XXIV EEPORT OF COMMISSIONER OF FISH AND FISHERIES. 



The Commission lost, by the death of Mr. Frank S. Eastman on 

 March 12, an accomplished engineer and draughtsman, to whom it 

 owed very much in connection with the planning and building of its 

 fish -transportation cars. 



Although not at the time an employee of the Commission, but as hav- 

 ing formerly been in its service, it is proper to mention the death of Mr. 

 O. M. Chase, on November 11. Mr. Chase, at the time of his death, was 

 superintendent of the fish hatchery of the State of Michigan, at Detroit, 

 and was engaged in collecting eggs of whitefish. Mr. Chase and a 

 party of his employees, while crossing a bay in a small boat during a vio* 

 lent storm, were drowned by the upsetting of the boat. He was one of 

 the most experienced fish-culturists of the country, having been trained 

 by Mr. Seth Green, and having been in his employ, and also in that of 

 the Fish Commission, before entering the service in which he met his 

 death. 



The three-story building No. 1443 Massachusetts avenue, which was 

 leased in 1881, has continued to be occupied as an office by the Commis- 

 sion. The commissioner has, however, continued to use for himself 

 and stenographer certain rooms in his private residence. 



2. — PRINCIPAL STATIONS OF THE U. S. FISH COMMISSION. 



These stations have been mentioned in previous reports, and a full 

 explanation given of their general character. There are therefore simply 

 enumerated in the present report to serve as a convenient table of ref- 

 erence. The special work accomplished at each station for the year 

 will be given hereafter. 



A. — Investigation and Research. 



1. Gloucester, Mass. — Capt. S. J. Martin, in charge of this station, 

 continues his weekly reports of the products of the off-shore fisheries 

 of that city, which have been collated and i:»ublished from time to time 

 in the Bulletins of the Fish Commission. 



Captain Martin visits every vessel on its arrival and obtains the 

 statistics of the catch during the voyage ; and as there is no other 

 organization for obtaining these data, his figures are largely used in the 

 market reports of the Boston and Gloucester papers. 



2. Wood^s Soil, Mass. — This continues to be the headquarters of the 

 Commission during the summer, and the chief locality for investigation 

 and research. It is also the summer station of the vessels of the Com- 

 mission. 



The arrangements made for enlarging the work at this point will be 

 more fully detailed hereafter. 



3. Saint Jerome, Md. — This station is maintained for experiments in 

 oyster culture and the hatching of marine fish, especially of the Spanish 

 mackerel. 



