INTRODUCTORY NOTE. 



The present catalogue embraces the articles brought together by the 

 United States Fish Comniissiou for exhibition at the International Fish- 

 ery Exhibition {InternaiionaleFisclicrei-AnssteUimg) to be opened in Ber- 

 lin on the 20th of April, 1880. The exhibit is, for the most part, a 

 portion of that of the National Museum of the United States maintained 

 under the direction of the Smithsonian Institution. 



The idea of an international fishery exhibition to be held at Berlin 

 under the auspices of the Beutsclier Fischer el- Verein, had long been 

 entertained; and an invitation to participate therein was extended more 

 than a year ago by the German Government, to the United States, as 

 well as to other countries. No action on the subject was taken at the 

 time by Congress ; but on the 10th of February, 1880, a resolution intro- 

 duced in the House of Representatives by Mr. P. V. Deuster, of Wis- 

 consin, and supported by Mr. L. P. Morton, of New York, which became 

 a law, authorized the participation in the exhibition on the part of the 

 United States, and ai^propriated the sum of $20,000 for the purpose.* 



* The act passed in tlie following words : 



Whereas iiU civilized nations take part in the international fishery exhibition to 

 be held in the city of Berlin, Germany, in Aiml, eighteen hundred and eiglity, it is 

 deemed both right and expedient that the prominent and eifective action of the United 

 States in the line of the artificial propagation of fish and the stocking of depleted 

 fishing waters should be conspicuously and well exhibited on the occasion : Therefore, 



Busolvcd bi/ the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of Jmerica in 

 Congress assemhled, That to enable the United States Commissioner of Fish and Fish- 

 eries to exhibit America in Berlin in April, eighteen hundred and eighty, a fair and 

 full collection of the different specimens of American food-tislies, casts thereof, models 

 of, and implements, and so forth, used in the prosecution of American fisheries, the 

 sum of twenty thousand dollars is hereby appropriated, out of any inoneys not other- 

 wise appropriated in the Treasury of the United States, or so nnicli thereof as may be 

 necessary for the purpose, to be immediately available on the passage of this resolu- 

 tion, to be expended under the direction of the Secretary of State. 



Sec. 2. That the United States Commissioner of Fish ard Fisheries be, and is here- 

 by, authorized to represent the United States, either in person or by a deputy to be 

 appointed by the President of the United States; and that, at his discretion, he may 

 use any portion of the collections at present forming part of the National Museum in 

 making up the proposed exhibition by the United States. 



Sec. 3. That the United States Commissioner of Fish and Fisheries be, and is here- 



xni 



