224 
BULLETIN OF THE UNITED STATES FISH COMMISSION. 
At tlie invitation of Mr. John P. Babcock, chief deputy of the California Fish 
Coimnission, I accompanied him and Mr. Wilson, of the fishery protective force, ou an 
official trip in the commission's launch, to the important fishery districts lying between 
San Francisco and the upper part of the delta of the Sacramento and San Joaquin 
rivers. I left San Francisco on June 8 and returned June 10, passing the whole of the 
intervening time in a very interesting and helpful sojourn in the waters named. 
The route from San Fi'ancisco lay north, past the fishing station of Messrs. Lynde 
and Hough, in Marin County, and the Chinese fishing-camps, in Marin and Contra 
Costa counties. San Pablo Bay, Carquinez Strait, and Suisun Bay were then trav- 
ersed, all of these being important fishing-grounds for salmon, shad, and striped bass. 
Late in the evening the San Joaquin Eiver Avas entered and a stop was made for the 
night at Antioch. Next day a short A’isit was first jiaid to Collinsville, on the Sacra- 
meuto'RiA'er, where I attended the trial of some gill-net fishermen arrested for viola- 
tion of the State law proliibitiug the setting of gill nets so as to obstruct more than 
one-third the width of a stream. Although the evidence of an infraction of the law 
Avas indisputable, the jury failed to couAuct, being eAudently impressed with thei'ecent 
decision of a local justice that the hvAv is ambiguous and that the Avords “ more than 
one-third across the Avidth” of a river may involve the distance between two remotely 
distant pgiuts on opposite sides of the river! During the remainder of the day, the 
launch cruised through the numerous sloughs intersecting the interesting tule lands 
of the delta of the Sacramento and San Joaquin rivers, these being the fiiAmrite 
spaAvning-grounds for shad and striped bass, as Avell as important fishing-grounds 
for them and salmon. The forenoon of the following day Avas spent in the same region, 
and in the afternoon I returned to San Francisco. 
A visit occupying parts of two days (June 12 and 13) was 3nade to Monterey and 
Pacific Grove from San Francisco. Monterey Bay represents the southern limit of 
the distribution of the salmon, shad, and striped bass, and is additionally interesting 
because of the Chinese and other important fisheries there carried on. At El Monte, 
Mr. B. C. Winston has shown commendable enterprise in bringing together and 
arranging for exhibition a magnificent mounted collection of the marine algie of the 
Pacific coast Avhich has been admired by students of this branch of botanjx Mr. 
Winston has also arranged in a large jiriAuite exhibition hall many of the larer and 
more attractive fishes of that part of tlie Pacific coast, including sharks, skates, and 
other large species. 
At Pacific Grove, situated at the southern side of the entrance to Monterey Bay, 
the summer biological school of the Leland Stanford Junior Uni\m'sity has been 
established. This, at the time of my visit, Avas in charge of Dr. Oliver. P. Jenkins, the 
professor of physiology in the university, by wTiom the purposes and plans of the school 
Avere courteously explained. This is generally conceded to be the best site ou the 
west coast for a biological laboratory. It is located somewhat like Woods Holl with 
respect to the distribution of the fauna of the northern and southern parts of the 
coast. The buildings are placed on a rocky bluff at the extremity of the point of 
land marking the division between the ocean and Monterey Bay. On the rocks at the 
very doors of the laboratory anemones, echini, mollusks, and other inAmrtebrates can 
be gathered ATithout the use of apparatus, while the Avater in the immediate vicinity 
teems Avith a great A ariety of fish and other marine forms of animal life. I Avas 
informed by Dr. Jenkins that the university authorities are Amry desirous that the 
IT. S. Fish Coinmission shall be represented at the laboratory. There are certainly 
