102 Proceedings of the Newport Natural History Society. 
though the former State had, as early as 1856, appointed 
a temporary Board of Commissioners, for considering Ar¬ 
tificial Propagation and other subjects relative to the fish¬ 
eries. Connecticut and Pennsylvania came next in 1866; 
Maine in 1867; Rhode Island and New York in 1868; 
New Jersey and California in 1870 and Alabama in 1871. 
The movement extended through the South and West, 
until now thirty-five States have their Fish Commissions 
and State Hatcheries, making free annual distribution of 
ova and fry within their own boundaries. Each State also 
has its Code of Fish and Game Laws (these two subjects 
generally go together) for the protection of its coasts, 
lakes, streams and forests. 
At length our National Government itself became inter¬ 
ested and the United States Fish Commission was insti¬ 
tuted by Act of Congress upon February 9th, 1871, its 
first Commissioner being the late Prof. Spencer F. Baird, 
of the Smithsonian Institution, whom in 1880 the Germans 
designated as “the first Fish-culturist in the world.” 
The Commission has an annual appropriation of about 
$300,000. It does not make laws to regulate the fisheries, 
nor does it even recommend legislation by the National 
Government, considering that each State has control over 
its own waters. It only investigates, reports and advises. 
It is divided into the two branches of Inquiry and Prop¬ 
agation, and its work is carried on in the most thorough 
manner by a numerous personnel, under the direction of a 
corps of trained scientists. Its objects are, in brief, to in¬ 
vestigate the causes and extent of the diminution of our 
food-fish, and to suggest proper remedies and methods for the 
restitution of the fisheries thus depleted. Its work is divided 
into three heads. First, to make systematic inquiry into all 
the physical problems of our waters, fresh and salt, and to 
study the nature and habits of all they contain. This is 
done in the broadest and most liberal manner, and every 
form of aquatic life, animal or vegetal, is thoroughly investi¬ 
gated. As Dr. Brown-Goode says: “The life-history of 
