70 



The work in fishes has been as follows : 



ISIr. D. C. Ridgely has collected for the Indiana University in Trail creek, 

 a small stream of La Porte county, emptying iiito Lake Michigan. Mr. 

 W. ( ). AVallace has collected a good series of fishes in Wabash county. 

 Messrs. Kirsch ami Beeson on behalf of the U. S. Fish Commission have 

 explored the Eel river along its entire length and made collections in 

 various points of the Maumee basin. 



Offers of assistance and co-operation have been received from various 

 persons over the state who have not yet given any concrete assistance. 



It is the intention of the director of the Zoological Survey to establish 

 stations at various places in the state during successive summers to study 

 the fauna in situ. The work during the coming summer will either be ex- 

 plorations along the Ohio river or on one of the lakes of northern Indiana. 

 Next to the distribution of Indiana organisms their correlation in different 

 localities, their geographical variations, migrations and breeding habits 

 seem to be questions which should be studied. 



The position and general features of Indiana are such that not a single 

 animal need be expected to be restricted within its geographical bounda- 

 ries. The same may be said of the four states surrounding it. Nor would 

 they with Indiana form a geographical unit. For these reasons it seems 

 to me that the advantages of co-operation with neighboring states may be 

 overestimated. If the survey is to be restricted by geographical bounda- 

 ries, the boundaries of Indiana will do about as well as the boundaries of 

 the states surrounding us. While too great value can not be placed on the 

 thorough exploration of neighboring states and of the states bordering 

 on them for purposes of comparison, our best efforts, must for economic 

 reasons, be devoted to our own bailiwick. 



This leads me to say a word in favor of county surveys. The same in- 

 terests that bind us together to conduct a survey of the state unite the 

 teachers and others of the same county and through this common inter- 

 est county surveys may be established and the survey of the state 

 furthered. I am well aware that animals and plants do not respect county 

 lines, but neither do they state lines. I would urge the formation of 

 county science associations whose sole purpose it shall be to make a 

 careful survey of the respective counties. Wabash county has such an 

 association, and judging the work of this association from the part that has 

 passed through my hands, this association may well form a model for other 

 counties. 



