REPORT OF COMMISSIONER OF FISH AND FISHERIES 



IX 



The distributing ears traveled 87,550 miles during the year, and 

 detached messengers traveled 119,055 miles, in the distribution of the 

 fishes liberated. 



The Commission is under continued obligations to various railroads 

 in the United States for free transportation furnished during the year, 

 as shown in the following statement: 



ICame of railroad. 



Ann Arbor Railroad 



Atcliison, Topeka and Santa Fe. 



Baltimore and Ohio Kailroad 



Baltimore and Ohio Southwestern 

 Bangor and Aroostook Railroad. 



Boston and Maine Railroad 



Burlington and ^Missouri River, 



in Nebraska 



Burlingtcm, Cedar Rapids and 



Northern 



Central Vermont Railroad 



Chicago and West Michigan 



Chicago, Burlington and t^tiincj. 

 Chicago, Mihvaiikeeaiid St. Paul 

 Chicago. Pet>ria and St. Lnuis ... 



Colorado Midland Railroad 



Cleveland, Cincinnati, Chicago 



and St. Louis 



Cooperstown and Charlotte Yal- 



ley 



Chicago and Xorthwestern Rail- 

 road 



Chesapeake and Ohio Railroad . . 



Delaware and Hudson River 



Denver and Rio Grande 



Denver, Leadvilleand Gunnison.! 



Detroit and Mackinac Railroad.. 



Duluth, South Shore and Atlan- 

 tic Railroad 



Flint and Pere Marquette 



Florida Central and Peninsular . 



Fremont, Elkhoru and Missouri 

 Valley 



Fort Worth and Denver City 



Grand Rapids and Indiana 



Great Northern Railroad 



Houston and Texas Central 



Illinois Central Railroad 



International and Great North- 

 ern 



Jacksonville. Tampa and Key 

 West 



Cars. 



Miles. 



460 



3,717 



Messen- 

 I gers. 



Name of railroad. 



1,288 



1,754 



123 



1,0G7 



1, 8'?2 



Miles. 



552 



65 



964 



104 



2,101 



292 

 556 



3,470 



353 

 ,194 

 750 

 554 



2,620 



491 

 3,045 

 1,124 



354 

 444 



375 

 552 



3,629 



272 

 170 

 584 



4,039 

 831 

 188 



122 

 500 



436 



1,658 



526 



Kansas City, Fort Scott and 

 Memjihis , 



Kansa.s City, Pittsburg and 

 Gulf 



Louisville and Nashville Rail- 

 road 



Maine Central Railroad 



Michigan Central Railroad 



Mobile and Ohio Railroad 



Montana Union Railroad 



Montpelier and Wells River 



Railroad 



Minneapolis, St. Paul and Sault 



Ste. ;Marie Railroad 



Nashville, Chattanooga and St. 



Louis 



New York, New Haven and 



Hartford 



New York, Ontario and Western. 



Northern P'acitic Railroad 



Oregon Railway and Navigation 



Co 



Philadelphia, Reading and New 



England 



Rutland Railway 



San Antonio and Aransas Pass.. 

 St. Johnsbnry and Lake Cham- 

 plain " 



St. Louis and San Francisco 



Southern Pacific Railroad 



Southern Railway 



Texas and Pacific Railroad 



Terre Haute and Indianapolis. . . 



Union Pacific Railroad 



Union Pacific, Denver and Gulf. 



Vermont Central Railroad 



Wabash Railroad 



West Virginia and Pittsburg- . . 



Wisconsin Central Railroad 



"Woodstock Railroad 



Cars. 



Messen- 

 i gers. 



Miles. I Miles. 



308 



3,616 

 2,436 

 4, 866 

 1,-018 

 116 



646 

 "90 



138 



■ 200 

 3.020 



934 



151 

 69 

 749 



136 

 236 



58 

 376 



1,956 

 180 

 375 



6, 112 

 154 



Total. 



462 



55, 908 



119 

 426 



82 



3,456 



208 



166 



28 



28, 984 



The scientific work of the Commission has an important bearing on 

 the artificial increase of food-fishes in determining the best methods to 

 pursue in fish -culture, in ascertaining the results of propagation, and 

 in the study of the habits, growth, food, enemies, and diseases of fish. 

 The Division of Scientific Inquiry was under the charge of Mr. Eichard 

 Rathbun until December 31, 189G, when, on his resignation to accept 

 the i)Osition of assistant secretary of the Smithsonian Institution, Dr. 

 Hugh ]M. Smith was ai)pointed assistant in charge of that division. 



Many special field investigations have been made, besides the usual 

 systematic intjuiries covering interior waters. 



Field parties, during the summer of 1890, continued the examination 

 of the lakes and streams in Idaho, Washington, Oregon, and Califor- 

 nia, some of the iinrestigations being the continuation of work begun 

 in previous years. The inquiries have embraced studies of the habits, 

 abundance, distribution, and spawning-grounds of the fishes found in 



