CONTENTS. 



I.— REPORT OF THE COMMISSIONER. 



A.— GENEEAL CONSIDERATIONS. 



Page. 



1. Introductory REMARKS *1 



Number of reports heretofore puMished 1 



Period of tlio year covered by each report 1 



Time covered by the present report 1 



Gradual and great increase in the labors of the Commission 2 



Labor involved; increase of appropriations 3 



Increased interest and co-operation in the work 3 



Assistants in charge of divisions 3 



Propagation branch 3 



Inquiries branch 4 



B.— INQUIRIES INTO THE HISTORY AND STATISTICS OF FOOD-FISHES. 



2. Field operations during the summer of 1877 C 



Co-operation of the government departments 6 



Of Niivy Department in previous years G 



In 1877 by detail of steamer Speedwell 6 



Officers of the SpeedwoU 7 



Scientific corps 7 



Station at Salem, Mass 8 



Visitors 8 



Nature of operations 8 



Station at Halifiix, Nova Scotia 9 



Movements and final disposition of steamer 10 



Visitors 10 



Assistance rendered to Commission 10 



By private parties 10 



By the Dominion minister of customs 11 



By the minister of marine and fisheries 11 



3. General result of the field-work of 1877 12 



Continuation of previous researches 12 



Discovery of the pole-flounder, a new and valuable food-fish 12 



Its economical value and geographical distribution 12 



Reasons why previously unknown 13 



Tacts connected with distribution of marine fishes 14 



Large collections made for the National Museum, and for distribution to colleges and 



academies 15 



Superintendence of work of naming and assorting 16 



C— THE HALIFAX CONVENTION. 



4. The Treaty of "Washington 18 



Unsettled fishery questions between the United States and British North America 18 



Three-mile line 18 



Headlands 18 



Shelter and supplies 10 



License system 19 



Privileges of Treaty of 1818 20 



Fishery clauses of Washington Treaty 20 



Exidanation of provisions 21 



Eatification in 1873 22 



Appointment of Commissioners and counsel 22 



General preliminaries 22 



V 



