194 



The National Geographic Magazine 



coast and lakes, the matter of the actual 

 increase of the food-fishes by means of 

 artificial propagation was added in the 

 second year of its. existence, thus estab- 

 lishing a twofold function. The begin- 

 nings of the Fish Commission were very 

 modest. The appropriations made by 

 Congress were small in amount, and the 

 personnel at first consisted of but one 

 {nan , and he without salary. But as the 

 importance and possibilities of the work 

 came to be more keenly appreciated, the 

 scope of the Commission increased and 

 the work became differentiated into a 

 number of divisions. 



PRESENT ORGANIZATION OF THE 



BUREAU 



For purposes of administration the 

 work of the Bureau of Fisheries is con- 

 ducted by and through the following 

 offices and divisions : 



i. Administration, consisting of the 

 Commissioner's office, that of the Deputy 

 Commissioner, the chief clerk, engineer 

 and architect, library, disbursing office, 

 and the necessary clerical force. 



The duties of the Commissioner, as 

 chief of the Bureau, have already been 

 sufficiently defined. Those of the Dep- 

 uty Commissioner, chief clerk, and dis- 

 bursing officer are sufficiently defined 

 by the appellations. The engineer and 

 architect is charged with all matters 

 pertaining to planning and constructing 

 the various fish- cultural stations. This 

 includes the selection of hatchery sites 

 in so far as engineering problems are 

 concerned, the designing and construc- 

 tion of hatchery buildings, superintend- 

 ents' residences, and all other necessary 

 buildings, the laying out and construc- 

 tion of the necessary ponds, fish ways, 

 dams, and flumes, and all other matters 

 of construction and civil and mechan- 

 ical engineering. 



2. DIVISION OF INQUIRY RESPECTING 

 FOOD- FISHES 



This division is usually known as the 

 Division of Scientific Inquiry. The as- 



sistant in charge is charged with the ap- 

 portionment and direction of all the re- 

 search work of the Bureau. He gives 

 consideration to the various lines of sci- 

 entific investigation which are proposed 

 or which the Bureau might undertake, 

 determines or approves the methods and 

 means to be employed, and recommends 

 them to the Commissioner, coordinates 

 and directs all research work of the 

 Bureau, and examines all reports of in- 

 vestigations, whether carried on by the 

 regular staff or by employes selected 

 temporarily for special inquiries. 



To this division belong all investiga- 

 tions and researches pertaining to the 

 physical and chemical characteristics of 

 the waters of the United States, includ- 

 ing the seas as well as the lakes, rivers, 

 and smaller streams, in so far as these 

 are factors in determining the character 

 of aquatic life; the life histories, habits, 

 food, enemies, abundance, and distribu- 

 tion of food-fishes and other aquatic 

 animals and of aquatic plants, whether 

 of the lakes and rivers or of the seas. 

 It makes inquiries into the causes of 

 decrease of food-fishes, wherever found, 

 studies the various species and the va- 

 rious regions in the interests of fish- 

 culture, makes the biological investiga- 

 tions necessary for the proper selection 

 of sites for fish-cultural stations, and 

 investigates the fishing grounds of the 

 Atlantic, Gulf, and Pacific coasts, as 

 well as those of the interior waters and 

 our island possessions, in the interests of 

 fish-culture and the commercial fish- 

 eries. 



A few of the more important lines of 

 inquiry may be mentioned in detail : 



i . On the Coasts and the High Seas. — 

 Besides a number of smaller vessels such 

 as the Bluewinv , Phalarope , and Mergan- 

 ser, the Bureau has 3 vessels of larger 

 size. These are the Albatross, Fish 

 Hawk, and Grampus. 



The Albatross is an iron twin-screw 

 steamer 234 feet long, 27 feet 6 inches 

 beam, and 1,074 tons displacement. She 

 was built at Wilmington, Delaware, at. 



