﻿6.-THE 
  FISH 
  AND 
  FISHERIES 
  OF 
  THE 
  COASTAL 
  WATERS 
  OF 
  

  

  FLORIDA.* 
  

  

  l?y 
  John 
  .1. 
  Bkici:, 
  

   Unitid 
  states 
  Commisnioncr 
  of 
  Fish 
  and 
  I'lsheries. 
  

  

  United 
  States 
  Commission 
  of 
  Fish 
  and 
  Fisheries, 
  

  

  Washington, 
  I). 
  C, 
  January 
  38, 
  1897. 
  

   Siii 
  : 
  y 
  have 
  the 
  liouor 
  to 
  transmit 
  the 
  accompanying" 
  report 
  on 
  the 
  

   fish 
  and 
  fisheries 
  of 
  the 
  coastal 
  waters 
  of 
  Florida, 
  in 
  accordance 
  with 
  

   the 
  following 
  Senate 
  resolution 
  of 
  February 
  15, 
  1895 
  : 
  

  

  L'csolved, 
  That 
  the 
  Commissioucr 
  of 
  Fisheries 
  is 
  hereby 
  directed 
  to 
  make 
  inquiry 
  

   in 
  reference 
  to 
  the 
  extent, 
  methods, 
  and 
  present 
  condition 
  of 
  the 
  coast 
  lisherics 
  of 
  

   Florida 
  — 
  more 
  particularly 
  the 
  siionge 
  and 
  oyster 
  lisheries 
  — 
  and 
  to 
  rejjort 
  as 
  to 
  the 
  

   desirability 
  of 
  establishing 
  a 
  station 
  for 
  investigation, 
  experiment, 
  and 
  fish-culture 
  

   at 
  some 
  suitable 
  point 
  on 
  the 
  coast. 
  

  

  Investigations 
  pursuant 
  to 
  the 
  resolution 
  of 
  the 
  Senate 
  were 
  begun 
  

   in 
  1895, 
  under 
  the 
  direction 
  of 
  the 
  late 
  Commissioner, 
  but 
  it 
  was 
  not 
  

   feasible 
  to 
  complete 
  the 
  inquiries 
  until 
  the 
  present 
  year, 
  when 
  a 
  party 
  

   consisting 
  of 
  Dr. 
  Hugh 
  M. 
  Smith, 
  Prof. 
  Barton 
  W. 
  Evermanu, 
  Mr. 
  

   John 
  K. 
  Cobb, 
  and 
  Dr. 
  W. 
  C. 
  Kendall, 
  of 
  this 
  Commission, 
  visited 
  the 
  

   southeastern 
  and 
  western 
  coasts 
  of 
  the 
  State, 
  made 
  observations, 
  and 
  

   collected 
  information 
  on 
  which 
  this 
  report 
  is 
  in 
  part 
  based. 
  Previous 
  

   investigations 
  had 
  been 
  conducted 
  on 
  the 
  east 
  coast 
  of 
  Florida 
  in 
  the 
  

   years 
  1895 
  and 
  1890, 
  which 
  ])ut 
  the 
  Commission 
  in 
  possession 
  of 
  data 
  

   regarding 
  the 
  extent 
  and 
  condition 
  of 
  the 
  fisheries 
  of 
  tliat 
  region. 
  

   Eeference 
  is 
  made 
  to 
  the 
  following 
  recent 
  reports 
  on 
  the 
  Florida 
  fish- 
  

   eries 
  relating 
  to 
  the 
  subject 
  under 
  consideration: 
  "Notes 
  on 
  Biscayne 
  

   Bay, 
  with 
  reference 
  to 
  its 
  adaptability 
  as 
  the 
  site 
  of 
  a 
  marine 
  hatching 
  

   and 
  experiment 
  station," 
  which 
  appears 
  in 
  the 
  report 
  of 
  this 
  Commis- 
  

   sion 
  for 
  1895, 
  and 
  "The 
  fisheries 
  of 
  Indian 
  Iliver, 
  Florida,"! 
  being 
  a 
  

   report 
  of 
  the 
  Commissioner 
  of 
  Fish 
  and 
  Fisheries 
  transmitted 
  to 
  the 
  

   Senate 
  on 
  January 
  5, 
  1897, 
  in 
  accordance 
  with 
  the 
  act 
  approved 
  Marcli 
  

   2, 
  1895, 
  making 
  appropriations 
  for 
  the 
  sundry 
  civil 
  expenses 
  of 
  the 
  

   Government 
  for 
  189C, 
  a 
  clause 
  of 
  which 
  directs 
  " 
  the 
  Commissioner 
  of 
  

   Fisheries 
  to 
  make 
  special 
  investigation 
  relative 
  to 
  the 
  extermination 
  

   of 
  migratory 
  fishes 
  of 
  the 
  Indian 
  Eiver, 
  Florida." 
  

  

  * 
  This 
  paper 
  -was 
  first 
  issued 
  as 
  Senate 
  Document 
  100, 
  Fifty- 
  fourth 
  Congress, 
  second. 
  

   session, 
  

   t 
  Printed 
  as 
  Senate 
  Dociimuut 
  46, 
  Fifty-fourth 
  Congress, 
  second 
  session. 
  

  

  263 
  

  

  