XLII REPORT OF COMMISSIONER OF FISH AND FISHERIES. 



to the localities near the Gulf Stream, referred to as having been visited 

 in 1880, and many very interesting results were secured. In the sup- 

 I)lementary portion of this Eeport will be found a popular statement of 

 this work, consisting of the substance of an address by Prof. L. A. Lee, 

 one of the scientific party. A special list of the fishes collected during 

 the season, prepared l)y Dr. Bean, is also appended. 



The steamer arrived at Washington on the 12th of October, and the 

 offer of her services was at once embraced by the Navy Department, in 

 connection with the naval and military celebration at Yorktown, from 

 October 7 to October 20. She was placed by the Secretary of the Navy 

 at the service of the Secretary of War. Having been absent several 

 days, upon returning to Washington, she went into winter quarters at 

 the navy-yard, where she was thoroughly repaired and put in readiness 

 for the work of 1882. 



A full description of the vessel and her outfit, together with the de- 

 tails of her work during 1880 and 1881, furnished by her commander, 

 Lieut. Z. L. Tanner, will be found in the Appendix of the present Eeport. 



C— THE PKOPAGATION OF FOOD-FISHES. 



It has already been shown that, while the original object of establish- 

 ing the United States Fish Commission was the investigation of the 

 alleged decrease of the food-fishes of the United States, during the second 

 year of its existence it was charged by Congress with the added duty 

 of increasing the supply, and of stocking the waters with suitable ad- 

 ditional species of economical value. At the present time much the 

 larger part of the expenditure of time and money on the part of the Com- 

 mission is in the last-mentioned direction. 



16. — THE METHOD OF DISTRIBUTION OF FISH AND EGGS. 



In the beginning of the work of the Commission, in connection with 

 the introduction of food-fishes into new waters, it was entirely possible 

 to cover all the service by placing the fish in cans and employing suit- 

 ably trained messengers to accompany them to such points of deposit 

 as might have been selected. 



All the railroads of the country with scarcely an exception, when 

 applied to, gave instructions to allow the transportation, in baggage- 

 cars, free of extra charge, of the cans containing the young fish, and 

 granted access to the same on the part of the messengers; instructions 

 being given, in many cases, to stop the car at stations near rivers 

 or streams to allow the introduction of the fish therein. This was 

 specially the case with the shad, and where the annual production 

 amounted to but a few millions it became quite possible to accomplish 

 all that was necessary by this means. As, however, the supply of young 

 fish increased, partly in consequence of the increase in the scale of 

 operations and partly from the increase in the supply, caused by the 



