32 



this branch of science. The Annual report of the Commissioner of 

 Fisheries of the Dominion contains much information vahiable to the 

 statistician and to the mercantile community, but is scarcely adapted to 

 the wants of the naturalist, and it is not to be expected that such 

 reports should do more than furnish records of fisheries carried on for 

 commercial purposes in various districts. In this connection I may 

 state that the report of 1881 enumerates the catch of fish during the 

 year by divisions or districts, but only mentions those best known as 

 marketable. For instance in the Upper Ottawa and Gatineau division 

 it gives the yield of trout, whitefish, bass, pike, pickerel, maskinonge, 

 sturgeon and mixed fish and the number of eels. The value is not given, 

 but by putting the lowest estimate on the yield I find that it repi-esents 

 nearly .$25,000, and it will be safe to add to that at least $15,000 for 

 the catch of other waters of this district, making a total value of 

 $40,000. 



I much regret that my own personal observations in the Ottawa 

 district have been limited, but such as they are 1 give them. 



I am indebted to the President of this Club, Mr. Fletcher, for 

 reference to lists published by the Ottawa Natural History Society of 

 1859 — 1863, which are in his possession, and in which certain fishes are 

 mentioned as belonging to the Ottawa district, but presumably that 

 meant the Ottawa River generally. They do not comprise all the fish 

 I now mention, and they allude to three of which I am very dubious, 

 viz.: The ribbon fish, the splendid pike and the red-bellied minnow, 

 enumerating each of these as a different species. They also mention the 

 shad, to which, however, I shall allude in its proper place. The exis- 

 tence of these lists shows how interesting for reference in after years 

 may be a compilation, which at the time seems unnecessary, and I would 

 here remark how useful it would be if each naturalist were annually to 

 keep a record of all he sees, confining himself to the branch he most 

 delights in. This has been done as regards birds and the dates of their 

 arrival here in spring, and it could easily be extended to other branches 

 of natural history. All records are useful, sooner or later, if properly 

 kept, and many a little incident, trifling as it may seem at the time, 

 might prove of great value in determining some question tibat may arise 

 at a future period. 



