REPORT OF THE SECRETARY. 49 



in regard to the present condition of the American fisheries, for which 

 purpose circulars were printed and distributed very extensively along 

 the coast, and several competent agents were detailed for making the 

 necessary inquiries. 



As in previous years, Prof. A. E. Verrill, of Yale College, assisted by 

 Mr. E. B. Wilson, took special charge of the investigations in regard to 

 the marine invertebrates, while Mr. G. Brown Goode and Dr. T. H. 

 Bean discharged a similar relation to the vertebrates. A number of 

 trips were made by the vessel from Salem, which resulted in the dis- 

 covery of some new and extensive fishing-grounds of much value, which 

 it is believed will in time be utilized in the interest of the American 

 fisheries. 



Professor Baird proceeded to Halifax about the middle of August, 

 where he was joined by the Speedwell on the 22d, from which point a 

 new series of researches was carried on tending to still further elucidate 

 the fisheries of the United States and of the British possessions. 



The opportunity furnished by the presence of many intelligent fisher- 

 men and other witnesses called on both sid es by the convention, was 

 embraced by Professor Baird to secure information in regard to the 

 condition, extent, and location of the American fisheries and the details 

 of their prosecution , and enabled him to collect material for an ex- 

 haustive work on the subject, to be published at some future time in 

 the report of the commission. 



Professor Baird's duties in Washington required his return from 

 Halifax a short time before the close of the convention, and he left on 

 the 20th of October for home, the steamer Speedwell having proceeded 

 to Salem on the 13th ; and, after remaining a few days and carrying on 

 some investigations in regard to the habits and distribution of the sea- 

 herring, she reported herself at Portsmouth and was taken out of com- 

 mission. 



The season of 1877 was unusually productive in the increase of our 

 knowledge of the natural history of the coast ; a number of species 

 having been added to previous lists, a considerable proportion new to 

 science. 



The work of the commission in the direction of the propagation of 

 food-fishes began in April with the shad, an establishment having been 

 formed at Havre de Grace, in the Susquehanna, where 11,000,000 of 

 young shad were hatched out and distributed throughout the United 

 States. During this season an entirely new system of hatching shad, 

 invented by Mr. T. B. Ferguson, fish commissioner of Maryland, was 

 put into successful operation. In this the necessary motion required by 

 the eggs is imparted by steam machinery, which causes a cylindrical 

 vessel in which the eggs are placed to rise and fall in the water with a 

 proper degree of velocity. In this way many practical difficulties in 

 the hatching of shad in open bays and elsewhere are overcome. 



The work of hatching shad at Havre de Grace was prosecuted with 

 the assistance of Mr. Ferguson, while the shipment and distribution of 

 4 s 



