American Fisheries Society. 11 



While we are waiting for that committee I want to say one 

 thing further which should have been in my verbal report of 

 the proceedings of last year. At the meeting of the Association 

 last year the following resolution was adopted: 



"Resolved, That the President appoint a committee of one 

 member from each of the seaboard States, to whom the subject 

 of Mr. Huntington's paper shall be referred with power." 



Mr. Huntington's paper related to the protection of fish in 

 the ocean along the seaboard States, and a resolution by Mr. 

 Dickerson was offered in connection with it providing for the 

 appointment of a like committee from the lake States. I subse- 

 quently wrote Mr. Huntington for suggestions as to who the 

 committee should be from the seaboard. He gave me the names 

 of several gentlemen who were not members of the Society. 

 While I had no particular objection to appointing these men, 

 and have no (loul)t they would have acted cheerfully, at the same 

 time i did not know wiiat authority this Society had to nominate 

 men to act upon a committee when they are not members of the 

 Society, and 1 therefore declined to make those appointments. I 

 think no injury has been worked, but it seems to me that the 

 Society could not with any proper sense of dignity, nominate men 

 on committees to act for it over whom they had no power even 

 of membership, and after thinking tlie matter over I came to 

 the conclusion it was a matter that had not been considered in 

 that light at the time the resolution was offered, and I therefore 

 made no appointments. That is the explanation of my non- 

 action in that matter. 



We are a little embarrassed by the Secretary's report not being 

 here. I had supposed he had made up a list of papers to be 

 read at this meeting, but if he has, it has not come to hand, and 

 I think it is best now for the Secretary to take down a list of the 

 papers and of the writers who are ready to read papers at this 

 meeting and I hope that those who have papers will announce 

 the subject and then we shall have it on the program for to- 

 morrow. Prof. Birge, I believe you have a paper? 



Prof. Birge : I had expected to use about five or ten minutes 

 on the subject of the "Vertical Distribution of Plants and Ani- 

 mals in the Inland Lakes." 



Dr. Parker: The following names have been examined bv 

 your committee. We find them satisfactory and tiie committee 

 is unanimous in recommending their election. 



