XXXII REPORT OF COMMISSIONER OF FISH AND FISHERIES. 



Spring Harbor," ia wbicli an account was given of the work carried on 

 there in 1883 by the United States and New York State Fish Commis- 

 sions. This was followed by a paper entitled " Salt as an Agent for the 

 Desiruction of the Fish Fungus," by Prof. H. J. Eice, in which salt was 

 preferred tx) asphalt, tar, or salicylic acid for the purpose indicated, 

 having been used most successfully. Mr. Livingston Stone read a paper 

 on "The Artificial Propagation of Salmon in the Columbia Eiver Basin," 

 in which the author urged very strongly the redoubled energies of fish- 

 culturists in the propagation of salmon in that river. Dr. Tarleton H. 

 Bean submitted a paper on "The Whitefishes of North America," in 

 which it was stated that there were twelve recognizable species of this 

 fish in ISTorth America. This was followed by "Notes on Landlocked 

 Salmon," by Mr. Charles G. Atkins. This name included all those 

 salmon of Eastern North America and Europe that passed their entire 

 lives in'fresh water. It was his opinion that these fish preferred deep 

 water and a temperature of less than 70° Fahr. 



Mr. E. G. Blackford read a paper entitled " Is Legislation Necessary 

 for the Protection of the Ocean Fisberies?" Mr. Bhickford was of the 

 opinion that restrictive legislation would result in cutting off a large 

 amount of cheap food from the people. He hoped, however, that Con- 

 gress would take some action providing for the regular collection of 

 fishery statistics. This was followed by a paper uxwn "The Florida 

 Sponge Fishery," by Mr. Joseph Willcox. A valuable contribution en- 

 titled "Notes pertaining to Fish-Cnlture" was submitted by Mr. James 

 Annin, jr.. who, however, was unable to be present at the meeting. In 

 his paper was recorded a very interesting experiment (made by himself 

 with eggs from a healthy brook trout, impregnated by several fine males 

 of the same species), the result of which was that of 350 eggs which 

 had been placed for less than a minute in the spawning pan, only G 

 were impregnated; of 350 eggs which remained for three minutes, 

 31 were impregnated; while of 350 eggs which were allowed to remain 

 in the spawning pan for thirty minutes, 208 were impregnated. Mr. 

 John Murdoch read a paper on "Fish and Fishing at Point Barrow, 

 Alaska." Three species of whitefish, Goregonns laurettce, Coregonus 

 ]{ennicottl, and Coregonus nelsonU; burbot. Lota maculosa ; polar cod, 

 Boreogadus saida ; a species of salmon, Oncorliynclius gorhuscha; the 

 Pacific red-spotted trout, ^alrclinus malm a ; and the smelt, Osmerns 

 dentex, were enumerated as objects of the fisheries. The fishery was for 

 the most part carried on by women and children by means of "jigs" let 

 down through holes made in the ice. 



A paper was then read by Dr. James A. Henshall, on the "Compara- 

 tive Excellence of Food-Fishes." In this paper the flavor only was con- 

 sidered, and not the nutritive qualities of the fish. For his purpose, he 

 divided fish into four groups, fresh-water, anadromous, estuary, and 

 marine, placing the following species at the head of each group, re- 

 spectively, whitefish, salmon, pompano , and Spanish mackerel. 



