26 REPORT OF COMMISSIONERS OF INLAND FISHERIES. 



is not only a fascinating field of research, but an extremely im- 

 portant one from the economic point of view. The chief difficulty 

 in the way of the identification of these forms — for our lack of 

 knowledge is not due to our lack of interest — has been to keep 

 alive the unknown larvie until they become recognizable. The 

 houseboat laboratory has here a great advantage over the usual 

 shore laboratory provided with aquaria. Marine animals of all 

 kinds can be kept alive more readily and develop more normally 

 in the sea than in aquaria. 



Point Judith Pond. — During the past year several expeditions 

 have been made to Point Judith Pond, and experiments in trans- 

 planting quahaug, clams, and scallops were put under way by resi- 

 dents of the town and by your commission. Mr. Geo. A. Griffin 

 informed us that, during the past season, 2,000 dollars worth of 

 white perch have been packed and shipped, three or four hundred 

 bushels of excellent scallops have been caught, besides flounders, 

 bass, smelts, etc. Some fine river shad were caught weighing 

 seven or eighf pounds. The enormous crop of oysters, clams, and 

 fish which has already been reaped from the pond proves the 

 wisdom of the project of opening a permanent breach. The obser- 

 vations on the density of the water and the condition of the plank- 

 ton also indicate that the pond is capable of supporting an enormous 

 annual crop of other shell-fish, if it can be successfully stocked with 

 them. 



