Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1904-06-25

quality and has persistently refused to
welcome our own sapidissima the accilma-
tization of which has been frequently at
tempted by the government.
A fish way or fish ladder In full opera
ton. with bass passing freely up and down.
Is of interest to the general public and 10
fishery officials Of this and other countries
as 1t represents form Of known efficiency
while most of the ladders that nave Deeh
devised are Of doubtful utility: Furthermore,
this type. which embodies Improvements
by Mr.. Hector Won Bayer. the engineer ana
architect Of the fish commission. Is cheap,
simple in construction, and adapted TO Ill
conditions.
The mutascope has been brought into use
for the purpose of showing NUMBER %
phases of fish cultural work. such as the
process of taking and fertilizing the eggs VI
shad, salmon, etc.
The Commercial Fisheries.
AS visitor strolls through the building
he may obtain a general idea OF all the
important fisheries of the country. repre-
scented by specimens Of apparatus, by
models and pictures showing methods and
by products preserved by every conce'V-
able process. Exhibits of special interest
in this class are types OF all kinds Of yes
sells employed in the United States fish
cries, realistic models of the lobster hsn-
cry, sponge fishery. purse-sene fishery &c.
and a working model of the Columbia river
salmon wheel, mat dpolHeoSiS "a tiio ~ 49,
tive dip net, which gives a. good idea OF
the marvellous efficiency and tremendous
capacity OF this fishing device. and or the
wonderful ingenuity displayed in Its con-
ccption. /
In addition to g. very complete series OF
fishes and other animals prepared TOT
food, there Is a most compre hensiVe coH9c-
ton Of fishery products used In the arts
and manufactures, together with secondary
products of the fisheries such as furs and
fathers OF aquatic animals, fshskins.
ivory, pearls. mother-Of-pearl, every klnd
Of oil made from water animals. giues'
fertilizers, isinglass. sponges. sea SAT-, &C.
American Pearl Buttons.
An exhibit peculiarly pertinent to the
Louisiana purchase Is that illustrating the
manufacture of pearl buttons from the
fresh-water musses found in the Miss!s-
sippi and its tributaries. This business
was started in Iowa about thirteen years
ago by a German just from the fatherland.
To this pioneer. named Boepple. is due tho
establishment of an industry now worth
several million dollars annually which en-
ploys many thousand persons throughout
the Mississippi basin and has revolutioniZed
the foreign pearl-button trade Of the United
States The fish commission made Spe-
cial investigation of this business some
wears ago and suggested measures for It's
promotion.
Scientific Work.
The biological functions of the commits
sion and the exhibits illustrative thereof
cover wide range. One of the most inter-
esting phases of this work is the study of
the seas, of the distribution of animal life
therein, and of the influence of physical
phenomena on the abundance and dlstribu-
ton of the animals. The methods and APP
paratus employed in deep sea research may
be seen and comprehended by all. The fish
cry steamer Albatross, of which a hand
some model Is shown is more completely
equipped for deep-sea exploration than any
other craft and has contributed more than
sny other vessel to a better understanding
of the physics and biology of the seas. a
full-rigged beam trawl shows how the
ocean bottom is made to yield samples of
its fishes and other animals: and a sound
ing machine. represented on the rail OF a
vessel enables the visitor to understand