40 REPORT OF COMMISSIONERS OF INLAND FISHERIES. 



2. Data gradiiall}" acquired bj^ the Fish Commission in years past. 



3. Data furnished by Mr. E. W. Barnes, of Wickford, R. I., 

 Superintendent of the Experiment Station. The data secured by 

 Mr. Barnes has been very vahiable, esiDecially that portion of it 

 relating to the more important food fishes. 



4. Statements regarding time of occurrence, abundance, etc., of 

 various fishes, made by fishermen and others practically interested. 

 I am under special obligations to the Lewis Brothers, of Wickford, 

 for information of this kind and for other favors, for which I here 

 make acknowledgment. 



5. Collections made at various times in the past, particularly by 

 the late Prof. J. W. P. Jenks, and by Mr. J. M. K. Southwick, of 

 Newport, Vice-president of the Commission. 



6. Collections and personal observations made by the writer, 

 chiefly during the year 1905. Visits were made to the fish-traps 

 with the fishermen at various times throughout the season; at each 

 haul specimens were taken, and records were made of the date, 

 species present, abundance, size, and any other data which seemed 

 desirable. The seine was also used in securing the young of many 

 fishes and the smaller shore fishes. 



I should add, further, that in several cases references of the isolated 

 occurrence of certain rare species in Rhode Island waters have been 

 found in various works on ichthyology or in special papers. I have 

 made use of these sources also, as a matter of record, giving the 

 proper reference under each particular species. 



The material for the notes on the food of the various species, in 

 addition to data obtained by personal observation, has been taken 

 from a variety of sources. The observations on the stomach contents 

 of fishes made by Dr. Edwin Linton, and published in the Bulletin 

 of the United States Fish Commission for the year 1899, have been 

 largely used. It has seemed scarcely necessary to give authorities 

 for statements as to the food of the different fishes in cases in which 

 there is general agreement. 



