596 
THE FOOD FISHES. 
on by the Legislature. The question, unfortunately, became a political one ; but there were 
some scientific men in the State, notably Mr. Samuel Powel, of Newport, a member of the 
State Senate, who urged a scientific investigation, as the question was one too little understood. 
Touching the shad fisheries, which are the more important in Connecticut, the latter State at 
this time united in some movements for reform in the methods of fishing. The question now 
began to assume an importance it deserved. It was considered that as the general United 
States government had absolute control of the rivers, harbors, and estuaries, the States really 
had no rights in this matter, and even if so, there naturally would be some conflicting measures 
that would be difficult of reconciliation. Then the interests of individuals whose rights might 
be themes of conflict would be difficult of adjustment. Accordingly, it seemed altogether best 
that a United States officer be commissioned for the purpose of taking entire charge of the 
question of coast fisheries, and by a fair adjustment reconcile all difficulties, first instituting 
an extensive series of investigations, to get at the exact cause of the apparent failure of the 
supply of food fishes. All depended now on determining the nature of the food sought by our 
food fishes, the growth of their spawn, and other circumstances bearing upon the solution of 
the problem in question. A bill was therefore introduced in Congress on the 9th of February, 
1871, for the above purpose. This called for the “appointment by the President, by and with 
the consent,” etc., “from among the civic officers of the government, one person of proved 
scientific and practical acquaintance with the fishes of the coast, to be commissioner of fish 
and fisheries.” ‘ The various departments of the government were authorized to render all 
possible aid to the commissioner in the legitimate prosecution of his duties. This also included 
the examination of the Great Lakes with reference to their fisheries. An appropriation was 
made to meet the necessary expenses, and the President tendered the commission to Professor 
Spencer F. Baird, then assistant secretary of the Smithsonian. 
The vicinity of Vineyard Sound being the one most referred to as exhibiting evidences 
of a decrease in the numbers of food fishes, Professor Baird proceeded to that point to com- 
mence his investigations, in June, 1871. He established his headquarters at Woods’ Holl, a 
coast village about eighteen miles from New Bedford, and directly opposite the famous Holmes’ 
Holl, now called Vineyard Haven. Prof. Baird now found it necessary to utilize any aid that 
had been promised him through the government officers. At New Bedford he secured the use 
of a revenue vessel attached to the custom-house. The Secretary of the Interior also directed 
the customs officer to detail the revenue cutter “ Moccasin ” for his services. 
A systematic plan was now adopted, Professor Baird having the valuable assistance of 
Prof. Gill, and others connected with the Smithsonian Institution. The aids afforded by the 
Interior Department were supplemented by the free use of apparatus already belonging to the 
government. A paper was drawn up embracing the various points desirable to investigate 
systematically. Questions were framed, and these were included in a general circular which 
was distributed widely along the coast among sea-faring men. 
The first serious difficulty in the accumulation of information is in the confusion of names 
of fishes. There are so many common designations for each species, differing at each remove 
of locality. The first question asks the local names of the fishes. The descriptive answers to 
questions are then made to correspond with the local name ; otherwise great confusion arises 
at once. Then the geographical distribution of the species, its abundance at different periods 
of the year and in different seasons ; its size, migration, and movements ; relationship to its 
fellows, or to others; its food and peculiarities of reproduction, and many other things, 
altogether covering a list of eighty-eight questions. 
As the history of species would not be complete without a knowledge of their associates 
in the sea, especially such as prey upon them, or, in turn, constitute their own food, it was 
regarded necessary to prosecute searching inquiries on these points. One important cause of 
scarcity of some food fishes alleged, is that of the great scarcity of certain species which hereto- 
fore deposited vast quantities of spawn in the rivers and estuaries, where the most of our food 
fishes resort for subsistence. The investigation on an adequate scale called for services of 
experts in various branches of marine zoology. Prof. Verrill and Mr. S. I. Smith, of Yale 
College, offered their services to conduct the experiments of the laboratory for invertebrate 
