PROGRESS IN BIOLOGICAL INQUIRIES, 1939 a9 
effected. The continued use of a gill-net mesh of no smaller than 314 
inches appears to be an adequate safeguard against depletion of the 
ellow perch. 
The whitefish (Coregonus clupeaformis) of the Red Lakes, judg- 
ing from the meager data available, grows at an intermediate rate 
compared with seven other North American populations. The Red 
Lakes whitefish had a larger coefficient of condition than the whitefish 
of Lakes Huron and Champlain. The growth of the goldeye (Amphi- 
odon alosoides) compared favorably with the growth of the species in 
lakes of the Prairie Provinces of Canada; fish of some age groups 
averaged larger, and some smaller, in Lower Red Lake than in the 
Canadian lakes. The sheepshead (Aplodinotus grunniens) of the 
Red Lakes grew slightly slower but had a higher average coefficient 
of condition than the sheepshead of Lake Erie. 
Records of the artificial propagation of Red Lakes wall-eyed pike 
and whitefish and the stocking of other waters at the expense of the 
Red Lakes have been assembled and considered with a view toward 
recommending a future policy of artificial propagation. A more 
definite mesh size for gill nets, and the adoption of the flexible rule 
as the official method of measuring nets, will be included among the 
final recommendations. Additional matters related to a future policy 
for the Red Lakes fisheries also are being considered. 
MIGRATION OF LAKE MICHIGAN FISHES 
The results of extensive tagging experiments on Lake Michigan fish, 
conducted between June 1929 and August 1931 by Smith Bros., 
commercial fishermen of Port) Washington, Wis., are contained in 
a joint publication (in press) by Mr. Oliver H. Smith and Dr. John 
Van Oosten. The project resulted entirely from the interest and 
initiative of the late Lester Smith and of Oliver H. Smith, who 
jointly defrayed all expenses—an unparalleled undertaking among 
Great Lakes fishermen. 
Of the 2,902 Lake Michigan fish tagged and released, 48.8 percent 
were lake trout, 20.4 percent lake herring, 15.7 percent whitefish, 5.1 
percent rainbow trout, 4.2 percent yellow perch, 3.6 percent lake 
chubs, and 2.2 percent were other commercial species. A total of 
388 fish, or 13.4 percent of the total number tagged, was recaptured. 
The percentages of returns for the lake trout, whitefish, and sturgeon 
indicate a tremendous fishing intensity in Lake Michigan. Four of 
the five tagged sturgeon were recovered. It was estimated that more 
than 31 percent of the baby lake trout (12.8 in.) and more than 44 
percent of the young whitefish (11.8 in.) later entered the commercial 
nets. About 28 percent of the lake trout recovered were legal in size, 
and about 14 percent of the recaptured whitefish were of legal length. 
About 51 percent of the recovered fish were taken within 10 miles 
from Port Washington, the port of tagging, and 81 percent were 
taken within a radius of 25 miles from that port. Lake trout, rain- 
bow trout, and sturgeon were found to be extensive travelers; lake 
herring, whitefish, chubs, pilots, and perhaps perch, did not migrate 
so extensively. Lake trout, herring, and whitefish tended to move in 
a northerly direction, perch in a southerly, and rainbow trout in an 
easterly direction toward the Michigan shore. Sturgeon apparently 
roam all over the lake. 
