Figure 5« — ^Buildings of the Light-House Board on the west bank 



of Little Harbor used by Baird as temporal'" headquarters 

 and laboratory. Courtesy of Norman T. Allen. 



by Congress which in Section 3 of the Resolution specified that 

 "the heads of the Executive Departments be, and they are hereby 

 directed to cause to be rendered all necessary and practicable 

 aid to the said Commissioner in the prosecution of the investi- 

 gations and inquiries aforesaid. " 



This provision of the law was of great value. It is apparent, 

 however, that the success in obtaining cooperation authorized by 

 law depended a great deal on the personal characteristics of Baird, 

 his great ability of getting along with people, and his remarkable 

 power of persuasion. These qualifications played the major role 

 in his success in organizing the Commission's work and also in 

 obtaining the cooperation of scientists as well as that of fishermen 

 and businessmen. 



The investigation during the first summer consisted primarily 

 in collecting large numbers of fishes and studying their spawning, 

 rate of growth, distribution, and food. In the course of this work 

 nearly all the fish pounds and traps, some 30 in number, in the 



12 



