64 REPORT OF COMMISSIONER OF FISH AND FISHERIES. 



$131,100. The fish were remarkably large and fat, 1,000 yieldiug- about 

 12 g-allons of oil, on an average, and 8,200 making a ton of wet scrap. 

 The average catch of menhaden to a vessel in 1890 was about 33,033 

 barrels. Four steamers fishing for one factory averaged 43,750 barrels 

 each. 



The following year menhaden were less abundant than in 1890, and 

 the catch fell off over 50 per cent. Five factories, located at Booth- 

 bay, Linnekin, and Round Pond, were in oi)eration. These were suj)- 

 plied with raw material caught by a fleet of eight fishing steamers 

 temporarily withdrawn from Ehode Island. The number of persons 

 employed in the factories was 208, to whom $27,350 Avas paid in wages 

 during the season. The value of the works and their equipments was 

 $53,000, and $83,000 additional capital was required to conduct the 

 business. The number of menhaden utilized at the factories was 

 40,850,000, equivalent to 123,750 barrels j these had a value of $122,550, 

 or about $1 per barrel. From these the following manufactured prod- 

 ucts were prepared: 299,300 gallons of oil, with a market value of 

 $74,825 5 1,800 tons of dry scrap, worth $36,000, and 4,230 tons of wet 

 scraj), valued at $50,760, the total value of the oil and scrap being 

 $161,585. It appears from these figures that the fish contained much 

 less fat than in 1890 and yielded less than 8 gallons of oil per 1,000 fish. 



Mr. W. A. Wilcox made a short visit to Baltimore, in August, 1892, 

 for the purpose of securing certain information on oyster packing to 

 complete the report of his work in the Chesapeake basin during the 

 previous year. 



In December, 1892, Mr. W. H. Abbott devoted about two weeks' 

 time to an examination of the fisheries of the eastern end of Lake 

 Erie, supplementing the work done in that section during the previous 

 year. 



In April, 1893, a visit was made to Baltimore and Annapolis by Mr. 

 C. H. Stevenson, for the i)urpose of securing from official and i^rivate 

 records some special data on the oyster industry of Maryland. 



THE INTERNATIONAL FISHERIES COMMISSION. 



During the last month of the fiscal year the writer was absent from 

 Washington on duty connected with the work of the International 

 Fisheries Oomuiissiou. The following orders from the Commissioner, 

 dated June 1, 1893, indicate in a general way the purpose of the Com- 

 mission and the writer's connection therewith : 



Mr. Richard Rathbun, assistant in charge of the Division of Scientific Inquiry, 

 having been appointed by the President as the reiiresentativo of tliis Government in 

 the matter of conducting certain investigations in the waters contiguous to Canada 

 and the United States, as called for by the agreement of December 6, 1892, between 

 the United States and Great Britain, this work to be carried on conjointly by the 

 United States Fish Commissioii and the Department of Fisheries of Cauada, you are 

 hereby detailed, at the request of Mr. Rathbun, to cooperate with and assist him in 

 the prosecution of these inquiries. The plans for the work will be duly prepared by 

 Mr. Rathbun, and you will follow out such parts of them as he may desire. You are 



