CONTENTS. 



I.— EEPORT OF THE COMMISSIONEE. 



A— GENERA.L CONSIDERATIONS. 



P£ 

 L Introductory remarks 



Operations of previous years 



Precaution and time required by the work 



Danger of hasty generalisations 



Methods and direction of research 



Utilization of worli already performed by other departments of the government *2 



Corresponding labors of other nations *2 



Rapid increase in the work of the United States Fish Commissioner *3 



Originally confined to inquiry into the present condition of the fisheries *3 



Multiplication of food-fishes subsequently added *3 



No intermission in the work of the Commissioner *3 



Amount of correspondence *3 



Principal associates and assistants in the work *3 



Fisheries branch *4 



Distribution branch *4 



Period of time covered by the report *4 



B— INQUIRY INTO THE DECREASE OF THE FOOD-FISHES. 



2. I;?VESTIGATI0X8 AXD OPERATION'S OF 1875 '4 



Selection of "Wood's HoU as a station *4 



For comparison of results with those of 1871 *4 



Convenient point for preparing fishery exhibit at Philadelphia in 1876 *5 



Detail of steamer Blue Light by the Navy Department *5 



Beginning of the work *5 



Associates, assistants, and visitors *5 



Establishment of a permanent laboratory *6 



Location and buil(!ing furnished by the Light-House Board *6 



The fitting up, mainly by private contributions *C 



Close of season *6 



Statistics of -whale fishery *6 



3. IjfVESTIGATIONS AND OPERATIONS OF 1876 *7 



Unofficial work at the "Wood's Holl laboratory *7 



Presence of the Commissioner required at the Philadelphia exposition *^ 



Fisheries, and fish-culture exhibit at Philadelphia *7 



Extent of the display *8 



Fish-hatching exhibit '8 



Fresh-fish exhibit *8 



Acquisition of foreign fisheries exhibits *8 



Hope of reproducing it in "Washington *8 



C— THE PROPAGATION OF FOOD-FISHES. 



4. General considerations *3 



Summary of results accomplished *8 



Application for eggs and young fish *9 



Rapid increase in their number "O 



Response by Congress to public demands *10 



Limitations of distribution *10 



Theory of distribution *10 



Foreign applications , ^11 



Reasons for granting them *11 



