BULLETIN OF THE UNITED STATES FISH COMMISSION. 341 



changed its name to the "American Fish-cultural Association"), and 

 to the " United States Fish Commission." Of the niue Government insti- 

 tutions, which are either wholly or in part intended for making investi- 

 gations on the field of pure and applied science, * the United States 

 Commission of Fish and Fisheries is at this day, to quote the words of 

 its historian, " the most prominent of the present efforts of the Government 

 in aid of aggressive biological research. 11 Every person in Europe who has 

 followed its career and who has studied its reports, will cheerfully sub- 

 scribe to the truth of the words quoted above, which in such terse 

 form expresses the deep interest which the Government of the Union 

 takes in these researches; and we must not fail to mention that the 

 energetic Americau mind did not only invent this term ("aggressive 

 research"), but that it has also understood to make the aggression in 

 such a manner as to conquer all opposition. 



On the 9th February, 1871, a joint resolution of Congress authorized 

 the Government to appoint a " Commisioner of Fish and Fisheries." 

 Year by year it had became more evident that the Central Government 

 must give the first impetus towards a new development of the fisheries. 

 A person was already in view who by his learning and experience would 

 be the man to be placed at the head of this new Commission. This per- 

 son was Prof. Spencer F. Baird, the one who, at the Berlin Fishery 

 Exposition, was awarded the great prize of honor which the Emperor 

 of Germany has given for the best exhibit. The object for which he 

 was appointed was indicated by the following : " to prosecute investi- 

 gations on the subject of the diminution of valuable fishes with the 

 view of ascertaining whether any and what diminution of the number 

 of food fishes of the coasts and the lakes of the United States has taken 

 place ; and if so, to what causes the same is due ; and also, whether any 

 and what protective, prohibitive, or precautionary measures should be 

 adopted in the premises, and to report upon the same to Congress." 



It will be seen that in giving this charge fish -culture was not yet 

 mentioned. Nothing was done in this direction until 1872, when repre- 

 sentatives of the Fish-Cultural Association petitioned the Government 

 to make the necessary appropriations for this purpose. Congress granted 

 the petition. Every year this item is given in the appropriation bill, 

 and the amount has been increased from year to year. At the same time 

 fish-culture has occupied a place of constantly growing importance on 

 the programme of the Fish Commission. More than a million dollars 

 has, during the last twelve years, been appropriated by the Government 

 of the Union, whilst the thirty-one States which had created Fish Com- 



* These niue institutions are: (1) The Geological Survey ; (2) the Coast and Geo- 

 detic Survey; (3) the Naval Observatory ; (4) The National Museum ; (5) the Depart- 

 ment of Agriculture ; (6) the Entomological Commission ; (7) tbe Tenth Census; (H) 

 the Smithsonian Bureau of Ethnology; (9.) the United States Commission of Fish 

 and Fisheries ; to which must he added, as an institution founded by aprivate indi- 

 vidual, the Smithsonian Institution. 



