84 REPORT OF THE SECRETAR.Y. 



ialist wbo uses tbem bears testimouy to tbeir extreme accuracy and 

 merit. 



"Of tbe total number of pnpers enumerated in tbe bst, 73 rebite to 

 iiiammabs, 80 to birds, 43 to reptiles, 431 to tisbes, 01 to invertelirates 

 (lliese being cbiefly reviews), 10 to plants, 88 to geog:rai)bical distribu- 

 tion, 4<5 to geology, mineralogy, and pabeontology ; 45 to antliro[)ology, 

 31 to industry and art, and 101) to ex])loration and travel. 



"Wbile tbe number of new species described does not necessarily 

 ntford any clew to tbe value of tbe work accomplisbed, it may not be 

 uninteresting to refer to it as an indication of tbe pioneer work wbicb 

 it was necessary to do even in so prominent a group as tbe vertebrates. 

 1 note among mammals 40, birds 70, rei)tiles 180, fisbes 50. Forty-nine 

 of 21.'0, or nearly one-fourtb, of tbe mammals discussed in tbe Mammals 

 of North America were there described for the first time. In the cata- 

 logue of serpents not more than GO per cent, had been named, and in 

 ])reparatiou for studying the specimens each was carefully ticketed with 

 its locality, and then the 2,000 or more individuals were thrown indis- 

 criminately into one great i)ile, and the work of sorting them out by 

 resemblances was begun. Not tbe least valuable have been the numer- 

 ous accurate figures of North American vertebiates, i)rei)ared under 

 Professor Baird's supervision. These include representatives of 170 

 species of mammals and 100 s^^ecies of reptiles, besides many hundreds 

 of birds. 



"On the 9th of February, 1874, Congress passed a joint resolution 

 wbicb authorized the appointment of a Commissioner of Fish and Fish- 

 eries. Tlie duties of the Commissioner were thus defined: 'To })rose- 

 cute investigations on the subject (of tbe diminution of valuable fisbes) 

 with tbe view of ascertaining whether any and what diminution in tbe 

 number of tbe food-fishes of the coast and tiie lakes of tbe United 

 States has taken i)lace, and, if so, to wbat causes tbe same is due; and 

 also whether any ami what protective, prohibitory, or i)recautionary 

 measures should bo adopted in the premises, and to report upon tbe 

 same to Congress.' 



"Tbe resolution establishing the ofdce of Commissioner of Fisheries 

 retpiired that the person to be api)ointed should be a civil officer of the 

 Government, of proved scientific and practical ac<juaintance with the 

 fisbes of the coast, to serve without additional salary. The choice was 

 thus practically limited to a single man. Professor Baird, at tbat time 

 Assistant Secretary of the Smithsonian Institution, wasai)]H)inted, and, 

 at once entering upon his duties, soon developed a systematic scheme 

 of investigation. 



" The Fish Commission now fills a i)lace tenfobl nuu'e extensive and 

 useful than at first. Its work is naturally divided into three sections : 



"(1) Tbe. systematic investigation of the waters of the United States 

 and tlH' biological and i)liysical problems wliicb they present. The 

 scientifii; studies of tbe Commission are based upon a liberal and piiil- 



