﻿REPORT 
  

  

  OF 
  THE 
  

  

  UNITED 
  STATES 
  COMMISSIONER 
  OF 
  FISH 
  AND 
  FISHERIES 
  

  

  I'OPv 
  THE 
  

  

  FISCAL 
  YEAR 
  ENDING 
  JUNE 
  30, 
  1896. 
  

  

  I 
  have 
  the 
  honor 
  to 
  submit 
  an 
  outline 
  of 
  the 
  operations 
  of 
  the 
  United 
  

   States 
  Commission 
  of 
  Fish 
  and 
  Fisheries 
  during' 
  the 
  year 
  ending 
  June 
  

   30, 
  1890, 
  together 
  with 
  the 
  detailed 
  reports 
  of 
  the 
  work 
  of 
  its 
  different 
  

   divisions, 
  and 
  appendices 
  embracing 
  the 
  reports 
  of 
  the 
  exhibit 
  at 
  the 
  

   Atlanta 
  Exposition 
  and 
  of 
  special 
  investigations. 
  After 
  the 
  death 
  of 
  

   the 
  late 
  Commissioner, 
  Marshall 
  McDonald, 
  which 
  occurred 
  September 
  

   1, 
  1890, 
  the 
  affairs 
  of 
  the 
  Commission 
  were 
  directed 
  by 
  the 
  chief 
  clerk, 
  

   Herbert 
  A. 
  Gill, 
  as 
  acting 
  Commissioner, 
  until 
  March 
  30, 
  1890, 
  when 
  

   John 
  J. 
  Brice 
  was 
  appointed 
  to 
  fill 
  the 
  vacancy. 
  

  

  When 
  the 
  present 
  Commissioner 
  assumed 
  charge 
  special 
  attention 
  

   was 
  at 
  once 
  directed 
  to 
  increasing 
  the 
  supply 
  of 
  the 
  connnercial 
  fishes 
  

   of 
  the 
  ocean 
  and 
  inland 
  waters, 
  and 
  the 
  propagation 
  and 
  rearing 
  of 
  

   certain 
  coarser 
  species 
  was 
  discontinued 
  in 
  order 
  to 
  increase 
  the 
  output 
  

   of 
  the 
  more 
  important 
  ones. 
  The 
  principal 
  fish-cultural 
  work 
  in 
  hand 
  

   was 
  the 
  propagation 
  of 
  shad, 
  and 
  the 
  available 
  force 
  was 
  concentrated 
  at 
  

   the 
  shad-hatching 
  stations 
  at 
  Bryan 
  Point 
  on 
  the 
  Potomac 
  Eiver 
  and 
  

   Battery 
  Island 
  on 
  the 
  Susquehanna. 
  Work 
  on 
  the 
  New 
  England 
  coast 
  

   followed, 
  and 
  besides 
  the 
  usual 
  provisions 
  at 
  Woods 
  Hole 
  and 
  Glou- 
  

   cester, 
  Mass., 
  for 
  collecting 
  lobster 
  eggs 
  the 
  force 
  was 
  increased 
  by 
  the 
  

   detail 
  of 
  men 
  from 
  other 
  stations. 
  In 
  addition 
  to 
  the 
  lobster 
  work 
  the 
  

   propagation 
  of 
  tautog 
  was 
  undertaken 
  at 
  Woods 
  Hole. 
  The 
  steamer 
  

   Fish 
  Hawl' 
  was 
  also 
  engaged 
  in 
  shad 
  hatcliing 
  on 
  the 
  Delaware, 
  and 
  

   afterwards 
  in 
  collecting 
  lobster 
  and 
  mackerel 
  eggs 
  on 
  the 
  Maine 
  coast, 
  

   where 
  .she 
  was 
  assisted 
  by 
  the 
  schooner 
  Grampus. 
  The 
  results, 
  as 
  com- 
  

   pared 
  with 
  the 
  previous 
  year, 
  were 
  very 
  satisfactory, 
  148,000,000 
  shad, 
  

   105,000,000 
  lobster, 
  and 
  31,000,000 
  tautog 
  eggs 
  being 
  secured. 
  The 
  

   number 
  of 
  fry 
  successfully 
  hatched 
  from 
  these 
  eggs 
  and 
  planted 
  is 
  

   shown 
  hereafter. 
  

  

  The 
  scarcity 
  of 
  mackerel 
  made 
  it 
  desirable 
  that 
  the 
  Government 
  

   should 
  endeavor 
  to 
  increase 
  the 
  supply 
  of 
  this 
  valuable 
  fish, 
  and 
  steps 
  

   were 
  taken 
  early 
  in 
  April 
  to 
  engage 
  in 
  the 
  propagation 
  of 
  the 
  species 
  at 
  

   various 
  points 
  on 
  the 
  New 
  England 
  coast. 
  The 
  work 
  Avas 
  in 
  a 
  manner 
  

   experimental, 
  and 
  the 
  experience 
  gained 
  warrants 
  the 
  exi)ectation 
  of 
  

   good 
  results 
  for 
  the 
  future. 
  About 
  24,000,000 
  eggs 
  were 
  obtained. 
  

   F. 
  R. 
  90 
  1 
  1 
  

  

  