8 



New Members. 



In the course of the year, I took occasion to write to most of the 

 practical fish cultiirists of this country, whose acquaintance I had 

 made by correspondence, or otherwise, to the number of about 2U0, 

 extending to them an invitation to join the association. 



These letters met with various replies ; some few were not answered 

 at all, but they were, on the whole, well received, and the replies in 

 most cases cor-tained expressions of interest in the prosperity of the 

 association. 



CORKESPONDENCE. 



During the year, I have received various letters addressed to me 

 as secretary, to two of which I wish to call your attention. 



One was a letter from a gentleman whose name I have lost, who 

 made the excellent suggestion, as I thought, that the association 

 undertake the experiment of taking and hatching, in the usual artificial 

 way, the eggs of the blind fish of Mammoth Cave, to see what efiect it 

 would have, if any, upon the sight of this curious fish. 



I immediately wrote to parties in that vicinity, and in reply, 

 received a communication from Dr. W. M. Allen, near Louisville, 

 Ky., saying that these fish spawn about the first of April, that tliey 

 are 'perfectly white, have no eyes, do not exceed seven inches in 

 length, and that it is doubtful whether they would live in the light ; 

 also that Col. Proitor, the lessee of the cave, would probably assist in 

 the efforts to obtain the ova of this fish. 



I think very highly of this experiment as one of unusual scientific 

 interest, and would recommend to the Society, when a convenient 

 opportunity presents itself, to take measures to solve this very interest- 

 ing problem, of hatching and rearing the blind fish of Mammoth Cave 

 in the light. 



Another letter of interest, which I received, was from a gentleman 

 in St. Louis, in relation to the different names which are given to the 

 same fish in different localities. 



This gentleman stated in his letter that in the course of a rather 

 extended fishing experience, in the southern, western and north-west- 

 ern States, he had noticed the following confusion of narjies, viz. : 



The black bass is called, in the southern States, a trout. 



The rock bass of the east is called a goggle-eye in the west. 



The silver perch of the south is called in Missouri a croppie, and 

 in Kentucky by still another name. 



The pickerel of the north is called a jack in the south. Many 

 similar instances might be given. 



