158 American Fisheries Society 



methods of restriction were soon found to be inadequate 

 to preserve the rapidly diminishing supply of fish, much 

 less to restore that supply to its former abundance. 



Efforts were next made to reinforce nature by hatch- 

 ing and planting young fish, and these methods were 

 later coupled with the study of food, habits, and other 

 conditions of existence that surround the life of the fish. 

 A long campaign has beeu waged along these lines by 

 series of efficient men in the United States Bureau of 

 Fisheries and in the various state boards. It has yielded 

 good results, and yet these results affect only a part of 

 the great problem. The rest is left untouched. To ap- 

 preciate the full scope of the question that is outlined in 

 the title of this paper one must compare conditions which 

 exist and movements which have been inaugurated in 

 other parts of the field of nature and life. 



One of the striking movements of recent years is the 

 formation of wild parks or reserves. Areas have been 

 set aside for the preservation of the native vegetation ; 

 state, county and city have laid out park and floral re- 

 serve until these areas can be found scattered from the 

 Atlantic to the Pacific coasts in every state and almost 

 in every county of the United States. Game reserves 

 on wild land have been created for the preservation of 

 the native mammals; other places have been set aside 

 that wild birds might carry on their breeding without in- 

 terference from the hunters. 



All these movements have affected merely, or primar- 

 ily at least, the higher forms of life, the birds and mam- 

 mals. There is no doubt that the splendid series of bird 

 reserves which has been created by the national Govern- 

 ment is an effective aid in the multiplication of species 

 almost extinct, and both Government experts and other 

 workers in scientific fields now confidently proclaim that 

 before many years these species will have re-established 

 themselves in the fauna of the continent. 



