REPORT OF THE SECRETARY. 85 



allv followed by a general discussion. About fifty papers were read and 

 discussed, all being of great importance, and many dealing with sub- 

 jects never before discussed. One of the most important papers was 

 read by Mr. Goode, and treated of "The Fishery Industries of the 

 United States, and the work of the United States Commission." Pro- 

 fessor Huxley, in responding, held up the aetion of the United States as 

 a worthy example for other nations to follow. He said that, with all 

 respect to the efforts of Sweden, Germany, Holland, &c, he did not 

 think any nation had "comprehended the question cf dealing with the 

 fisheries in so thorough, excellent, and scientific a spirit as the United 

 States." The conference papers, with the discussions, have all been 

 printed, and, together with a series of illustrated popular hand books, the 

 reports of the juries, and the prize essays, will form a very important 

 contribution to the literature of fish and fisheries, making about twelve 

 volumes octavo. The catalogue of the exhibition is in itself a cyclo- 

 paedia of the fisheries, the account of the exhibit of each country being 

 prefaced by a description of its fisheries by some expert. The estab- 

 tablishment of a literary bureau, in charge of Mr. Trendell, was an im- 

 portant advance in exhibition administration. 



The efficiency of the American exhibit was rendered more perfect by 

 the fact that the employes were experts in their several departments, 

 and were constantly in attendance and ready to explain the collections. 

 The assistance of these gentlemen will also be of great importance in 

 preparing the official report. This report will embrace, in addition 

 to the narrative and descriptive part by -r. Goode, special reports upon 

 the European fisheries and fish-culture, the herring and sardine fisher- 

 ies, the mackerel fisheries, the English fish-trade, life-saving appliances, 

 &c. 



In compliance with my request, Mr. Goode devoted a great deal of 

 time to studying the methods of managing museums in the great estab- 

 lishments of England. He made a short visit to Paris also, to study 

 museum methods there, having previously, in 18S0, visited the estab- 

 lishments in Germany and Italy. 



The exhibition was formally closed October 30, and by the end of 

 the year the entire collection — of a bulk of over 500 tons — had been 

 returned to Washington, where a force was at once put to work in set- 

 ting it up for permanent exhibition in the National Museum. 



Many important accessions to our collections were received during 

 the exhibition. Most of these came by exchange. Prominent among 

 them were exhibits from Greece, Spain, India, Sweden, and China. The 

 Marquis of Hamilton presented an Irish coracle; Mr. W. B. Scgetmeier 

 furnished illustrations of the net-maker's art; Mr. Arthur Fedderseu, 

 of Viborg, presented a model of a Danish vessel, &c. A considerable 

 collection of fish-cultural appliances was given to the new National 

 Fisheries Museum at South Kensington, in exchange for objects from 

 India and China. 



