REPORT OF COMMISSIONER OF FISH AND FISHERIES. ~ 17 
also examples of walrus and narwhal tusks, sperm-whale teeth, baleen 
or whalebone, both crude and prepared for use; and the well-known 
tortoise shell, tn the form of shells, rough and polished, of the hawk’s 
bill or tortoise-shell turtle. _The Florida sponge fishery is represented 
by dried specimens of different grades and sizes. 
A full series of the shells of mollusks utilized in button-making is 
shown, together with buttons in the various stages of manufacture. 
The mollusks yielding shells suitable for buttons are among the 
numerous species which produce pearls, many of which are very beau- 
tiful and valuable, and examples of these are added to the collection. 
The skins of some water animals and fishes are now largely utilized 
in the manufacture of leather goods of all kinds, and a number of 
samples of these leathers are exhibited, including the skins as they 
appear when first tanned and the leathers dressed and dyed for dif- 
ferent purposes. A display of furs of water animals, for the loan of 
which the Commission is indebted to Mr. C. C. Shayne, of New York, 
illustrates fishery products used for clothing, and represents the furs 
in their various stages of manufacture. 
There are models of the modern types of fishing vessels, vessels used 
on the Atlantic, Pacific, and Gulf coasts, and the various nets, seines, 
lines, hand-lines, trawls, ete., are exhibited by models and by full-size 
specimens where space will permit. 
The exhibit is proving very attractive and is nearly always crowded. 
The amount of space available was so limited that the aisles were 
necessarily too narrow both for comfort and to allow visitors a proper 
opportunity to examine the various collections, the passages of the 
aquarium especially being often so filled that if was impossible to 
have more than a passing glimpse of the tanks. 
An act of Congress approved July 1, 1898, directed that the United 
States be represented at the Universal Exposition of 1900 at Paris 
(commencing April 15 and closing November 5, 1900) by a commis- 
sioner-general, who was authorized to call on various branches of the 
Government, including the Fish Commission, for such material in 
their possession as he desired for exhibit at the exposition. Accord- 
ingly, at his request, this Commission furnished to Dr. T. H. Bean, 
director of forestry and fisheries on the staff of the commissioner-gen- 
eral, the following exhibits, which at the close of the exposition were 
duly returned: Series of casts of food-fishes; series of photographs 
illustrating methods of preparing fishery products for food; series of 
large photographs of fish-cultural stations; series of photographs illus- 
trating Alaskan fishery methods and scenery; series of water-color 
drawings of fishes of United States and Porto Rico; series of publica- 
tions of the Commission; models and specimens of fish-cultural appa- 
ratus; model of transportation car; model of fish hatchery; collection 
of Florida commercial sponges; collection of oyster-shells, illustrating 
growth and development; collection of fresh-water mussels, illus- 
trating the mussel fishery and the manufacture of pearl buttons. 
F. C. 1901 —2 
