160 REPORT OF COMMISSIONER OF FISH AND FISHERIES. 



extent, methods, and other features of this fishery, and tlie opportu- 

 nity of having the subject investigated by one so well informed as Mr. 

 Kunz and at a purely nominal expense, were taken into consideration. 



Mr. Kunz was already in possession of a large amount of important 

 unpublished material which he had been gathering for many years. 

 This was freely placed at the disposal of the Commission and served 

 as a valuable basis for the future inquiries. Mr. Kunz also had access 

 to the extensive records of Messrs. Tiffany & Co., the well known New 

 York jewelers, with whom he is associated. 



In order to bring the matter up to date and secure uniformity in the 

 information obtained, a circular form was prepared for Mr. Kunz's use, 

 and sent out by him to all persons who had within recent years engaged 

 in the pearl fishery or in buying and selling the pearls. The topics 

 sought to be brought out by the schedule were as follows: 



The pearl-bearing mussels : 



Nature of stream in which found; kind of bottom; character of water. 



Geological character of the district as to rock, soil, etc. 



General abundance of mussels. 



Size, shape, and position ot the mussel beds. 



Local names of mussels. 



Habits of mussels. 



Enemies and fatalities to which mussels are exposed; nature and extent of 

 destruction by muskrats, hogs, freshets, etc. 



Size, shape, and color of mussels. 



Species of mussels in which pearls are most common. 



Proportion of mussels in which pearls occur. 



Sizes, or other peculiarities, of shells in which pearls are found. 

 T he pearls : 



Nature and origin of pearls. 



Position in mussel. 



Size, shape, and color of pearls. 



Relativevalue of pearls in different sizes, shapes, and colors. 



Markets for pearls. 



Prices for pearls. 

 The fishery : 



Method of taking the mussels. 



Description of apparatus used in taking mussels and in opening the shells. 



Methods of extracting the pearls. 



Treatment of pearls when found. 



"Utilization of mussels after extraction of pearls or after opening. 



Principal occupations of mussel fishermen. 



Statistics of fishery in 1893 Fishermen, boats, apparatus, pearls. 



Statistics, complete or partial, for previous years. 



Period when pearl fishing was of greatest importance in district. 



History of origin and growth of fishery. 



Exhaustion of mussel beds; causes, rapidity. 



Do exhausted beds become replenished, and in what time? 



Is State protection of beds desirable or necessary? 



The iuquiries Avere begun in February, 1894, and by the close of the 

 fiscal year, when they were still in progress, much interesting and useful 

 data had been secured. The completion of the inquiry is expected dur- 

 ing the next fiscal year. 



THE MENHADEN FISHERY. 



In the report of the division for 1892 reference was made to the 

 desirability of undertaking a special inquiry regarding one of the con- 

 troversial points that had arisen in the menhaden fishery, namely, the 

 extent to which other fish besides menhaden are taken in the seines. 



