376 
ORDERS OE FISHES— INTRODUCTION 
THE NAMES OF THE FINS OF A TYPICAL FISH. 
The species shown is the Black Grunt ( Haemulon plumieri), and it represents the large and commercially 
important Family of Grunts (H aemulidae ) , represented in our warm waters by about 55 species. 
upon the Fishes as a Class has chosen either to 
alter or ignore previous classifications, and 
adopt the arrangement which to him has seemed 
most logical and reasonable. In order to con- 
form to this time-honored custom, I have elected 
to do likewise! 
With the subdivisions of the Orders, we are 
not at present seriously concerned, our main 
object being to block out the larger groups, only. 
The arrangement of Orders set forth on pages 
378-9 is called a “ practical arrangement ” 
because it can be understood, and is available 
for practical, every-day use. 
THE FISHERY INDUSTRIES, AND FISH 
PROPAGATION. 
Says Mr. Charles H. Townsend, late Chief of 
the Division of Statistics, United States Bureau 
of Fisheries, “The commercial fisheries of the 
United States employ about 200,000 persons, 
the amount of capital invested is $60,000,000, 
and the annual value of the products to the fish- 
ermen is approximately $50,000,000.” 
As a source of supply of cheap and whole- 
some flesh food, the fishes of our waters are 
almost as vitally important as coal. The best 
fish rarely costs more than one-half the price 
of the best beef and mutton, and often only 
one-third as much. 
In 1871, Professor Spencer F. Baird, Secre- 
tary of the Smithsonian Institution, induced 
Congress to create and perpetuate the United 
States Bureau of Fisheries, for the propagation 
of food fishes, and the preservation of the fish- 
eries. The appropriation for 1902 was $543,120. 
To-day the United States Bureau of Fisheries, 
as the propagator and preserver of food fishes, 
is engaged in a hand-to-hand struggle with the 
200,000 destroyers. There are comparatively 
few laws which are intended to limit the catch 
of commercial fishes; but the sportsmen have 
provided many statutes for the preservation of 
the high-class “game” fishes. Nearly every 
state maintains a state fish commission, for the 
special benefit of its own citizens, and some of 
these are doing very important work. 
