180 U. S. BUREAU OF FISHERIES 



The conservation commission of Maryland, in reporting? upon the 

 pollution of navigable waters and the effect on fishes of Chesapeake 

 Bay, states in part : 



The effect of oil pollution in Chesapeake Bay, if allowed to continue as it 

 has in some of the northern waters, would destroy our valuable fishery in- 

 dustries entirely as well as kill and drive away the wild fowl. 



A most interesting condition was found at Brunswick, Ga., where 

 a terrapin farm is located on a small creek not far distant from the 

 plant of a large oil refining compan}^ The situation of the ter- 

 rapin farm is such that if any oil is spilled at the dock of the re- 

 finery it is very likely to be washed up into the terrapin farm at 

 high tide through one or more of the small creeks emptying into 

 Turtle Eiver. On the day of the writers' visit a hardly perceptible 

 trace of oil was visible in the water of the terrapin farm, but no indi- 

 cations of oil whatever were noticed on any of the wooden struc- 

 tures or on the turtles themselves. The investigators were informed 

 that no fault could be found with present conditions in this locution 

 so far as the breeding of turtles is concerned. There appeared to 

 have been no recent complaints from oystermen, and oysters grow 

 freely in all the waters near Brunswick. 



At Pensacola it was reported that the fishing industry and 03'ster 

 beds have been harmed by oil pollution, and at Mobile complaints 

 have been received from duck hunters. These complaints from Avild 

 game associations were to the effect that the fowl were covered with 

 oil and unable to fly and at times many of the birds were found 

 dead. The fishing industry of New Orleans has complained to the 

 municipal authorities regarding oil pollution. In the Houston ship 

 channel the absence of marine life is undoubtedly due not merely to 

 the presence of large quantities of oil but also to the fact that the 

 water in this stream is unusually warm. This results from the con- 

 ditions prevailing in the industrial plants of this locality'. 



A carefully prepared report was submitted to the authors by 

 Dr. David L. Belding, biologist of the division of fisheries and game, 

 Massachusetts State department of conservation. Certain parts of 

 the report have been used in the preceding pages of this paper 

 Other portions are given here : 



During the past two years numerous complaints of oil-waste pollution along 

 our shores, particularly as to its damaging effect upon wild fowl, have been 

 received. Observations by this department have disclosed not only a marked 

 increase in this type of pollution but also a widespread destruction of water 

 fowl, especinlly during the cold weather. * * *. 



Our attention was first called to the destructive action of this material 

 on birds by the distressing plight of the swans on the Charles River in the 

 winter of 1920-21, which was mentioned in last year's annual report. The 

 metropolitan park commission requested the privelege of killing these swans, 

 which had become so covered witli black tarry oil that they bad become belp- 

 lesas and starving in the cold weather. A post-mortem examin;it on was 

 made on two of these birds in an effort to determine the effect of tlie oil 



In response to a request of this division that all birds found dead under 

 these circumstances be foi*warded to the laboratory, pathological examinations 

 were made on murres, anklets, grebes, and ducks during the winter. In spite 

 of the fact that certain specimens were so completely covered with o 1 as to 

 make examination impossible, and in others post-mortem changes rendered 

 examination difficult, enough information was obtained to warrant certain 

 conclusions as to the action of the oil wastes. 



The birds, either in walking on the flats or resting on the oil-covered waters 

 or tide pools, come into direct contact with the material, which tenaciously 



