BULLETIN OF THE UNITED STATES FISH COMMISSION. 249 



The case under consideration was a semi-official call upon all the 

 States and Territories, and the effect of the call upon the different sec- 

 tions was very different. While the total yield of returns was 73 per 

 cent, of the offices addressed, 95 per cent, of the Dakota offices an- 

 swered, and but 61 per cent, of the Louisiana offices answered. The 

 per cent, of answers for each State or Territory was as follows : 



Per cent. 



Dakota 95 



Indian Territory 89 



Washington 88 



Wyoming 88 



Idaho 87 



Rhode Island 87 



Utah 80 



Massachusetts 85 



Vermont 83 



Oregon 83 



Michigan 82 



Kansas 81 



Maine 81 



Nevada 81 



New Hampshire 81 



Wisconsin 80 



Connecticut 80 



Minnesota 80 



Montana 80 



Florida 79 



California 78 



Iowa 7H 



Nehraska 78 



Texas 78 



Per cent. 



New Jersey 77 



Illinois 77 



Ohio 76 



Colorado 75 



New Mexico 73 



Missouri 72 



Indiana 71 



North Carolina 70 



New York 70 



West Virginia 69 



Maryland 69 



Arizona 68 



Arkansas 68 



Pennsylvania 67 



Delaware 66 



Tennessee 65 



Kentucky 65 



Georgia 65 



Mississippi 64 



South Carolina 63 



Alabama 63 



Virginia 62 



Louisiana 61 



It was to be expected that States would answer according to their 

 degree of education and intelligence, and this is no doubt an element, 

 but some other element has entered in here to place five Western Terri- 

 tories ahead of the best States. My own opinion is that the semi-offi- 

 cial indorsement of the Postmaster-General had a far greater influence 

 upon the new sections of the country than upon the older ; that new 

 officers answered partly because of the official indorsement, and that 

 old ones have become somewhat accustomed to disregard such in- 

 dorsements. But why Dakota exceeded Arizona 27 per cent., and the 



