540 BULLETIN OF THE BUREAU OF FISHERIES. 
at depths greater than 50 feet it could be used only from October 1 to May 1. 
Moreover, the taking of the sponges of a diameter less than 4 inches was pro- 
hibited, under penalty of a fine of $100 to $500 or confiscation of the vessel and 
the diving dress. The important action of the Government of the United States 
was undoubtedly influenced by the resolutions of the International Fishery 
Congresses held in St. Petersburg in 1902 and in Vienna in 1905, as well as by 
the beneficent legislation of so many countries of the Mediterranean Sea, for 
these were frequently mentioned in the debates upon the subject, as were also 
the reports of American consuls in countries of this vast sea basin, who have 
given and still give this important question the consideration it merits, as may 
be seen from the report of Consul G. B. Ravndal in Beirut. The practical 
spirit of quick resolution in the Americans deserves high commendation and 
imitation, and it is to be hoped that this recent excellent example of forethought 
will influence the slower governments to early action in this important matter. 
/ / 
RESUME. 
Most of the sponge-bearing countries—Samos, Crete, Egypt, Tunis, and 
Turkey—exact only a moderate payment of dues from each vessel. Cyprus did 
the same until 1904; since that date the government of this island has exacted 
a very high percentage of the harvest of sponges, which is unjust and, moreover, 
unpractical, as it demands the continuous supervision of each sponge-fishing 
vessel. The United States, Austria-Hungary, Italy, and Greece exact no fees. 
I lack the necessary information in this regard as to Cuba and the Bahama 
Islands. 
In fact, as I have stated, there is a lack of complete and general statistics. 
on sponge fishing, especially as to injuries to health and life of the sponge fisher- 
men and the condition of sponge beds arising from the use of the diving appa- 
ratus. I obtained the following approximate figures, which vary, however, 
from year to year, by long years of observations and investigations. The 
number of diving machines in use by part of the sponge fishermen of Hydra 
and exclusively by those of Spetze and A‘gina in Greece; by part of the sponge 
fishermen of Kalymnos, Syme, Chalke, and Kastelloriso, and exclusively by 
those of Aivali, Moschonisia, and,Marmora in Turkey, has varied according to 
the year from a few in 1866 to 225 with 1,200 divers and 1,500 sailors in 1898. 
The adherents of the three good methods may be computed at 10,000 in round 
numbers, fishermen and sailors, from Syria to Florida. Yet even this figure 
varies, though somewhat less, according to the years. With their families and 
the families of the classes closely united with them as priests, teachers, merchants, 
and artisans, the sponge fishermen form a population of more than 100,000 
heads. The yearly mortality of sponge fishermen in the diving apparatus is 
