286 
BULLETIN OF THE UNITED STATES FISH COMMISSION. 
Crangon franciscorum. Shrimp. The sales of shrimp in San Francisco are very large, and have 
increased of late years. At the present time the sliriinp is, next to the crab, the most V'alnable 
crnstacean entering into the city’s supply of water food, and is exceeded in value only by 
oysters, soft clams, and crabs. In 1888 Mr. Wilcox found that 290,000 pounds of fresh slirimp,. 
worth $23,200, or 8 cents a pound, were sold in the markets; in 1893 Mr. Alexander ascertained 
that the receiiits amounted to 825,000 pounds, valued at $41,250, or 5 cents a pound. As is well 
known, the shrimii fishery is in the hands of the Chinese, who, in addition to selling large 
numbers in a fresh condition, dry and ship to China much larger quantities. 
EEPTILES. 
Rana pretiosa. Bidlfroy. This animal is figuring more cohspicuously in the San Francisco markets 
each year, and already has great commercial value. The ruling price is $3 to $4 per dozen, and 
the annual sales amount to between 5,000 and 10,000 dozen. 
Clielopus marmoratus. Terrapin. Between 1,000 and 2,000 dozen are sold annually iu San Fran- 
cisco, at $3 to $5 per dozen. The supply comes chiefly from the marshy regions at the mouth of 
the Sacramento Kiver. 
Chelonia virgata. Sea Turtle; Green Turtle. Reaches the San Francisco markets from the. southern 
coast and Lower California. 
THE PACIFIC WHALE FISHERY. 
The principal wlialing port in tlie United States is now San Francisco. Besides 
having a nnnierons home fleet, that city is the rendezvous of a large number of New 
Bedford vessels. The growth of the whaling industry on the west coast has been due 
to the scarcity of whales in the Atlantic and their abnndance iu the North Pacific and 
Arctic oceans. Tlie present importance of the whale fishery (jarried on from San 
Francisco is largely due to the extensive use of steam vessels, which are considered 
essential for the proper prosecution of the business in the more northern latitudes. 
The year 1893 was the most successful one in the history of the Pacific whale 
fishery. The San Francisco fleet killed and utilized over 350 Avhales, of which 294 
were bowheads, a much larger number than had been obtained in any previous year. 
The quantity of bone represented by this catch was 404,600 pounds, valued at 
$1,246,168; and 6,740 barrels of oil, worth $93,160, were extracted. 
The fleet consisted of 46 vessels, of which 20 were sailing craft and 26 were 
steamers. Eleven of the sailing vessels took 16 bowhead whales and 9 took none, the 
season for this class of vessels thus being a failure. 
The year was remarkable for the remote grounds frequented by the steamers, and 
the abundance of whales there found. While none of the sailing vessels ventured 
east of Point Barrow, owing to the ice and fog, a large part of the steam fleet did so, 
going as far as llerschel Island, Cape Bathurst, and Banks Island. Four steamers, 
which had wintered at the north of the Mackenzie Eiver, took 94 whales off Cape 
Bathurst, where they went in July. Eeturning to the vicinity of Herschel Island, 
they were joined by 9 steamers from the west, and this fleet of 13 vessels took 164 
whales by the middle of September, 1893. Ten vessels that went to Okhotsk Sea and 
Bristol Bay captured 15 whales, 2 obtaining nothing. 
The present aspects of whaling in the Pacific are thus referred to by the San 
Francisco GaU: 
Tbo whale is destineil to disappear from the North Pacific much more speedily than he was driven 
from the eastern apx)roaches to the Arctic. The whale fleet sailing out of the port of San Francisco 
has this year caught in Arctic regions no less than 353 whales. The product of this season’s catch 
would have been represented by about $2,000,000 had prices remained as they were about three years 
ago. When one small steamer takes 62 whales in a single season, and a still smaller one kills 64, there 
