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Mr. Skinner, Secretaiy of the St. Lawrence Angling Association, read the 

 following selections from the "American Fish and Game Warden," in reference ta 

 the relation of the American Fishery Society to protective fish laws: 



" I firmly believe that to-day thei'e is Jess known about the spawning seasons- 

 of our game lishes by fisbermen generally than about the playing of the crack 

 base ball teams. 



" I speak feelingly and from experience on the subject. As angling editor 

 of Shooting and Fishing, I often write privately to correspondents, who ask 

 about the spawning season of our best known fishes rather than expose their 

 ignorance in print. 



" The saving of a game and food fish from extinction is certainly a ' question 

 of an economic nature,' and I believe the Black Bass is slowly being whipped from 

 the waters of this country because of inadequate laws, or no laws. This is partly 

 through cupidity, partly through ignorance. But black bass require something- 

 more than a mere close season to cover the act of spawning, for they watch over 

 their young after they are hatched, the only fish protected by law that do, for 

 I am not aware that the sunfish and bullhead are protected. If black bass are 

 taken a week after the ova is hatched, every black bass fry will be eaten by 

 other fishes always in wait to do this very thing. As a fact, I have seen a bass 

 with young just hatched on the 25th day of August; but this was probably an, 

 isolated case, I have known a bass to remain with its young for six weeks, and 

 this is probably not an unusual thing." 



Secretary Stewart : There are several motions which we passed at the 

 meeting at Rochester which will now, I presume, be presented for discussion 

 or adoption by this meeting. I will move the adoption of the following : 



•' Resolved, That provisions ought to be introduced into the laws of all the 

 States and Provinces represented in this Conference, forbidding the taking and 

 having in possession of salmon trout and whitefish of the weight of less than two. 

 pounds each, and bass of the weight of less than one pound, and blue pike of less 

 weight than three-quarters of a pound." 



Dr. Smith : I would ask if blue pike should be protected to the exclusion of 

 better pike, such as the wall-eyed pike. I think that resolution should apply to 

 all fi.shes of the pike family. 



Secretary Stewart : — The addition of the blue pike was made at the sugges- 

 tion of Gen. Sherman, but we can amend this if some one will make a motion to 

 that effect. 



Dr. MacCallum : Should any of these be protected ? Are they not the hawks 

 of the fish tribe ? They are very destructive to smaller fish. 



Secretary Stewart .- 1 may say that, as the mover of that resolution, the 

 principal reason which led me to move it was that, in common with many other 

 fishermen, and more or less observing men, I have come to the conclusion that a 

 great deal of good can be effected by restricting the taking of fish in regard to 

 size or weight. We have had it come under our observation during the fishing 

 season that innumerable fish are slaughtered of a very small and insignificant 

 size — too small to be of any use as supplies to the market, and which, if left 

 alone, would propagate and be prolific, and be of use in their own day. The idea 

 is that fishermen should be restricted in their fishing by putting some limitation 

 on the size and weight of the fish to be caught. Then Gen. Sherman thought 

 that the blue pike should be added to these in the list. 



Mr. Whitaker : It is true that the blue pike of commerce are unques- 

 tionably carnivorous, and if that was the sole reason why our attention 



