342 REPORT OF COMMISSIONER OF FISH AND FISHERIES. 



blanks. In addition to tbis the sources from which the Commission de« 

 rived information at first are as follows : 



(a) From daily trade reports of the Boston Fish Bureau, which con- 

 tained information concerning arrivals of fishing vessels at Boston and 

 generally a statement of the amount offish landed by them. 



(b) Information of a similar character concerning vessels arriving and 

 lauding fish at Gloucester, Massachusetts, was obtained from daily re- 

 ports received from the American Fish Bureau at that port.* 



(c) Weekly and monthly reports were forwarded by Capt. S. J. Mar- 

 tin, the agent of the Fish Commission at Gloucester, Massachusetts. 

 These showed the daily arrivals of vessels, the amount of fish landed 

 by each, the locality where the fish were taken, and many other inter- 

 esting data, including the quantities of fish landed by boats fishing 

 from Gloucester harbor. 



(d) Considerable information was received through correspondence 

 with the fishermen and fish dealers. 



The data thus obtained were available for utilization in the prepara- 

 tion of tables at short notice showing certain phases of the vessel food 

 fisheries, etc. Information secured in this manner did not, however, 

 embrace within its scope the shore fisheries or those prosecuted by ves- 

 sels for the capture of whales, seals, and walrus. 



(e) Newspaper clippings. — In the consideration of the sources of in- 

 formation mention may properly be made of the many newspaper clip- 

 pings that were received from different sources containing information 

 relating to the fisheries, fish culture, etc., constituting, when properly 

 classified, a valuable collection for reference. 



(/) Special investigations, etc. — During the summer and fall of 1885 

 a comprehensive investigation was made of the fisheries of the Great 

 Lakes. The following summer inquiries were made into the condition 

 of the sardine industry of Maine, and certain other fisheries at East- 

 port, while a study of the spring mackerel fishery was also undertaken, 

 and certain phases of the menhaden industry were investigated. With 

 the exception of a brief inquiry in 1887 into the use of salt clams for 

 bait, their production and exportation to Canada, no other field work 

 was attempted after 1886 until the organization of the Division of Fish- 

 eries, the small force being engaged chiefly in routine work in the of- 

 fice; in compiling statistical data for the information of Congress and 

 for the use of the international commission that met in Washington 

 during the winter of 1887-88 for the purpose of negotiating a new fish- 

 eries treaty. 



At the time of my appointment in charge of the Division of Fisheries 

 I found that, for various reasons, which are more specifically mentioned 

 elsewhere, little or nothing had been done in elaborating certain data 

 collected in the field investigations. One of my first duties, therefore, 



* This bureau was discontinued in the fall of 1887 ; consequently no reports were re- 

 ceived from this source after that time. 



