120 Twenty-sixth Annual Meeting 



milt is diluted, would show to us that the impregnation would be 

 quite low, and therefore I cannot see, with the whitefish especially, 

 how the impregnation of the egg would be very high, from that 

 fact. Of course bass make their nests and spawn right in 

 that locality. With whitefish, I do not know but some- 

 one is prepared to say just how they spawn, but I am not; but it 

 is probable they spawn something after the manner of the shad, 

 and the shad do not make nests. I have seen shad in the act of 

 spawning, and they spawn and throw the spawn in open water. 



Mr. Nevin: Mr. Post does not believe that the impregnation 

 takes place when they throw them overboard off the boat. I can 

 name two grounds — one is at Wliitefish Bay, Lake Michigan — 

 used to be fished by Mr. J. P. Clark, of this city. It is practically 

 fished out now. We went on there to plant fish, and the third 

 year there was as high as four thousand pounds taken at a single 

 net. Another point is up at the mouth of the Sturgeon River, 

 and that has failed in within the last twenty years. We have 

 planted overboard there, and it has accomplished great results. 



Mr. Whitaker: Let me ask you a question? Where was 

 this? 



Mr. Nevin: On Lake Michigan, at Sturgeon Bay. 



Mr. Whitaker: Were there any plants of fry made in tiiat 

 vicinity? 



Mr. Nevin: Not a fry ever planted there. 



Mr. Whitaker: Your commission never planted any on that 

 coast? 



Mr. Nevin : No, sir, we never planted any there. 



Ml. Bower: I was going to say, that I think on both sides of 

 this question you are going a little to the extreme. I believe where 

 the egg and the milt come in contact, fertilization ensues almost 

 instantaneously, or in a very brief period at least. If the egg and 

 the milt are brought into contact while the spawning process is 

 going on, the eggs nnist necessarily be fertilized, but when we 

 consider the way in which the lish spawn, naturally, it would 

 seem that a gcxxl many eggs are not thus brought into con- 

 tact with the milt, particularly in a current. The brook trout 

 make a bed and they spawn in the current, where 

 much of tlie milt is diffused and wasted. But admit- 

 ting everything that Mr. Nevin says to be true, why not 

 go one step further and save where the great loss occurs? We 



