THE UNITED STATES BUREAU OF FISHERIES. 1397 



The bulletin remains as heretofore, composed of papers (chiefly technical) 

 upon all phases of aquatic biology studied by the Bureau or its collaborators. 

 The volumes are annual, in royal octavo, with continuous pagination and general 

 index. The separates are issued at irregular intervals, as are the pamphlets just 

 described, and a volume is ordinarily closed within the year following the date 

 in its title. 



The publications are distributed gratis to all persons or institutions that 

 desire them. A permanent mailing list is maintained, and individual requests 

 also are complied with as received. The change affecting the contents of the 

 annual report, however, carried with it a new plan in the general distribution 

 of documents. The laws establishing the report and bulletin had contemplated 

 their issue in the form of annual bound volumes only, though it was possible to 

 obtain a small edition of special papers in advance as separates. The separates, 

 of course, offered the advantage of promptness in publication, convenience to 

 the reader interested in a particular subject, and economy to the Bureau where 

 without them it would have been necessary to supply entire volumes to persons 

 desiring only a part. Accordingly, when revision of the printing laws made a 

 new course possible, the pamphlet form was adopted almost exclusively for 

 general distribution, exception being made only in the case of reference libraries, 

 government departments, public fishery organizations, institutions of learning, 

 etc., for whose purposes the annual bound volumes were better suited. To all 

 other addresses on the mailing list and to all subsequent correspondents the 

 Bureau forwarded a circular announcement of the change which was to take 

 effect, furnishing a classification of subject-matter, and asking to be advised 

 what papers would be desired in future. To the extent of the edition provided, 

 any or all of the documents published are now supplied in accordance with the 

 wishes thus ascertained. The subjects covered in the papers may be classified 

 as follows: 



1 . Annual report of the commissioner. 



2. Fish culture: 



(a) Methods. 



(b) Distribution of fish and eggs. 



(c) Fish diseases and parasites. 



3. Aquatic biology: 



(a) Economic investigations. 



(b) Explorations and surveys, the methods, apparatus, etc. 



(c) Descriptions of species and faunal lists. 



(d) Morphological, physiological, and pathological studies. 



4. Commercial fisheries and related industries. 



For convenience of reference all publications of* the Bureau are given a 

 serial number, document 645 being the last issued. A list of titles of all avail- 

 able documents, arranged by numbers and indexed by subjects, is kept up to 



