52 REPORT OF THE SECRETARY. 



a portion of its expression in the arrangement with the Corcoran Art 

 Gallery. Its pictures, statuary, and engravings have for the most part 

 been removed to the Gallery, and the remainder is being prepared for 

 the same destination. They are not presented to the Gallery, but simply 

 deposited, and are subject to reclamation at any time. 



For many years Professor Henry was one of the trustees of the Cor- 

 coran Gallery, and was thus able to look after the interest of the Insti- 

 tution in its collections. I have been honored by receiving a similar 

 appointment at the hands of the board of trustees. 



The propriety of the action of the Board of Eegents in directing that 

 a first-class portrait of Professor Henry be painted, the work being ex- 

 ecuted in April, 1877, by Mr. Le Clear, of New York, has been fully justi- 

 ified. His picture is now exhibited in the Kegent's room in the Institu- 

 tion, after having been displayed for a time at the Corcoran Gallery. 

 Several excellent crayon heads, of life size, of Professor Henry have been 

 executed by Mr. Ulke and copies have been ordered for Princeton College 

 and other institutions where Professor Henry's was an honored name. 



UNITED STATES FISH COMMISSION. 



Attention has been called in the reports of my lamented predecessor 

 to the extent to which the time of the officers of the Smithsonian Insti- 

 tution has been occupied in the prosecution of labors undertaken by 

 direction and in behalf of the general government; his own record of 

 twenty-six years' service in connection with the Light-House Board, for 

 a large portion of the time its chairman : his service on various special 

 boards, such as those for the selection of building-stones for the Capitol, 

 for the consideration of the question of ventilation of the Hall of the 

 House of Eepresentatives, &c, and in many other cases, furnishing 

 ample illustration. 



My own more immediate relations to the general government com- 

 menced in 1871, when Congress passed an act authorizing the appoint- 

 ment of a Commissioner of Fish and Fisheries, to investigate questions 

 connected with the condition of the fisheries of the sea-coast and the 

 lakes, and providing that the appointment should be by the President 

 and confirmed by the Senate, and that his services should be rendered 

 without compensation. 



Having received the appointment from the President, I commenced 

 the work by an investigation, of several months' duration, of the condi- 

 tion of the fisheries on the New England coast, especially as to the 

 supposed conditions affecting their extent and development. 



In 1872 the subject of the propagation of food-fishes in the waters of 

 the United States was added by Congress to the other duties of the Com- 

 missioner, and since then his time has been largely occupied with the 

 jjrosecution of researches into the American fisheries and in the propa- 

 gation and distribution of various desirable species into every State in 

 the Union. Previous reports will be found to contain general statements 



