12 BULLETIN OF THE UNITED STATES FISH COMMISSION. 



The last paper od the program, read by Dr. P. EL Merrick, of Adelbert College, 

 related to the " Habits and Development of the American Lobster and their Bearing 

 apon its Artificial Propagation." The discussion of this paper was entered into by Dr. 

 Hudson, Mr. Church, Mr. Mather, and Mr. A. W. Harvey, Fish Commissioner of New- 

 foundland. Mr. Church stated that many young lobsters are deliberately killed by 

 lobstermen, who crush them on the gunwale of the boat. Mr. Harvey spoke of the 

 good results of planting lobsters in Newfoundland, and stated that he expects to turn 

 out 1,000,000 young lobsters next year. 



The evening session began at 8:1*5 in Hall 4 of the Art Palace. At this session 

 the speakers were introduced by Mr. Eugene G. Blackford. Mr. J. Stanley-Brown, 

 of Washington, D. C, delivered a lecture on the " Past and Future of the Fur Seal," 

 and was followed by Dr. James I. Peck, of Williams College, Williamstown, Mass., 

 with an address on the "Food of the Menhaden." Mr. Blackford made some remarks 

 suggested by the lecture of Dr. Peck. Both of the evening lectures were well illus- 

 trated by means of lantern slides, the lantern and the attendant having been kindly 

 furnished to the Congress, without expense, by the Mcintosh Battery and Optical 

 Company, of Chicago. 



On Wednesday, October 18, the general chairman introduced the chairman of 

 the meeting, Dr. Hugh M. Smith, of Washington, D. C, who delivered an address on 

 the " Maintenance of the Fisheries of the United States." 



Mr. A. A. Adams, of the American Net and Twine Company, of New York City, 

 read a paper on "Fish Nets; some Account of their Construction, and the Application 

 of their various Forms in the American Fisheries," by C. H. Augur. 



Dr. H. M. Smith followed with a paper entitled "Statistics of the Fisheries of 

 the United States." 



A paper by Mr. James G. Swan, of Port Townsend, Wash., on the "Sardine of 

 Puget Sound," was read by the s ecretary, Dr. Tarleton H. Bean. 



An article on the "Spring Mackerel Fishery," by Dr. Hugh M. Smith, was then 

 presented to the Congress. In the discussion which followed, Mr. Blackford, Mr. I. C. 

 Young, of Brookline, Mass., and Commissioner McDonald took part. 



Prof. W. O. Atwater, of Wesleyan University, of Middletown, Conn., closed the 

 session with an address substituted for his paper on the program for the 18th, on 

 the "Correlation of Land and Water to Food Supply and Agriculture." 



The fourth session of the Congress opened at 10:30 a. m. on Thursday, October 

 19, Mr. E. G. Blackford presiding at the meeting. 



After a brief address by the chairman, a portion of Dr. Oemler's paper on the 

 " Past, Present, and Future of the Oyster Industry of Georgia" was read by Dr. Bean. 



This was followed by the article of Mr. Henry C. liowe, on the "Methods of Deep- 

 water Oyster-Culture." 



Dr. Hudson made some remarks on the ownership of oyster- grounds, the Con- 

 necticut system being cited as particularly favorable to the growth of the industry. 



Mr. Booth spoke of the inconvenience of oyster-growing in Maryland and Vir- 

 ginia, because of the difficulty of acquiring titles to grounds by private parties. Mr. 

 Swartz also engaged in the discussion, and Commissioner McDonald referred to the 

 benefits arising from private ownership of certain grounds, into which part of the 

 discussion Mr. W. H. Bowman and Mr. A. Booth also entered. 



