The Bureau of Fisheries 



207 



vented or cured will greatly increase 

 the efficiency of fish-culture. 



5. Biological Statio?is. — For the study 

 of scientific and economic problems con- 

 nected with aquatic life, the Bureau main- 

 tains, besides the laboratories at the 

 central station here in Washington, two 

 seaside biological stations — one at Woods 

 Hole, Mass., the other at Beaufort, N. C. 

 These stations are well equipped with 

 aquariums, microscopes, reagents, and 

 special apparatus, and investigators are 

 invited to come and make use of the 

 superior facilities offered for the study 

 of marine life. 



6. Pacific Salmon.— Among the most 

 important investigations now being con- 

 ducted by the Bureau are those pertain- 

 ing to the life histories and propagation 

 of the Pacific salmon. On our Pacific 

 coast and in Alaska are found five spe- 

 cies of salmon. These salmon spend 

 most of their life in the sea, coming into 

 freshwater streams and lakes only at 

 spawning time. After spawning once 

 they all die, both the males and females, 

 none ever spawning a second time and 

 none ever returning to the sea. This 

 is true of each of the five species of 

 Pacific salmon. 



The Bureau has been propagating 

 the Chinook and Blueback salmon for 

 several years, and the efficiency of the 

 work has recently been greatly increased 

 as a result of investigations made by 

 Mr Cloudsley Rutter, whose untimely 

 death a few weeks ago is a severe loss 

 to the Bureau and to science. 



7 . Volunteer Assistants. — As a result of 

 the investigations carried on by this di- 

 vision, the Bureau is now in possession 

 of avast amount of information regard- 

 ing many of our rivers and lakes, but 

 in only a few cases can this knowledge 

 be regarded as sufficiently full. The 

 survey is now well systematized, and it 

 is hoped it may be carried on after a 

 definite plan which contemplates a 

 thorough study of all the important 

 streams and lakes in the United States. 



Although but few of our waters have 

 as yet been studied even with approxi- 

 mate thoroughness, nevertheless the in- 

 habitants of the streams and lakes of 

 the United States, particularly the fishes, 

 are better known than those in any other 

 country. 



In the conduct of its scientific inves- 

 tigations the Bureau has been fortunate 

 in having the volunteer assistance of 

 many of the most active and most dis- 

 tinguished zoologists in America, among 

 whom maybe mentioned Jordan, Agas- 

 siz, Gill, Forbes, Gilbert, Jenkins, 

 Bumpus, Linton, Meek, and many 

 others. These men have been glad to 

 give their services, without any salary, 

 to the Bureau for special investigations, 

 their only desire being the advancement 

 of knowledge in those branches of zo- 

 ological science in which they are inter- 

 ested. 



3. DIVISION OF FISH CUI/TURF 



This important division has charge of 

 all the fish-cultural operations of the Bu- 

 reau. The assistant in charge has gen- 

 eral direction of all hatching, rearing, 

 and distributing stations and operations, 

 and of all the railway cars, launches, and 

 other vessels of the Bureau while en- 

 gaged in hatching and distributing fishes 

 and their eggs. 



The first fish-cultural stations were 

 mere makeshift affairs, with temporary 

 buildings and moderate equipment, per- 

 mitting change from place to place as 

 occasion required. Later, as the ad- 

 vantages and disadvantages of different 

 places came to be understood, permanent 

 stations were established and the equip- 

 ment improved. Later still, Congress 

 began making appropriations for hatch- 

 eries to be located in certain specified 

 states. The number has increased rap- 

 idly, until now the fish-cultural opera- 

 tions of the Bureau are carried on at 46 

 different stations, which are well distrib- 

 uted over the United States. There are 

 stations in New England for the hatching 



