BULLETIN OF THE UNITED STATES FISH COMMISSION. 423 



therefor is unavailable because of the want of legislation, respectfully 

 request Hon. Martin Maginnis to use his best endeavors to obtain 

 such legislation as may be needed.' " 



On the 20th of April, 1880, Mr. Frank H. Woody, of Missoula, Mont., 

 wrote as follows: 



"At a recent meeting of the Kod and Gun Club of Missoula, Mont., 

 a committee, consisting of Lieut. Col. George Gibson, U. S. A., Hon. W. 

 J. McCormick, and the undersigned, was appointed to communicate 

 with you in reference to the removal of certain falls in the Columbia 

 River, in order that salmon might ascend the headwaters of said river. 

 These falls are situated iu either Washington or Idaho, the exact loca- 

 tion of them being unknown to the committee. The last regular ses- 

 sion of our legislature appropriated $1,000 for the removal of these 

 obstructions, but Governor Potts holds that the money cannot be used 

 for that purpose until the Government of the United States grants per- 

 mission for the removal of said falls. Now, what our club desires in 

 the premises is this: That you, by some means, if practicable, procure 

 the necessary permission for the removal of said obstructions, if you 

 upon making the necessary inquiries find that such permission is neces- 

 sary. I write this at the request of Colonel Gibson, who is chairman 

 of the committee." 



80»-Sl'PPOSED OUCITRBEHrCE OF SAIL -FISH, HISTIOPHORUS. 



By Capt. WILLIAM M. BARNES. 



[From a letter to J. T. Brown.] 



The Pacific Ocean has been my cruising-ground for nearly thirty 

 years, and several years have been spent near the line, from the South 

 American coast westward to the Salomon Islands. My first and only 

 sight of ike fish was, I believe, in 187G, near Chatham Island, one of the 

 Gallipagos group. We were perhaps 10 miles from the island, and 

 were passing to windward of it, when our attention was attracted by 

 an unusual object a mile off. Looking at it with a glass we saw the fin 

 of some sort of a fish, having the appearance of a sail. As nearly as I 

 now can tell the sail was all the time above water, just as if it had been 

 the sail of a low boat or canoe, and continually rolling from one side to 

 the other just as if it had belonged to a boat that was running before a 

 small swell. The sight was so interesting that we tried to make a near 

 acquaintance with this sort of craft, and I dropped down my first 

 officer with his boat to catch the stranger. The mate put up his sail 

 and ran down to the fish, which all the while had been sailing slowly 

 toward the island. Just before the boat was within striking distance 

 the fin disappeared, and a few minutes after it was up again a little way 

 from the boat. My mate attempted a second time to get the boat within 

 striking distance, and again the fin disappeared. After making a num- 



