Sixth Annual Meeting. 123 



my estimation, just like putting into the same fold the wolf and 

 the lamb. Whitefish are most innocent in their nature, not fish 

 of prey, not predaceous in any way, and to put pickerel into the 

 same streams, with an immense mouth and teeth, and jaws 

 indicative of predaceous and rapacious habits, I think would be 

 doing a very great wrong ; therefore, if we were to satisfy the 

 wish and the greed of these fishermen, we would perhaps turn 

 out millions of this same kind of fish into the same waters 

 where we are breeding whitefish." I am pleased to state that 

 the Government did not acknowledge the petition that was sent 

 in ; that they took the advice of myself and did not do so. 

 Therefore, as the subject has been brought up by Mr. Mather 

 that we should not put in animals that are destructive of fish, 

 the same argument holds good that you should not put in fish 

 that are destructive of other fish. Gentlemen are too desirous 

 of introducing some new thing or some new kind of fish into 

 the waters. As another illustration, the St. John River was 

 formerly a magnificent river for salmon, but of late years has 

 become almost depleted of them, and it is said to have resulted 

 partly from the fact of American gentlemen having, a number 

 of years ago, put into one of the branches of it, pickerel. The 

 consequence is that the young of the salmon are destroyed by 

 this predacious fish. So I think it should be just as much a 

 study with you to prevent, if possible, the introduction of 

 voracious and predacious fish which are not as good fish for 

 food. I think the whims of individuals should not be carried 

 out that way. One man may think it is a nice thing to have 

 wolves, and he may want to breed wolves. I say the law should 

 protest against it. In Canada we do not allow a man to breed a 

 wolf. We contend that in order to carry out aqua-culture, as we 

 do agriculture, he should endeavor to preserve the better kinds 

 of fish. I only make these remarks to show in my humble way 



