﻿EEPOET 
  OF 
  COMMISSIONER 
  OF 
  FISH 
  AND 
  FISHERIES. 
  79 
  

  

  There 
  was 
  also 
  taken 
  up 
  a 
  stud}^ 
  of 
  the 
  diamond-back 
  terrapin 
  from 
  

   the 
  standpoint 
  of 
  systematic 
  zoology, 
  and 
  specimens 
  were 
  collected 
  

   and 
  brought 
  together 
  in 
  Washington 
  from 
  Delaware, 
  Maryland, 
  Vir- 
  

   ginia, 
  North 
  Carolina, 
  Florida, 
  Mississippi, 
  Louisiana, 
  and 
  Texas 
  in 
  

   order 
  to 
  determine 
  the 
  specific 
  or 
  varietal 
  differences. 
  

  

  The 
  inquiries 
  and 
  experiments 
  will 
  be 
  conducted 
  during 
  another 
  

   season, 
  after 
  which 
  it 
  is 
  hoped 
  that 
  a 
  final 
  report 
  on 
  the 
  biology 
  of 
  the 
  

   diamond-back 
  terrapin 
  may 
  be 
  made 
  and 
  that 
  a 
  practicable 
  method 
  of 
  

   cultivation 
  may 
  have 
  been 
  developed. 
  

  

  PACIFIC 
  SALMONS. 
  

  

  Salmon 
  fisheries 
  of 
  Alaska. 
  — 
  ^The 
  unusual 
  activity 
  displayed 
  in 
  the 
  

   Alaska 
  salmon 
  fisheries 
  during 
  the 
  last 
  few 
  years, 
  the 
  remarkable 
  

   extension 
  of 
  the 
  fisheries, 
  the 
  great 
  increase 
  in 
  the 
  amount 
  of 
  gear 
  

   used 
  and 
  in 
  the 
  number 
  of 
  canneries 
  operated, 
  together 
  with 
  the 
  very 
  

   close 
  competition 
  among 
  the 
  different 
  companies, 
  each 
  striving* 
  to 
  secure 
  

   as 
  large 
  a 
  pack 
  as 
  possible, 
  made 
  it 
  evident 
  that 
  the 
  demand 
  upon 
  the 
  

   salmon 
  supply 
  was 
  greater 
  than 
  could 
  be 
  met 
  by 
  natural 
  reproduction. 
  

   Fearing 
  a 
  serious 
  depletion 
  of 
  the 
  fisheries, 
  the 
  President, 
  under 
  date 
  

   of 
  November 
  8, 
  1902, 
  requested 
  the 
  Commissioner 
  of 
  Fish 
  and 
  Fish- 
  

   eries 
  to 
  appoint 
  a 
  special 
  commission 
  to 
  make 
  a 
  study 
  of 
  the 
  condition 
  

   of 
  the 
  salmon 
  fisheries 
  of 
  Alaska, 
  the 
  efficienc}^ 
  of 
  the 
  existing 
  regula- 
  

   tions 
  under 
  which 
  they 
  are 
  carried 
  on, 
  and 
  the 
  necessity 
  for 
  artificial 
  

   propagation, 
  and 
  to 
  submit 
  a 
  report 
  embodying 
  such 
  recommenda- 
  

   tions 
  as 
  might 
  be 
  thought 
  needful 
  for 
  the 
  proper 
  regulation 
  and 
  pres- 
  

   ervation 
  of 
  those 
  important 
  fisheries. 
  The 
  special 
  Alaska 
  salmon 
  

   commission 
  consisted 
  of 
  Dr. 
  David 
  S. 
  Jordan, 
  president 
  of 
  Stanford 
  

   University; 
  Dr. 
  Barton 
  W. 
  Evermann, 
  assistant 
  in 
  charge 
  of 
  the 
  divi- 
  

   sion 
  of 
  statistics 
  and 
  methods 
  of 
  the 
  fisheries; 
  Lieut. 
  Franklin 
  Swift, 
  

   U. 
  S. 
  Navy, 
  commanding 
  the 
  Albatross; 
  Mr. 
  A. 
  B. 
  Alexander, 
  fishery 
  

   expert 
  on 
  the 
  Alhatross; 
  Mr. 
  Cloudsley 
  Rutter, 
  naturalist 
  on 
  the 
  Alba- 
  

   tross; 
  and 
  Mr. 
  J. 
  Nelson 
  Wisner, 
  field 
  superintendent 
  of 
  fish-cultural 
  

   stations. 
  In 
  addition 
  to 
  the 
  regular 
  members, 
  the 
  following 
  assistants 
  

   to 
  the 
  commission 
  were 
  appointed: 
  Mr. 
  F. 
  M. 
  Chamberlain, 
  Mr. 
  

   E. 
  L. 
  Golds 
  borough, 
  and 
  Mr. 
  H. 
  C. 
  Fassett, 
  of 
  the 
  Fish 
  Commission; 
  

   Dr. 
  Harold 
  Heath, 
  Dr. 
  C. 
  H. 
  Gilbert, 
  Mr. 
  M. 
  H. 
  Spaulding, 
  and 
  Mr. 
  

   Harold 
  Jordan, 
  of 
  Stanford 
  University, 
  and 
  Mr. 
  A. 
  H. 
  Baldwin, 
  of 
  

   Washington, 
  as 
  artist. 
  

  

  The 
  steamer 
  Albatross 
  was 
  detailed 
  for 
  use 
  during 
  the 
  investigations, 
  

   but 
  before 
  the 
  ship 
  went 
  north 
  shore 
  parties 
  for 
  the 
  stud}^ 
  of 
  certain 
  

   phases 
  of 
  the 
  salmon 
  fisheries 
  were 
  established 
  as 
  follows: 
  Early 
  in 
  

   March 
  Mr. 
  Chamberlain 
  went 
  to 
  Loring, 
  Revillagigedo 
  Island, 
  in 
  

   southeast 
  Alaska, 
  where 
  he 
  entered 
  upon 
  a 
  study 
  of 
  the 
  habits 
  of 
  the 
  

   salmon, 
  which 
  it 
  is 
  expected 
  will 
  be 
  carried 
  on 
  continuously 
  for 
  at 
  least 
  

   one 
  calendar 
  year. 
  One 
  of 
  the 
  largest 
  salmon 
  canneries 
  of 
  Alaska 
  and 
  

  

  