91 



ultimate commercial value, a large proportion of the 

 current stock has contributed absolutely nothing towards 

 keeping up the supply. Reproduction is still further 

 minimized through the removal of large numbers of 

 adults on their way to the spawning grounds. The 

 location of every white fish spawning shoal of any con- 

 sequence throughout the lakes is well understood, and 

 the migration of schools of parent fish towards these 

 well known focal points, and their concentration thereon, 

 affords a favorable opportunity for capture by the whole- 

 sale, and the interception of this annual pilgrimage to- 

 wards a common Mecca for a common purpose consti- 

 tutes by far the most profitable season of plunder for 

 the Bedouins of economic warfare, Substantially the 

 same condition of affairs exists throughout the Ameri- 

 can waters of the lakes. There are other abuses that 

 tend towards a speedy extermination, but sufficient is 

 shown to develop the important fact that for years 

 natural reproduction has been restricted to the narrow- 

 est limits and is gradually approaching the vanishing 

 point. We are therefore forced to the conclusion that 

 much oi the yield of white fish for the past few years 

 and much of what remains is due to artificial propaga- 

 tion. 



But notwithstandino- all this, notwithstandino- that the 

 evidences of substantial and profitable returns clearly 

 warrant a continuance of the work, we must acknow- 

 ledge that vast numbers of the planted fish are still un- 

 accounted for. The discrepancy between the number 

 of fish planted and the number caught is too great for 

 belief that the possibilities have been realized or even 

 approached. We find that during the past lo or 12 

 years, upwards of twenty-five white fish have been de- 

 posited for every one caught ; that less than five per 

 cent, of the fish turned out equals the whole number 

 taken ; so that if ten per cent, of the planted fish had 



