54 FISHERMEN'S OWN BOOK. 



U. S. Fish Commission. 



SUMMER HEADQUARTERS IN GLOUCESTER. 



The Summer of 1878 was memorable for the selection of this city as the 

 Summer headquarters of the U. S. Fish Commission. The scientific corps 

 comprising the Commission arrived here July 9, Prof. Baird and his clerical 

 force taking up their residence at the Kirby cottages on Western avenue, 

 and a large building on Fort Wharf was leased for an office, laboratory, etc. 

 The laboratory work was under the the special charge of Prof. Goode of the 

 Commission and Prof. Verrill of Yale College, with Dr. Bean and Messrs. 

 Richard Rathburn and Warren Upham as assistants. On the i8th of July 

 the steamer Speedwell, under command of Captain Beardslee, arrived, and 

 from that time until Sept. 30, with a brief interruption for repairs on the 

 steamer, dredging expeditions were made off the coast, Capt. H. C. Ches- 

 ter, formerly of the Polaris, having charge of the dredging machinery. 

 With the departure of the Speedwell, at the end of September, the regular 

 Summer work of the Commission was practically completed. 



Aside from the investigations pursued by the scientists, and the valuable 

 collections secured on the dredging expeditions, the visit of the Fish Com- 

 mission to Gloucester served to create an interest in its field of operations 

 among the Gloucester fishermen, from which great benefit has been derived. 

 Several of the larger fishing vessels were provided with tanks and alcohol 

 for the preservation of such novel specimens as might be brought up on 

 their lines and trawls, and a lively emulation was manifested in forwarding 

 the interests of the Commission. This branch of the work was continued 

 after the departure of Prof. Baird and his corps, the numerous contributions 

 being weekly announced in the columns of the local papers until the middle 

 of November, 1880, when the number of separate contributions had reached 

 924, including many thousands of specimens, of which a very large number 

 were either new to science, very rare, or hitherto unheard of in American 

 waters. 



During the season a series of investigations was made by Dr. W. G. Far- 

 low, as to the cause of the reddening of codfish cured in Summer, which 

 renders it liable to decomposition and unfit for the market. After a full 

 inquiry Dr. Farlow came to the conclusion that the trouble was occasioned 

 by a minute red alga, specimens of which were found in the Cadiz salt used 

 for curing fish, and in accordance with his recommendation a more general 

 use has since been made of Trapani salt, which was found to be free from 

 this alga. 



Through the efforts of Prof. Baird, Gloucester was made a storm signal 



