191 IJ *rHE Ottawa Naturalist. 221 



the food of fresh-water fishes and the possibility of its artificial 

 cultivation. This food consists largely of the larvae of certain 

 insects such as the May Flies or Ephemerids, part of whose life- 

 history is spent in water. At first sight this line of work would 

 appear to be somewhat impracticable, but when the importance 

 of utilizing so great a natural resource as our inland waters for 

 the production of a valuable form of food is realized, as will be 

 essential, then the relation which this question, of the scientific 

 provision of suitable food for the fishes, beartothe whole problem 

 of fish-culture will be fully appreciated. You may compare it 

 to the growing of a crop ; by the provision of hatcheries good seed 

 is provided, but does any farmer expect his seed to produce a 

 good crop if the available plant food in the soil is insufficient? 

 How then can we expect good fisheries if attention is not paid to 

 the available fish food in the waters devoted to pisciculture? Fish 

 flesh is a highly nutritious food, in fact it is said to be an excellent 

 brain food; we may find that the conservation of this natural 

 resource may influence the clear thinking of the people! 



In these few random remarks an attempt has been made to 

 show why the naturalist and the lover of nature should be 

 especially concerned in this great question of the conservation 

 of the natural resources of Canada. Conservation is nothing 

 more than a gospel of unselfishness, a lesson on our dut}' to 

 future generations of Canadians; no true citizen of this country 

 can fail in that duty by keeping silent if these great sources 

 of natural wealth are plundered, not only injudiciously for the 

 use of the people, but wastefully by those who consider not the 

 present needs and future requirements, but their own personal 

 gain. Conservation, however, does noi mean, as many wrongly 

 suppose, the hoarding up of our national resources, such a-^ our 

 forests, and the prevention of their full utilization. It means 

 use without waste, or with as little waste as possible. The sig- 

 nificance of this will be understood if you will remember that at 

 present only three-eighths of the timber cut is in the final pro- 

 duct ; conservation is the saving of the other five-eighths. Cut 

 the forests, but see that for every tree cut another is gi owing to 

 take its place and fulfil its function. We are fortunate in being 

 able to begin at an early stage and to learn the lessons which 

 other nations have learned too late. Let each so work that 

 Canada may truly say : 



"Carry the word to my sisters 



To the Queens of the east and south. 

 I have proven faith in the heritage. 



By more than the word of the mouth." 



