CONFERENCES WITH STATE COMMMISSIONERS. 763 



Dr. Slack spoke of the European carp as a very inferior kind of fisli, 

 and only palatable by tlie aid of French sauce. He thought the Sebago 

 salmon the coming fish of America, and one that should have most 

 attention devoted to it. 



Mr. Stone referred to the British char as a fish to be recommended. 



Professor Baird asked the opinion of gentlemen as to the sterlet. 



Mr. Page had eaten the sterlet in Saint Peters burg, and considered 

 it a delicious fish. He thought it the most valuable fish that could be 

 imported from Europe. It is a hardy fish, and could be brought as 

 young fry in a tank. They could probably be obtained from Berlin. 



Mr. Stone called attention to the pike-perch as a fish also worthy of 

 consideration. 



Professor Baird spoke of the white fish as one of the most important 

 species in Lakes Michigan and Erie, but diminishing rapidly from many 

 causes. It lives in the depths of the lakes, and formerly ran into many of 

 the rivers in October and November to spawn, then returning. But the 

 river-ways have been obstructed so much that they cannot go up 

 excepting in the Saint Olair, Saint Mary's, the Nepeegon, the IMichi- 

 picoten, and one or two other rivers, and therefore they shoot their 

 spawn anywhere, and that has much to do with the decrease of 

 the fish. The question has been agitated of establishing hatching- 

 houses on the lakes, and producing them there in very large numbers, 

 and then discharging them into the lakes, and let them furnish the 

 stock for future growth. It is now too late to preserve their spawming- 

 beds ; but millions of them can be hatched out in different localities, and 

 set adrift, which will keep up the supply. He was not sure but the best 

 policy was to continue breeding them in that way year after year, in as 

 large numbers as possible. If the waters are thus supplied with young 

 fish, the ordinary means of capture will not destroy them. That is the 

 true way in which the General Government can act to the best advan- 

 tage by furnishing the eggs in large quantities and turning them loose 

 into the waters ; a moderate outlay will undoubtedly supply a great 

 amount of food to the nation. 



The subject of hybrids of the Salmonidce was then briefly discussed. 



Dr. Slack had seen a hybrid between a white-fish and salmon-trout. 

 It was a bad thing to teach trout to eat young fish ; for after a short 

 time they do not discriminate species. 



Mr. Brackett said the Sebago salmon do not eat fish. He did not 

 know what they fed upon ; but he had taught them to eat curdled milk. 



Mr. Stone thought they would learn very readily to eat each other. 



Dr. Slack said that in feeding trout he would give a great deal of 

 food at a time, as otherwise the smaller fish would not get their share. 



The meeting then adjourned. 



B— MEETING IN NEW YORK, OOTOBBK 19, 1872. 



Professor Baird said he had invited those present to attend this 

 meeting, in order that he might communicate something as to what he 



