FOURTH INTERNATIONAL FISHERY CONGRESS. 63 
sympathy and support of the general public. And we find in Canada this, gen- 
tlemen, and I shall only take one moment to tell you so, that the greatest diffi- 
culty in the world exists in protecting the rights to the salmon river owners, 
because when we attempt to carry out the laws of the country as to the placing 
and lifting of nets and so on in the mouths of the rivers, we feel that after all 
the public is against those actions by the state, on account of the streams being 
owned by private individuals. And I take it that on a broad principle, as far 
as game fishes go, it is undoubtedly best for the whole body politic, for the fish 
culturist, and for everybody concerned to keep the waters absolutely open to 
the public. 
The PRESIDENT. This has been a congress of young men. There is one young 
man here who is twice the age of some of us in years, but who has been identified 
with the subject of practical fish culture in America from its inception. He has 
been a friend of every ichthyologist and every ichthyologist in America has 
to-day a feeling of intense devotion for him. The chair therefore feels that the 
concluding session of this congress should properly be turned over to Dr. 
Theodore N. Gill. [Great applause.] 
Dr. THEopOoRE N. Giiy (Washington, D. C., assuming the chair). Mr. 
President and gentlemen, in order to insure conciseness and to avoid digres- 
siveness, I have put my thoughts in writing, and without further preface I 
will read a paper I have prepared embodying ‘‘A Plea for Observation of the 
habits of fishes and Against Undue Generalization.”’ 
[This paper, with discussion by Prof. E. E. Prince, Dr. Tarleton H. Bean, 
Dr. Hugh M. Smith, and the author, will be found on pages 1059-1069.] 
The Actinc CHarrMAN. If there is no further discussion, the report of the 
committee on resolutions is now in order. Professor Prince is the chairman of 
that committee. Will Professor Prince give us the report? 
Professor PRINCE. It is unnecessary to say anything about the work of this 
committee. I shall just read the resolutions; that is all that is necessary. The 
first resolution we had before us and which we now present to the congress is one 
which would express the views of the congress upon three important matters, 
and I shall just read word for word the resolutions, as we present them. I 
presume it is not necessary to have separate action on each resolution. 
The AcTING CHAIRMAN. The chair presumes that it is not necessary to act 
upon each of these resolutions separately. If there is no objection we shall 
consider them all together and act upon them at the end. 
Professor PRINCE. I shall proceed to read them all, Mr. Chairman. 
[The resolutions were here read. See page 67.] 
The Actinc CHAIRMAN. You have heard the resolutions with respect to the 
different matters. Have you anything to say? Have you any motion to make 
or any further remarks? The resolutions as you have heard, gentlemen, are 
before you now for ratification. All in favor of these various resolutions will 
