CONTENTS 



REPORT OF THE COMMISSIONER. 



A— INQUIRY INTO THE DECEEASE OF THE FOOD-FISHES. 



Page. 



l. Investigations of 1873 vn 



Reason for selecting Portland, Me., as base of operations VII 



Assistance rendered by the Navy Department vn 



The steam-tug Blue Light vii 



Associates in the inquiry vm 



Numbers of living forms found in the waters of the region vnr 



Mackerel, cod, and herring fisheries viii 



Fish-food viii 



Biological researches IX 



Ph ysical researches IX 



Collections for scientific museums IX 



List of visitors at Peak's Island station ix 



Apparatus used on the Blue Light ix 



The region southeast from Cape Elizabeth .• x 



The region at the upper end of Casco Bay x 



Proof of climatic changes on the northern Atlantic coast x 



Assistance rendered by the United States Coast Survey X 



The steamer Bache x 



Assistance rendered by the Treasury Department XI 



The revenue steamer McCulloch XI 



The revenue steamer Chase XI 



Assistance rendered by the Quartermaster Department of the Army XI 



2. Investigations in 1874 xi 



Reasons for selecting Noank, Conn., as base of operations XI 



Assistance rendered by the Navy Department XI 



The steam-tug Blue Light xi 



General character of work prosecuted xi 



Experiments in propagating sea-bass XII 



Visit to shad-hatching station at Holyoke, Mass XII 



Experiments in inuring embryo shad to sea-water XII 



Shipment of shad to Germany XII 



Discoveries of specie3 before unknown to the coast •- XHI 



Associates in the inquiry xm 



List of visitors to the Noank station xm 



Special report to be made on invertebrates xiv 



Cold currents Xiv 



Assistance rendered by United States Coast Survey Xiv 



The steamer Bache xiv 



Experiment with preservatives XV 



B— THE PROPAGATION OF FOOD-FISHES. 



3. Extent of the work xv 



Regions benefited XV 



The value of fish-propagation to China xvi 



Reasons why the work cannot he left to State action xvi 



The plan as regards the propagation of the shad xvi 



Extent of the California-salmon work xvii 



The possible resources of rivers xvn 



The proposed introduction of the carp xvn 



Former abundance of fishes XVII 



V 



