4 KEPORT OF COMMISSIONER OF FISH AND FISHERIES. 



eral of the fisheries; at Greenpoit, N. Y., and Provincetown, Mass. In 

 October, 1877, 1 visited Mr. H. L. Dudley, at his works on Pine Island, 

 Connecticut, and there had an excellent opportunity of observing the 

 operations of an oil and guano factory. A similar opportunity was 

 afforded me by the officers of the Pacific Guano Company at Wood's Holl. 

 Here I was enabled, by the aid of Mr. Herbert Gill, stenographer, to 

 obtain very full statistics. 



In addition to the circulars, over two hundred personal letters have 

 been written. In almost every case full and satisfactory replies were 

 received. The following gentlemen have been particularly obliging: — 



Mr. H. L. Dudley, Secretary of United States Menhaden Oil and 

 Guano Association, New Haven, Conn.; Mr. D. T. Church, Tiverton, R. 

 I.; Prof. C. A. Goessman, Massachusetts Agricultural College, Amherst, 

 Mass.; Mr. E. H. Jenkins, Connecticut Agricultural Experiment Station, 

 New Haven, Conn.; Hon. S. L. Goodale, Saco, Me.; Mr. E. G. Blackford, 

 New York City ; Mr. Barnet Phillips, New York City ; Mr. W. O. Alli- 

 son and Mr. Jasper Pryer, New York City. 



I am also under obligation to Prof. W. O. Atwater, of Wesleyan Uni- 

 versity, who has written the portion relating to agriculture; to Mr. H. 

 L. Dudley, for advice and criticism ; and to Mr. Herbert A. Gill of the 

 Smithsonian Institution, Mr. William Jameson, and Mr. Walter P. 

 Stoddard, of Wesleyan University, for aid in preparing the manuscripts 

 for the press. My associate, Dr. T. H. Bean, has worked with me in 

 studying the specific characters of the two species of Brevoortia. The 

 drawings are by Mr. J. H. Emerton, of Salem, and Mr. H. L. Todd, of 

 Washington. Electrotypes have been obtained from the "American 

 Agriculturist," from George W. Miles & Co., the American Sardine Com- 

 pany, and the Pacific Guano Company. 



Responses to the circular of inquiry. 



9. The circular of inquiry elicited responses from the correspondents 

 named below, in Appendix B, most of which were carefully i)repared, and 

 in many cases give the results of years of observation. In Appendix 

 N will be found these responses in full. 



Published accounts of the species. 



10. In discussing the history of the name and classification of the 

 Brevoortia tyrannus and its allies, allusion is made to various books, 

 and so incidentally under other heads. In Appendix C will be found a 

 complete bibliography of the subject, containing about one hundred 

 and forty citations. Many of these authorities have been quoted in the 

 text. Some of the most important descriptions have been reproduced 

 in Appendix D. 



Most of the work on this report was done in the winter of 1874-'75. 

 Since that time two pamphlets have been published, containing very 

 valuable contributions to the knowledge of the menhaden. From these 



