REPORT OF COMMISSIONER OF FISH AND FISHERIES. XXIX 



Museum early in tlie spring of 1884. The unpacking and installa- 

 tion of these collections, together with the new material obtained for 

 the Museum from the collections of other countries at this exhibition, 

 occupied a great deal of time in the early part of the year; and on the 

 the evening of May 14 the " fisheries section " of the National Museum 

 was formally opened to the public. The building was illuminated by 

 electric lights, gratuitously furnished for the occasion by the Brush- 

 Swan Electric Light Company. During the evening an informal recep- 

 tion was held by the U. S. Fish Commissioner. The number of visitors 

 on that occasion was two thousand and thirty-three. The Eeport of 

 the National Museum for 1884 will contain a fuller account of the char- 

 acter of the collections. 



Reception of medals. — Early in the year the medals, which had been 

 awarded by the juries to American exhibitors, were received. These 

 numbered one hundred and twenty-seven, and were distributed by the 

 U. S. Fish Commission. Of this number fifty were gold, forty-seven 

 silver, and thirty bronze. 



Reception of diplomas. — These, one hundred and forty- two in number, 

 were received late in the summer, and distributed in the same manner. 



Special prizes. — Seven special prizes, amounting in value to £65 

 sterling, were awarded to United States exhibitors, and forwarded to 

 them. 



The special report required by Congress, treating of the exhibition in 

 London and of the status of the fishery industries in Europe, is being 

 prepared by Mr. G. Brown Goode, late commissioner to the exhibition, 

 and will be ready for transmission to the Secretary of State during the 

 coming year. There has, however, been already published a series 

 of special catalogues, constituting a report upon the exhibit of the fish- 

 eries and fish-culture of the United States, made at the London Fish- 

 eries Exhibition. These catalogues, twelve in number, form Bulletin 

 27 of the U. S. National Museum. The first seven were printed sepa- 

 rately in 1883. No. 8 appeared as a separate issue in 1884, and the last 

 four appeared for the first time in the complete volume, which has been 

 issued during the year. The following is a list of these catalogues : 



A. — Preliminary catalogue and synopsis of the collections exhibited by the U. S. 

 Fish Commissiou and by special exhibitors, with a concordance to the official classi- 

 ficatiou of the exhibition. 



B. — Collection of economic crustaceans, worms, echinoderms, and sponges. By 

 Richard Rathbun, curator of the department of marine invertebrates in the U. S. Na- 

 tional Museum, 



C. — Catalogue of the aquatic and fish-eating birds exhibited by the U. S. National 

 Museum. By Robert Ridgway, curator, department of birds, U. S. National Museum. 



D. — Catalogue of the economic moUusca and the apparatus and appliances used in 

 their capture and preparation fur market, exhibited by the U. S. National Museum. 

 By Lieut. Francis Winslow, U. S. Navy. 



E. — The whale fishery and its appliances. By James Temple. Brown, assistant in 

 the department of art and industry, U. S. National Museum. 



