from among the civic officers of the government, one person of proved 

 scientific and practical acquaintance with the fishes of the coast, to be commissioner of fish 

 and fisheries." The various departments of the government were authorized to render all 

 possible aid to the commissioner in the legitimate prosecution of his duties. This also included 

 the examination of the Great Lakes with reference to their fisheries. An appropriation was 

 made to meet the necessary expenses, and the President tendered the commission to Professor 

 Spencer F. Baird, then assistant secretary of the Smithsonian. 



The vicinity of Vineyard Sound being the one most referred to as exhibiting evidences 

 of a decrease in the numbers of food fishes, Professor Baird proceeded to that point to com- 

 mence his investigations, in June, 1871. He established his headquarters at Woods' Holl, a 

 coast village about eighteen miles from New Bedford, and directly opposite the famous Holmes' 

 Holl, now called Vineyard Haven. Prof. Baird now found it necessary to utilize any aid that 

 had been promised him through the government officers. At New Bedford he secured the use 

 of a revenue vessel attached to the custom-house. The Secretary of the Interior also directed 

 the customs officer to detail the revenue cutter "Moccasin" for his services. 



A systematic plan was now adopted, Professor Baird having the valuable assistance of 

 Prof. Gill, and others connected with the Smithsonian Institution. The aids afforded by the 

 Interior Department were supplemented by the free use of apparatus already belonging to the 

 government. A paper was drawn up embracing the various points desirable to investigate 

 systematically. Questions were framed, and these were included in a general circular which 

 was distributed widely along the coast among sea-faring men. 



The first serious difficulty in the accumulation of information is in the confusion of names 

 of fishes. There are so many common designations for each species, differing at each remove 

 of locality. The first question asks the local names of the fishes. The descriptive answers to 

 questions are then made to correspond with the local name ; otherwise great confusion arises 

 at once. Then the geographical distribution of the species, its abundance at different periods 

 of the year and in different seasons ; its size, migration, and movements ; relationship to its 

 fellows, or to others ; its food and peculiarities of reproduction, and many other things, 

 altogether covering a list of eighty-eight questions. 



As the history of species would not be complete without a knowledge of their associates 

 in the sea, especially such as prey upon them, or. in turn, constitute their own food, it was 

 regarded necessary to prosecute searching inquiries on these points. One important cause of 

 scarcity of some food fishes alleged, is that of the great scarcity of certain species which hereto- 

 fore deposited vast quantities of spawn in the rivers and estuaries, where the most of our food 

 fishes resort for subsistence. The investigation on an adequate scale called for services of 

 experts in various branches of marine zoology. Prof. Verrill and Mr. S. I. Smith, of Yale 

 College, offered their services to conduct the experiments of the laboratory for invertebrate 



