MILNER FISHERIES OF THE GREAT LAKES. 25 



have been iocreased to a very large extent from tiie breeding-boiises at 

 Himiugen, Storiaontfieltl, and elsewhere. A yearly increasing supply of 

 salmon has by this means stocked the exhausted rivers of Canada. The 

 shad and alewives have been restored to many of the eastern rivers, and 

 the brook-trout has been reared in great numbers, and many streams and 

 localities where they had always been unknown have been stocked with 

 this favorite fish. 



Of all species except the shad, those of the saimou-family prove to 

 be the best adapted for artificial culture. Tiie eggs are readily impreg- 

 nated, are specially adapted to being handled, to endure transportation, 

 and lie free and separate at the bottom of the water, incased in an 

 investing membrane thick enough to protect the delicate embryo from 

 the hard contact of the gravel, or glass, or wire screens upon which it 

 is necessary to place them. 



(18a.) History of the tvhite-Jiah culture on the Jalces. — It has already been 

 :>Ii0wn that by far the most important fish of the lakes is the white-fish. 

 The fish culturists in the vicinity of the lakes, having the knowledge of 

 the rapid decrease that had been going on in the numbers of this species 

 for the past few years, appreciated the advantage that their art might 

 afford should the white-fish prove to be adapted to their methods of 

 culture. • 



Three prominent fish-culturists iu the vicinity of the lakes began 

 their experiment about the same time : Mr. Seth Green of Rochester, 

 2Sr. Y. ;Mr. Xelson W. Clark, of Clarkston, Mich.; and Mr. Samuel 

 Wilmot, of Newcastle, Ontario, Canada. Mr. Green and Mr. Wilmot 

 obtained spawn iu the fall of 18G8, and Mr. Clark iu the fall of 

 1869, and treated them in the same manner as the brook-trout. These 

 experiments Avere all attended with considerable success, though the 

 large jiercentage of loss, compared with that in trout and salmon 

 hatching, was anything but encouraging. The screens in the troughs, 

 in most instances, were the same as those used for the trout, and the 

 embryo white-fishes, being smaller, escaped and ran over into the 

 waste- troughs, and down into tiie ponds below. This was in some 

 measure a fortunate circumstance, at Mr. AYilmot's establishment, for 

 the young fish, finding their natural food in the ponds, grew and thrived, 

 and aftbrded the only positive data there are of their rate of growth. 



In the succeeding year Mr. Green and Mr. Clark made additional 

 experiments, and from the experience of the preceding year, having 

 learned the necessity of immediate attention to the white-fish eggs 

 after they were placed in the troughs, began the work of removing the 

 unimpregnated eggs within two or three days' time, and, giving them 

 close attention, during the season hatched out a much larger percent- 

 age of eggs. Mr. Green, in 1809, distributed a quantity of the white- 

 fish spawn to numerous applicants who responded to an advertisement 

 offering it for distribution. Some packages of spawn, from this sup- 

 ply, were sent by steamer to Mr. Frank Buckland, inspector of salmon- 



