﻿REPORT 
  OF 
  THE 
  DIVISION 
  OF 
  SCIENTIFIC 
  INQUIRY. 
  

  

  By 
  Hugh 
  M. 
  .Smith, 
  Assistant 
  hi 
  Charge. 
  

  

  Up 
  to 
  December 
  31, 
  189G, 
  this 
  division 
  was 
  under 
  tlie 
  charge 
  of 
  Mr. 
  

   Richard 
  Eathbnn, 
  who 
  resigned 
  to 
  take 
  effect 
  on 
  that 
  date, 
  when 
  Dr. 
  

   Hugh 
  M. 
  Sniitli 
  was 
  appointed 
  to 
  the 
  vacancy. 
  Other 
  chauges 
  in 
  the 
  

   l^ersonnel 
  of 
  the 
  division 
  consisted 
  in 
  the 
  promotion 
  of 
  Dr. 
  H. 
  F. 
  Moore, 
  

   scientific 
  assistant, 
  to 
  the 
  position 
  of 
  naturalist 
  on 
  the 
  steamer 
  Alba- 
  

   Iross, 
  vice 
  Mr. 
  Cliarles 
  H. 
  Towuseud, 
  appointed 
  assistant 
  in 
  charge 
  of 
  

   Division 
  of 
  Fisheries, 
  and 
  Mr. 
  F. 
  M. 
  Chamberlain, 
  scientific 
  assistant, 
  

   promoted 
  to 
  the 
  position 
  of 
  general 
  assistant 
  on 
  Albatross^ 
  vice 
  H. 
  B. 
  

   Miller, 
  deceased. 
  Mr, 
  M. 
  0. 
  Marsh, 
  of 
  Cornell 
  University, 
  was 
  appointed 
  

   a 
  scientific 
  assistant 
  in 
  conformity 
  with 
  civil-service 
  regulations. 
  

  

  FIELD 
  INVESTIGATIONS. 
  

  

  During 
  the 
  year 
  numerous 
  field 
  inquiries 
  were 
  conducted 
  in 
  different 
  

   parts 
  of 
  the 
  country. 
  Besides 
  the 
  usual 
  investigations 
  of 
  fishes 
  of 
  the 
  

   interior 
  waters, 
  which 
  have 
  been 
  regularly 
  carried 
  on 
  for 
  a 
  long 
  series 
  of 
  

   years, 
  many 
  special 
  inquiries 
  of 
  a 
  diverse 
  character 
  were 
  undertaken. 
  

  

  Extensive 
  investigations 
  in 
  the 
  waters 
  of 
  Idaho, 
  Washington, 
  and 
  

   Oregon 
  were 
  prosecuted. 
  These 
  had 
  for 
  their 
  object 
  the 
  study 
  of 
  the 
  

   distribution, 
  abundance, 
  habits, 
  and 
  spawning 
  of 
  the 
  salmon, 
  trout, 
  

   and 
  other 
  native 
  fishes 
  ; 
  the 
  examination 
  of 
  various 
  lakes 
  with 
  reference 
  

   to 
  the 
  introduction 
  of 
  the 
  common 
  eastern 
  whitefish, 
  and 
  the 
  survey 
  

   of 
  streams 
  with 
  a 
  view 
  to 
  ascertain 
  their 
  advantages 
  and 
  facilities 
  for 
  

   fish-cultural 
  operations. 
  The 
  investigations 
  were 
  in 
  immediate 
  charge 
  

   of 
  Prof 
  Barton 
  W. 
  Evermanu, 
  who 
  was 
  assisted 
  by 
  Mr. 
  A. 
  B. 
  Alexander, 
  

   Dr. 
  Seth 
  E. 
  Meek, 
  Prof 
  Ulysses 
  O. 
  Cox, 
  and 
  Mr. 
  A. 
  G. 
  Maddren. 
  

  

  A 
  systematic 
  examination 
  of 
  the 
  short 
  coast 
  rivers 
  of 
  the 
  Pacific 
  

   Coast 
  from 
  San 
  Francisco 
  northward 
  was 
  begun. 
  A 
  number 
  of 
  inter- 
  

   esting 
  inquiries 
  in 
  Florida, 
  Mississippi, 
  Louisiana, 
  and 
  Texas 
  were 
  made 
  

   pursuant 
  to 
  special 
  requests. 
  

  

  Outlines 
  of 
  the 
  more 
  important 
  inquiries 
  are 
  here 
  given. 
  Detailed 
  

   accounts 
  of 
  some 
  of 
  them 
  will 
  be 
  found 
  in 
  special 
  printed 
  reports. 
  

  

  LOWER 
  COLUMBIA 
  RIVER 
  BASIN. 
  

  

  It 
  being 
  the 
  intention 
  of 
  the 
  Commission 
  to 
  establish 
  a 
  salmon 
  

   hatchery 
  on 
  one 
  of 
  the 
  tributaries 
  of 
  the 
  Columbia 
  River, 
  in 
  order 
  to 
  

   supplement 
  the 
  fish-cultural 
  operations 
  of 
  the 
  hatchery 
  on 
  Clackamas 
  

   River, 
  extensive 
  investigations 
  were 
  made 
  in 
  August 
  and 
  September. 
  

  

  xci 
  

  

  