86 Tiucnty-sixth Annual Meeting 



utility of saving the spawn going to waste in such places needs 

 no further argument. The cost of wild trout eggs will vary as 

 a matter of course, and I have not found suitable or what I call 

 paying stations without trying several which were afterwards 

 abandoned. I have not written this article to encourage compe- 

 tition with the commercial trout culturist, but to encourage a 

 larger production of trout with the means available in State 

 commissions or private preserves. I am unable to say whether 

 the collections made in this way are less expensive than carrying 

 a stock of brood fish as in vogue at State hatcheries and institu- 

 tions of a similar character, but this method can be used to ad- 

 vantage as an auxiliary to such institutions. 



DISCUSSION. 



Mr. Bryant: I would like to ask you in respect to one topic 

 you touched upon there: What is your observation, if you have 

 any, as to the difference between planted fish where the spawn is 

 taken by your method from the wild fisli, and the other and older 

 form of spawning domesticated fish? Have your observations 

 extended so far as to know the nature of these fish when they 

 grow up? For instance, taking the fry from the fish fed arti- 

 ficially, they become deteriorated probably from confinement, 

 possibly from in-breeding. When you distribute the fry you take 

 from wild fish, do you find them in a lively condition when they 

 grow up to maturity in the wild state? Is there any difference 

 between those fish and those taken from domesticated fish? 



Mr. Titcomb: I am not prepared to say. Fry of wild fish, 

 as you are aware, are fed like other fry and they take food like 

 the fry from the domesticated fish. 



Mr. Bryant: In our ponds we had 55,800 trout on the first 

 day of April, and most of them were born in the ponds. I would 

 (ike to get some information as to the character of the offspring 

 of tliat class of fish when the)' grow to maturitv, having been 

 l)lanted in good natural water. Mr. Clark is prol)ablv able to 

 give some information on that point. 



Mr. Clark: Your question, as I understand, is: what the 

 difference is, if any, after they are planted. I do not know as 

 I understand your (|uestion. 



Mr. Bryant: After they are planted and grown. 



Mr. Clark: That is hard to tell. Unless some stream has 

 been stocked with fry taken from wild fish and another stream 



