1150 REPORT OF COMMISSIONER OF FISH AND FISHERIES. [12] 



"1. In the department of investigation and research there is yet to he 

 carried out an exhaustive inquiry into the character, abundance, geograph- 

 ical distribution, and economical qualities of the inhabitants of the waters 

 both fresh and salt. The subject is ])ractically uulimited in extent, and, 

 so far as the ocean is concerned, has scarcely been touched. With the 

 l)Owerful apparatus, however, at the command of the Commission, it is 

 expected that much i)rogTess will be made year by year, and the pub- 

 lication of the results and the distribution of duplicate specimens to 

 colleges and academies in the United States be carried out on a large 

 scale, so as to meet the increasing demand.* 



" 2. The second object in connection with the sea fisheries is the improve- 

 ment of the old methods and apparatus of fishing and the introduction of 

 new ones. The work of the Commission in bringing to the notice of 

 American fishermen the importance of gill-nets with glass ball floats 

 for the capture of codfish has already revolutionized the winter cod- 

 fishery industry in New England. Looked upon almost with ridicule 

 by the Gloucester fishermen when first brought to their notice by the 

 Commission, these nets have come rapidly into use, until at the present 

 time they represent the most important element in the winter fisheries, 

 the number of fish taken being not only much greater but the fish 

 themselves of finer quality." 



Between eight and nine millions pounds of codfish were taken in the 

 winter of 1883-'S4 about Cape Ann by a fleet of 25 to 30 sail, this being 

 nearly three times what was formerly taken by Cape Ann fishermen in a 

 winter's work of trawl-line fishing, and comparing favorably with the 

 renowned gill-net codflshery of Korway. 



"3. Another important point for consideration is that of the improvement 

 in the pattern of fishing vessels. There is annually a terrible mortality 

 in the fishing crews of New England, especially those belonging to 



"The Coramission has made very large collections of aquatic animals, especially of 

 fishes, shells, corals, crustaceans, star-fishes, &c., and after submitting them to a 

 careful investigation for monographic research, and setting aside a full series for the 

 National Museum, the remainder has been made up into well-identified and labeled 

 sets for distribution to colleges, academies, and other institutions of leaiTjiug through- 

 out the United States. The educational advantages of this last measure have proved 

 to be of the utmost value, and are thoroughly appreciated by teachers throughout 

 the country. Applications for these sets are being continually received, and several 

 hundreds of them have already been supplied, a number of persons beiug employed 

 for a good part of the time in preparing to meet additional calls. There is nothing 

 which 80 much increases the interest in natural history as the opportxinity of examin- 

 ing actual specimens of rare and usually unprocurable species, instead of depending 

 upon descriptions and drawings; and as the possibility of obtaining these series 

 becomes the better known it is quite likely that all the resources of the Commission 

 for making collections, great as they are, will be fully taxed * * *. There is no na- 

 tion that does so much as the Uuited States in the way of co-operation with teachers 

 and students, advancing theoretical and practical natural history through its distri- 

 butions )f duplicate specimens and of ofticial documents. (Report of Commission 

 for 1882, p. I, et seq.) 



