PROGRESS IN BIOLOGICAL INQUIRIES, 19 2 7 



201 



ing by private enterprise possible and assuring an abundant supply 

 of raw material for the button industry of the Middle West. 



Two important projects were undertaken during the past year, 

 both of them major investigations, although each undoubtedly will 

 develop into a number of subordinate and related investigations dur- 

 ing the coming year. These are an investigation of the fisheries of 

 the Great Lakes, with special reference to Lake Erie, and an investi- 

 gation of the fisheries of the Middle Atlantic coast from Cape Cod 

 to Delaware Bay. The appropriation for " inquiry respecting food 

 fishes " was increased by $10,000 for the purpose of investigating the 

 condition of the fisheries of the Great Lakes to discover the causes 

 of the alleged decline in productiveness and to devise corrective 

 measures. Dr. John Van Oosten, who has had several years' expe- 

 rience in herring work on Lake Huron, was placed in charge of 

 this inquiry and with assistants began a general survey of the Great 

 Lakes in July, 1927. Because of the urgency of the problems found 

 in Lake Erie and the economic importance of the fisheries in that 

 lake, a program of observation and experimental fishing was under- 

 taken there with the intention of extending the investigation to other 

 lakes later. 



A similar increase was made in the appropriation for an investiga- 

 tion of the fisheries in the Middle Atlantic region, with special refer- 

 ence to the pound-net and weakfish fisheries on the Long Island and 

 New Jersey coasts. R. A. Nesbit began a survey of the region in 

 July, 1927, and later made detailed observations of the landings at 

 several points during the course of the fall fishery. During the 

 winter the collection and analysis of past records of the fishery were 

 undertaken to determine the seasonal changes in the fishery and the 

 variations in abundance that may be expected. It is hoped to dis- 

 cover the causes of these variations and, if they be due to destructive 

 or immoderate fishing rather than to natural causes, to offer recom- 

 mendations to State legislatures for an effective system of fishery 

 regulation. Plans have been made for stationing observers at sev- 

 eral important ports of landing throughout the region, where sys- 

 tematic studies of the fishery will be conducted throughout the 

 season. 



The demand for new investigations has continued to exceed the 

 facilities of the bureau, but is significant in reflecting public appre- 

 ciation of its work. The appropriations for scientific investigations 

 have nearly doubled in the past four years; the appropriations for 

 the fiscal year ending June 30, 1928, exceed those for 1924 by 92 per 

 cent. The expansion in activities of the division may be judged by 

 the annual appropriations, which are shown in thousands of dollars 

 in the following table : 



