REPORT UPON THE EXHIBIT OF THE UNITED STATES COM- 

 MISSION OF FISH AND FISHERIES AT THE TENNESSEE 

 CENTENNIAL EXPOSITION IN 1897. 



By W. de C. Ravenel, 

 Representative of the United States Fish Commission. 



Under the act of Congress approved December 22, 1896, providing 

 for the participation of the United States Fish Commission in the Ten- 

 nessee Centennial Exposition at Nashville, Tenn., Mr.W.deC.Eavenel, 

 assistant in charge of the Division of Fish-culture, was appointed as 

 the representative of the Commission on the Government Board of 

 Management. 



The plan, as approved by the Commissioner, was as follows: 



1. Scientific investigations of the Commission, to be illustrated by 

 models of the vessels belonging to the United States Fish Commission, 

 with full-sized forms of the apparatus used, and by illustrations showing 

 the work of these vessels; by collections of marine animals, and by casts 

 of colored fishes, drawn from life; and by collections of sponges, corals, 

 oysters, and other shellfish. 



2. Fish-cultural operations, to be shown by models and photographs 

 of important hatching stations; models and full-sized specimens of 

 apparatus used in the collection, transportation, and hatching of eggs, 

 and the distribution of fish; charts showing the work done by the 

 Commission since its organization, and results with reference to special 

 fisheries; also, by the hatching of the eggs of the various species of 

 the salmonida3 and shad; also, an aquarium for showing the important 

 food and game fishes reared by the United States Fish Commission at its 

 various stations, together with the important fishes of the Ohio Valley, 

 and the principal species taken in the South Atlantic Ocean and Gulf 

 of Mexico. 



3. Methods and statistics of the fisheries, to be illustrated by models 

 of vessels used in the important fisheries of the South Atlantic and 

 Gulf States ; models of boats and the common forms of fishing apparatus, 

 such as pounds, weirs, seines, trawl lines, hand lines, etc. ; also, oyster 

 and clam rakes, tongs, hooks for sponges, etc.; besides illustrations of 

 various fisheries by means of photographs, oil paintings, and etchings. 



As soon as possible after the organization of the board and the 

 allotmeut of space and funds, preparations were commenced for the 

 construction of the aquarium and the collection of the material com- 

 prising the exhibit. The Commission was allotted $15,500 and 5,000 

 square feet of space located in the southeast corner of the building. 

 The space was L-shaped and extended from the main aisle at the east 



331 



