Aiiicrlcan Fisli cries Society. 29 



The President : The sixth order of husiness is reading of 

 ])apers and discussion of same, and to this is appended a note as 

 follows : "In the reading of papers preference shall he given to 

 nienihers present and in the order of notices received hy the sec- 

 retary. ■■ The suggestion is that the note he stricken out. 



]\Ir. Gunckel : If you will allow me, of course it is generally 

 kno-wn that if I can slip in a paper occassionally it doesn't 

 amount to anything — ^I admit that — hut being in the position 

 that I am and not of a scientific nature, except what I can glean 

 from these meetings, I would say that this suggestion does not 

 come originally from me, but from a great many members pres- 

 ent who read papers nearly every time. You have twice, I think, 

 carried motions, to the effect that gentlemen who are present 

 shall have the preference of reading their 2)apers over those who 

 are absent; and this is the first time since I have attended any 

 of the meetings Avhere yon have divided papers off into groups. 

 That, of course, would iiaturally change the preference that I 

 have inserted there, but certainly a man who has come -iOO or 

 .■)()0 miles and whose time is limited ought to have the preference 

 in reading his paper over one w.ho is not present, but who has 

 sent his paper in, thus perhaps delaying the paper of a man who 

 is present until too late to read or discuss it. It is unfair. That 

 is the argument, and I strongly think that that note of prefer- 

 ence there should l^e given to the writers of papers who are pres- 

 ent. You can divide the papers up into groups or in any way 

 you wish, but the men who are present certainly should have the 

 preference. 



Then again, if I get w\) at 5 o'clock in the mornings and 

 study for a whole month and prepare a scientific article and I 

 come here to read it and want to discuss the subject, I am cer- 

 tainly entitled to the presence of a majoritv of the members. 

 Some of you mem1)ers have spent a lifetime in propagating fish 

 and learning the secrets of their movements and everything, and 

 it is not fair to a man who comes a great distance to l)e put back 

 to the last in favor of some one who has sent in his paper late. 

 Dr. Birge: I think you misunderstand my point and that of 

 -Mr. Titcomb. The tiling 1 objected to was in regard to the 

 ])apers being read in the order of notices received by the secre- 

 tary. I am ready to agree that the members present should have 



