XIV KEPOET OF COMMISSIONER^OF FISH AND FISHERIES. 



Washington and established myself at Wood's Hole, "where shortly after 

 my arrival I was joined by Mr. S. J. Smith and by Professor A. E. Yer- 

 rill, of Yale College, w^ho had kindly undertaken to conduct the inqui- 

 ries into the invertebrate fauna of the waters. With the facilities in the 

 way of steamers and boats already referred to, I repeatedly visited in 

 person the entire coast from Hyannis, Massachusetts, to Newport, 

 Ehode Island, as well as the whole of Buzzard's Bay, Nantucket, Mar- 

 tha's Yineyard, &c., and in addition to making collections and investi- 

 gations, I secured the testimony of a large number of persons who were 

 interested in the inquiry ; among whom were nearly all the leading fish- 

 ermen, both line-men and trappers, as well as those who had been 

 dealers in fish and engaged in supplying the markets of New York and 

 Boston for many j'ears. Many of these persons eagerly embraced the 

 opportunity to tell their story of alleged wrongs, to urge various methods 

 for their redress, or else to claim the possession of certain inherent rights 

 which it were rank injustice to deprive them of. A verbatim report of 

 this testimony was made by Mr. Henry E. Eockwell, an accomplished 

 phonographer, and has been printed in i)art, beginning on page 7. 



I also made the acquaintance of several gentlemen ©f literary ability 

 and research, who had previously given much attention to the various 

 questions connected with the fisheries, and who had in a measure be- 

 come champions of the opposing sides, and obtained from them elabo- 

 rate arguments on the subject. That of Mr. J. M. K. Southwick, of 

 Newport, in behalf of the traps and pounds, will be found on page 76, 

 and of Mr. George H. Palmer, of New Bedford, and Mr. J. Talbot Pit- 

 man, of Providence, as opposed to their continuance and in the interest 

 of the line-fishermen, on j)ages 88 and 196. 



Many important facts were thus elicited by means of the inquiries 

 and testimony referred to, suggesting hints for personal examination to 

 be subsequently prosecuted. Nearly all the fish pounds and traps along 

 the coast, some thirty in number, were visited, and their location and 

 character determined. These have been designated on a map of Massa- 

 chusetts and lihode Island, which accompanies the j)resent report. 



The large number of pounds in the vicinity of Wood's Hole rendered 

 it an easy matter to obtain material for investigation ; and the oppor- ^ 

 tunity was embraced for determining more satisfactorily, from the con- 

 tents of the stomachs of the different kinds of fish captured, the precise 

 nature of their food. For the facilities in the way of specimens fur- 

 nished by the proprietors of these pounds, always readily given, I beg 

 to render my acknowledgments ; especially to Captain Isaiah Spindel, 

 at Wood's Hole ; to Captain Eogers & Brothers, at Quissett ; to Cap- 

 tain Peter Davis, at Kam's Head ; to Captain Jason Luce «& Co., at 

 Menemsha Bight ; to Captain Phinney, at Waquoit, and to others. 



In addition to the material secured by thus sedulously visiting the 

 pounds and other localities for the objects mentioned, seines and 

 nets of different kinds were set or drawn almost every day, for the pur- 



