826 CONGRESSIONAL PROCEEDINGS. 



The VICK-PKKSIDKXT (Mr. W. A. WHEELKR). The letter will be read. 

 The CHIEF CLERK read as follows: 



U. S. COMMISSION OF FISH AND FISHERIES, 

 INTERNATIONALE FISCHEREI-ACSSTELLUNG IN BERLIN, 



Washington, D. C., December 14, 1880. 



SIR: I t>eg leave to submit the following memoranda in regard to the distribution 

 of the prizes at the close of the International Fishery Exhibition in Berlin, and 

 especially with reference to the award of the first honor prize to Prof. Spencer F. 

 Baird, C. S. Commissioner of Fish and Fisheries. 



The ceremony of awarding the prizes took place in the great hall ot the exhibi- 

 tion building on the 20th of June, 1880. His Excellency Dr. Lucius, minister of 

 agriculture, in an opening address, stated to the Crown Prince of Germany, who was 

 present as the protector of the exhibition, the object of the gathering. The list of 

 prizes was then read by the director of the exhibition, Ministerial Director Marcard, 

 from the printed catalogue, a copy of which is herewith inclosed (Verzeichniss der 

 gelegentlich der Internationalen Fischerei-Ausstellung zu Berlin, 1880, Zuerkannten 

 Auszeichnungen). After the reading he turned to the protector of the exhibition 

 and received from him an approval of the awards upon the schedule. A list of the 

 prizes received by American exhibitors is appended to this letter. An examination 

 will show that the highest award, an address of thanks signed by His Imperial High- 

 ness the Crown Prince, was awarded to the Government of the United States; that 

 distinguished awards, consisting of gold medals, with special diplomas of honor, 

 were assigned to the U. S. Commission of Fish and Fisheries and the U. S. Coast 

 Survey for their collective exhibits, while the Fish Commission also received gold 

 medals in class 1 and class 6 for special exhibits, and the U. S. Hydrographic Office 

 and the U. S. Engineer Bureau received honorable mention for collective exhibits of 

 charts. In the various classes special exhibitors in the United States section car- 

 ried away a full quota of gold, silver, and bronze medals. The number may be 

 tabulated as follows: Gold medals, 11; silver medals, 22; bronze medals, 15; honor- 

 able mention, 16. It should be stated that a much larger number of medals would 

 have been received by the United States but for the fact that a very large part of 

 the display in this section was collective, and only such articles as had been con- 

 tributed directly by the exhibitors were entered for special competition. Exhibits, 

 however meritorious, which had been purchased with funds derived from the 

 appropriation, were entered as a part of the general display of the Government, and, 

 according to the policy which had been previously decided upon, the Commissioner 

 refused to receive separate awards for them. The gold medal with special honorary 

 diploma, already mentioned as awarded to the U. S. Fish Commission, was intended 

 as a recognition of all exhibits of this description. 



There were thirteen grand prizes of honor, a list of which and the names of their 

 recipients are. herewith presented. The highest, the grand prize, the gift of the 

 Emperor of Germany and King of Prussia, was awarded to Prof. Spencer F. Baird, 

 U. S. Commissioner of Fisheries. At the meeting of the grand jury, at which the 

 disposition of these prizes was decided upon, it was first proposed that this prize 

 should be assigned to the Government of the United States. This proposition was 

 voted down, and it was agreed that it should be given to Professor Baird, in recogni- 

 tion of his efforts as the official head of the American department and especially of 

 his personal attainments and services as a scientific investigator of the fisheries, and 

 as a fish-culturist. In a speech made on another occasion, Chamberlain Behr, presi- 

 dent of the Deutsche Fischerei Verein, stated that Professor Baird was recognized 

 throughout Europe as the first fish-culturist of the world. As will be seen by refer- 



