4 2 4 SPENCER FULLERTON BAIRD 



At that time the question of increasing the supply of 

 marine food fishes was considered almost futile by men 

 regarded as experts. So great a zoological authority as 

 Huxley, appointed to a somewhat similar board of inquiry 

 in regard to the North Sea fisheries of Great Britain, had 

 no hesitation in declaring that no actions of man could 

 have the power either to increase or perceptibly diminish 

 the quantity of fishes in the sea; and that all such changes 

 were due to causes beyond human foresight or control. 

 This assumption Baird was to test by investigation and 

 finally utterly to refute. 



His observation of the characteristics of the different 

 places on the coast suited to form a base for the investiga- 

 tion of the problem led to the belief that the village of 

 Wood's Hole, on the elbow of Cape Cod between Buz- 

 zard's Bay and Vineyard Sound, was, on the whole, the 

 best. 



A coast-wide questioning of everybody connected with 

 the fisheries was undertaken, but the original investiga- 

 tion of nature herself was reserved chiefly for the Wood's 

 Hole station. 



Here Baird and his family had repaired together with 

 the Edmunds family July i6th, 1870. Here and in the 

 vicinity the time was spent investigating the fauna by 

 fishing and dredging, with the help at times of visiting 

 naturalists such as Professors Gill and Webster. The evi- 

 dence as to the suitability of the place for the investiga- 

 tion desired was clearly in its favor. 



Early in June, 1871, the headquarters of the Com- 

 mission were established at Wood's Hole, and a boat was 

 lent for their use by the Revenue Marine bureau. Dr. E. 

 Palmer was engaged to assist in the work and a stenog- 

 rapher, boatman, etc., were installed. Gradually a group 



