REPORT OF THE COMMISSIONER OF FISHERIES. 47 



Bureau's existence, and in more recent years has been extended and 

 nmplified. with a view to supplying practical aid to the fishing 

 industry. 



The early investigations of the food-fish resources of the coastal 

 and interior waters of the country, undertaken in response to acts of 

 Congress, convinced the first Commissioner that, with the control 

 and regulation of the fisheries vested in the various States, an im- 

 portant role for the Federal Government to play in the mainte- 

 nance of those resources was in the field of artificial propagation. 

 This soon became the most extensive branch of the service, and has 

 continued to employ the most people and receive the largest appro- 

 priations, but in the organization and administration of the Bureau 

 fish culture has never been more than a coordinate division of the 

 work. In 1910 there was imposed on the Bureau for the first time 

 responsibility for the administration of protective laws, when the 

 fishes and fur seals of Alaska wove transferred to its custody. 



The early operations of the Bureau attracted to its service an able 

 corps of men who became pioneers in various branches of fish cul- 

 ture, aquatic biology, and fishery technology, and who gave to the 

 work a trend and character wtiich have continued to serve as a 

 guide. 



As evidence of the scope and character of the Bureau's activities 

 during the 50 years of its existence, there ha'^ been issued an analyti- 

 cal subject bibliography of its publications from 1871 to 1920, 

 inclusive. This document lists many thousand separate titles cover- 

 ing the fisheries, fish culture, aquatic biolog}' and physics, oceanogra- 

 phy, fishen' legislation and protection, etc.. constituting the most 

 extensive series of reports in this field ever published. 



NEW BTHLDINGS AND IMPROVEMENTS. 



A very satisfactory new fireproof building has been constructed 

 at the Woods Hole (Mass.) station, under a contract awarded Jan- 

 uary 6. 1921, for $51,000. The new structure replaces a storehouse 

 and machine shop destroyed by fire and an old boiler house and 

 ])ump house which had become so permeated with dry rot that it 

 had to be demolished. From the special appropriation provided 

 for this purpose the equipment, machinery, and stores consumed by 

 the fire have been replaced, a salt-water filter has been provided, and 

 various other improvements have been brought about. 



The balance of the special appropriation for the Bozeman (Mont.) 

 station after the repairing of the superintendent's residence was used 

 for the purchase and erection of a bungalow for the foreman con- 

 taining five rooms, a cellar, and a spacious attic. 



The new laboratory building of the fisheries biological station at 

 Fairport, Iowa, has been completed and equipped and has been 

 actively used for the purposes for which the station was established. 

 Formal acceptance of the building from the architect and its dedi- 

 cation to the service of the fisheries occurred on October 7, 1920. 

 The structure, which replaces a frame building destroyed by fire in 

 1917, is of concrete, stone, and brick, is about 100 by 50 feet, with 

 thrf»e stories and basement, and is superior to the old building in 

 respect to capacity, convenience, and serviceability. The normal ac- 



