LXVI ROYAL SOCIETY OF CANADA 



<3uring the coming season until the middle of August, when we should 

 have a fairly complete record for the year, apart from those fishes 

 appearing in late fall and early spring. It should be observed, with 

 reference to the collection of fishes, that the region round about offers 

 great variety in the way of environment; as extremes we have swamp 

 and inclosed lake formations with abundant vegetation, and the rocky 

 formations of the reefs, also the moving water of the river passing 

 into the open water of the bay. These ensure the greatest variety of 

 life and the best opportunities of studying the fishes in relation to 

 tlieir environment. 



Much of the fish-collecting last summer was done by means of 

 hand-seines and in this way specimens of the young of the food-fishes 

 were taken. Samples of the latter were kept for the special purpose 

 of observing their rate of growth and the examination of their stomach 

 contents. These will be made subjects of special study for the coming 

 season. One of the most important problems which we shall soon have 

 to consider with seriousness is the restocldng of depleted waters in an 

 intelligent manner, and it will be of importance to know the food and 

 feeding habits of the young fish used for restocking, at different stages 

 of their growth, and also their reaction to new conditions of feeding. 

 JSIotable instances of the futility of transplanting young fishes haphazard 

 have already been described. Prof. Needham remarks of two experi- 

 mental ponds in the Adirondacks which were stocked with trout, that 

 one which had been supplied for years had remained as barren as ever. 



Last season samples of the stomachs of the large fishes were 

 obtained for a somewhat similar study, it being our object first to 

 determine what fishes prey upon the adults or young of others and, 

 secondly, to ascertain the feeding habits of the fishes used as food. 

 Cultivation of animals serving as food for edible fishes and destruction 

 of their enemies may be found to be quite as advantageous, if not more 

 so than the artificial rearing of the latter. Last season was much 

 too advanced to make any observations on the spawning habits of the 

 food and game-fishes, but it is hoped that observation will be made 

 ■during the latter part of the spring spawning period this year. It 

 will be advisable to investigate in this connection the nature of the 

 gpa'WTiing beds, the size of the smallest spawners, protection of spawn, 

 enemies, and fungus growths. The stomachs of all of the fish kinds 

 and water animals, such as frogs and Lake lizards, the latter already 

 known to devour whitefish eggs, must be taken during this period. 

 The presence of a considerable variety of valuable fishes which include 

 the whitefish, lake trout, lake herrings, small and large-mouthed black 

 bass, pike, pickerel and maskinonge is sufficient to warrant the atten- 

 dance of a special investigator during the whole of the spring and 



