70 REPORT OF COMMISSIONER OF FISH AND FISHERIES. 



You will uoticc ill our repui t that tho steaiiier made ouly oue tiij) iu Jauuary, two 

 in February, throe in March, and three in April. This was the best \\6 were able to 

 do, and, although the fish are there in abundant quantities, the difliculty in catching 

 aud bringing them to this market with the attending exjienses made it impossible 

 for us to continue the business without a heavy loss. I do not know whether the 

 plan would have b(M'u a success under more favorable circumstances or not, but I 

 hardly think it would, as we found it a A'^ery difficult matter to obtain the services 

 of men who would reiualu there and fish. 



The island of Alacran is situated about 500 miles due southeast from Galveston. 

 A concession to this island was granted us by the ^Itxicau Government for five 

 years, for the purpose of storing fish and ice, transferring fish, etc., in fact, for any 

 purpose appertaining to the catching and handling of lish. 



I beg to inform you that fish are there in an abundant supply, and are no trouble 

 to catch. I believe the Campeehe Bank is the home and breeding-ground of the 

 deep-sea fish of the Gulf of Mexico, aud there is no time of the year when fish can 

 not be caught there, even when they have left all other banks on the coast of Texas 

 and Florida. 



No doubt there is a vast unexplored field there, and enough fish could be caught 

 in one year to supply the entire United States. The fish were so numerous that they 

 frequently would come to the surface of the water and the sea be fairly alive with 

 red snappers and groupers. At such times they will snap at anything, but in 

 certain seasons they appear to become dainty and will only bite at fresh bait, Spanish 

 mackerel being their favorite. 



TERRAPIN CULTURE. 



The office is in receipt of nameroiis inquiries concerning the feasi- 

 bility and methods of terrapin culture. The increasing scarcity of the 

 diamond-back terrapin {Malaclemmys palustris) in most of the States 

 of the Atlantic seaboard has resulted in attracting more attention to 

 this valuable i)roduct than ^vas ever before given, and the necessity for 

 preserving the animal from extinction and of i)utting it on the market 

 at a price which, while remunerative, will, nevertheless, be reasonable, 

 has suggested to many people the desirability of attempting to resort 

 to artificial means for maintaining the supply. The almost fabulous 

 price now received for large terrapin is also a strong incentive, not only 

 to fishermen, but also to people of means, to engage in the industry. 

 Sixty dollars a dozen for "count" terrapins is not an unusual price in 

 the past few years, and it is thought by dealers and others that in a 

 short time, under present conditions of supply and demand, the price 

 will advance to a much higher figure. The substitution of inferior 

 kinds of terrapin has occurred, as might naturally be expected; the 

 principal substitute is a fresh-water species known as the red-bellied 

 terrapin or slider {Pscudeniys ru(josa). 



The Fish Commission has made no direct attempts to propagate ter- 

 rapin, but has, through its field agents, kei^t well informed concerning 

 the experiments of private individuals, and has watched witli interest 

 the results of their eli'orts. A number of correspondents in the Middle 

 and South Atlantic States have established terrapin farms, but suffi- 

 cient time has not yet elapsed to fully demonstrate the feasibility of 

 rearing terrapins for market from the egg. 



