44 Memoi'-ial of George Broivn Goode. 



He became in 1872 a volunteer in the United States Fish Commission, 

 the year after the organization of that Bureau, and he continued this 

 work, making collections in 1872 at Eastport, Maine, in 1873 in Casco 

 Bay, and in 1874 at Noank, on Long Island Sound. The years from 

 1872 to 1878 show collections of fishes made by him at the points named, 

 as well as in Bermuda, Florida, Connecticut, and other places. Nearly 

 twenty papers and articles relating to the Fish Commission and to fish- 

 eries appeared from his pen during the first four 3'ears of this voluntary 

 association with the Fish Commission. He was interested not only in 

 the scientific side of ichthyological work, but devoted great attention to 

 the economic side. It was in 1877 that he found his first specimen of a 

 deep-sea fish and laid the foundation of the studies which culminated in 

 the splendid memoir on Oceanic Ichthj'ology by himself and Doctor 

 Bean. During these years with Professor Baird he became experienced 

 in all the work of the Fish Commission, and upon his death was appointed 

 Commissioner of Fisheries by the President. The position up to this 

 time had been an honorary one, but Mr. Goode informed President 

 Cleveland that the work had grown to such an extent that it was not 

 possible for any person who was actively engaged in the Smithsonian 

 Institution or elsewhere to continue it. President Cleveland urged him 

 several times to permanently accept the position of Commissioner of Fish- 

 eries, and the Committee on Appropriations of Congress had provided a 

 salary which was larger than the one which Mr. Goode was receiving or 

 ever did receive, but he resolutely declined, asserting that his life's ambi- 

 tion had been to become associated with the Smithsonian Institution; 

 that his heart was in the Museum, and that he could not give it up. As 

 related to his work in the Fish Commission, the facts may be mentioned 

 that in 1877 he was emploj^ed by the Department of State on statistical 

 work in connection with the Halifax Commission, and in 1879 and 1880 

 he was in charge of the Fisheries Division of the Tenth Census. His 

 administrative abilities were strongly brought out in the organization of 

 this work. Professor Henry F. Osborn describes his method as follows: 



Special agents were sent out, to every part of the coast and to the Great Lakes, to 

 gather information. Goode worked at it himself on Cape Cod, and manifested the 

 same enthusiasm as in every other piece of work he took up. He interested himself 

 in getting together a collection representing the methods of the fisheries and the 

 habits of the fishermen. Neglecting neither the most trivial nor important objects, 

 branching out into every collateral matter, he showed his grasp both of principles 

 and of details. 



He was United States commissioner to the Internationale Fischerei 

 Ausstellung in 1880 at Berlin and to the International Fisheries Exposi- 

 tion held at I^ondon in 1883. From circular order No. 139, isstted by 

 Commander J. J. Brice, United States Commissioner of Fish and Fish- 

 eries, I extract the following sentences: 



Doctor Goode is best known for his researches and publications on the fishes and 

 fisheries of the United States, on which subjects he came to be recognized as the 



