KEPORT OF COMMISSIONER OF FISH AND FISHERIES. XXXI 



As incidental to the economical inquiry, but of very great interest to 

 the naturalist, will be the collecting of objects of natural history in 

 large quantity otherwise unattainable. The investigations already 

 made by the inshore explorations of the United States Fish Commis- 

 sion have added greatly to our knowledge of the biology of the sea, 

 and enabled the Smithsonian Institution to distribute to the principal 

 museums and universities of the country duplicate series of objects of 

 great educational value to them. 



With the larger field of investigation which will be accessible to a 

 sea- going steamer, this material will be vastly increased, both in 

 quantity and variety. This is shown by the fact that during the three 

 days, or thirty-six hours in all, spent by the Fish Hawk on the tile-fish 

 grounds, no less than 175 difi'erent species of shells were collected, of 

 which more than one-fourth were entirely new to science. 



The scientific aspect of deep sea research is one that has occupied 

 the attention of the principal nations of Europe, the British Govern- 

 ment having a few years ago sent out one of her finest frigates on a 

 three years' voyage in the seas of all parts of the globe, the results of 

 which proved to be of very great interest and importance. 



9. — THE FISHERY CENSUS OF 1880. 



In pursuance of the arrangements made in 1879 with General F. A. 

 Walker, Superintendent of the Tenth Census, particulars of which have 

 been given in the two preceding reports, work upon the fishery di- 

 vision of the census was continued during the year 1881, under the gen- 

 eral supervision of Mr. G. Brown Goode. 



The plan of operations pursued has been published as an appendix to 

 the Fish Commission Report of 1880, by the close of which year nearly 

 all of the investigations were completed. The gathering of material 

 from the eastern side of Buzzard's Bay, from the north shore of Long 

 Island Sound, from the Pacific coast, from the shad and alewife rivers, 

 and from the lobster, crab, and whale fisheries, extended into 1881, but 

 was mostly finished in the early part of the year. The preparation of 

 material for the press, which had advanced very satisfactorily in 1880, 

 was pushed forward with vigor in 1881. 



The following publications have been made : 



1. On the 24th of May a bulletin (Census No. 176) was issued under the 

 direction of Mr. Goode. This contained four tables giving statistics of 

 the fisheries of California, Oregon, Washington, and Alaska. It in- 

 cluded the cod, salmon, whale, seal, fur-seal, and shore fisheries, and 

 also the marine salt industry. The tables show the number of men, 

 boats, vessels, and other apparatus employed, and the quantity and 

 value of the products, for the sections considered. These figures were 

 compiled from the returns of David S. Jordan, James G. Swan, and T. 

 H. Bean. 



2. The second instalment of results appeared in Census Bulletin 261, 



