EEPORT OF COMMISSIONER OF FISH AND FISHERIES. XLIII 



States, through its Fish Commissiou^ in the London International Fish- 

 eries Exhibition of 1883. 



The preparations, begun in July, 1882, were carried on with great 

 activity, and on the 26th of February a preliminary exhibition of such 

 material as could conveniently be displayed was held in the National 

 Museum, continuing two evenings and two days. 



The work of packing the collections for transmission to London was 

 begun on the 27th of February. The first shipment of goods was made 

 on the 7th of March, the last on the 14th of Aj)ril. A satisfactory ar- 

 rangement was made, through the agency of Col. Thomas Donaldson, 

 (1) with the Pennsylvania Eailroad Company, for the transmission of 

 the collections to l^ew York and placing them on board of the steamer, 

 and (2) with Messrs. Patton, Vickers & Co., agents of the Monarch Line 

 of steamships between New York and London, for reduced freights, the 

 rates given covering the transmission of the collections to London and 

 back to New York. 



The party accompanying the collections consisted of Mr. Goode, who, 

 in the inability of the Commissioner of Fisheries to attend, was ap- 

 pointed special commissioner. Dr. Tarleton H. Bean, Mr. E. Edward 

 Earll, Capt. Joseph W. Collins, Mr. A. Howard Clark, Mr. William V. 

 Cox, Mr. Eeuben Wood, and Capt. H. C. Chester. All of these gentle- 

 men were permanent members of long standing of the staff of the 

 Fish Commission and National Museum, excepting Mr. Wood, who was 

 selected to represent the angling interests, being one of the champion 

 fly-casters of the United States, and an expert in all matters relating 

 to fine tackle. In addition to those already named, Lieut. C. H. Mc- 

 Lellan, U. S. Eevenue Marine, was detailed by the Life-Saving Service; 

 Mr. Max Hansmann from the Light- House Board; and Sergt. James 

 Mitchell, TJ. S. A., from the Signal Office, to accompany and instal the 

 collections sent over by their respective departments. Mr. E. I. Geare 

 also accompanied the party as stenographer for work upon the report.* 



The collections arrived in London in excellent condition. It was soon 

 found that the space of 10,000 feet asked for by the United States was 

 entirely inadequate for the purposes, being inconveniently arranged 

 and badly cut up by partitions and passage-ways. Additional, but 

 insufficient, space was subsequently obtained in various parts of the 

 exhibition grounds, the most useful portion being a section of about 

 2,500 feet graciously conceded by the Danish commissioner, Mr. Howitz. 

 The life-boats were placed in a shed erected by us in one of the gardens, 



* On March 20, Messrs. Earll, Clark, Cox, and Chester sailed from Philadelphia; on 

 March 31, Messrs. Goode, Collins, Hansmann, and Mitchell ; on April — , Messrs. Mc- 

 Lellan and Wood; on Jane 16, Mr. Geare; and on June 30, Dr. Bean. Mr. Wood 

 arrived home August 7; Mr. Clark, August 25; Lieut. McLellan, August 29; Mr. 

 Hansmann, September 16 ; Mr. Geare, September 18 ; Messrs. Goode and Collins, Sep- 

 tember 30 ; Sergt. Mitchell, November 22 ; and Messrs. Earll and Cox, January 10. 

 Captain Chester returned finally January 16, having made a trip to the United States, 

 for the summer work of the Fish Commission, from July 16 to October 14. 



