424 SPENCER FULLERTON BAIRD 
At that time the question of increasing the supply of 
marine food fishes was considered almost futile by men 
regarded as experts. So great a zoological authority as 
Huxley, appointed to a somewhat similar board of inquiry 
in regard to the North Sea fisheries of Great Britain, had 
no hesitation in declaring that no actions of man could 
have the power either to increase or perceptibly diminish 
the quantity of fishes in the sea; and that all such changes 
were due to causes beyond human foresight or control. 
This assumption Baird was to test by investigation and 
finally utterly to refute. 
His observation of the characteristics of the different 
places on the coast suited to form a base for the investiga- 
tion of the problem led to the belief that the village of 
Wood’s Hole, on the elbow of Cape Cod between Buz- 
zard’s Bay and Vineyard Sound, was, on the whole, the 
best. 
A coast-wide questioning of everybody connected with 
the fisheries was undertaken, but the original investiga- 
tion of nature herself was reserved chiefly for the Wood’s 
Hole station. 
Here Baird and his family had repaired together with 
the Edmunds family July 16th, 1870. Here and in the 
vicinity the time was spent investigating the fauna by 
fishing and dredging, with the help at times of visiting 
naturalists such as Professors Gill and Webster. ‘The evi- 
dence as to the suitability of the place for the investiga- 
tion desired was clearly in its favor. 
Early in June, 1871, the headquarters of the Com- 
mission were established at Wood’s Hole, and a boat was 
lent for their use by the Revenue Marine bureau. Dr. E. 
Palmer was engaged to assist in the work and a stenog- 
rapher, boatman, etc., were installed. Gradually a group 
