AiiicricdH Fi^licriPs Socich/. 105 



Mv. Clark : 1 can say in answer that for a term of vears tlie 

 United States Fisli C'onimission liave not ])lante(i anv wliitofish 

 in Lake Michigan below Frankfort, and our reason for it is that 

 we do not believe tlio whitefish spawn below that point. We do 

 not know for certain, l)ut ai-e waiting for the Scientific Bureau 

 to make investigation. The only way we have of knowing where 

 whitefish spawn is by looking the fish over that are caught by 

 the fishermen at siu'h points, and I do not think there liave ever 

 been any eggs taken from south of a point near Frankfort across 

 the lake. Years ago we used to send men to St. Joseph. ]\[ichi- 

 gan City, and I think one year I had some men over on the otlier 

 side near Waukegan; but we never were able to get any ripe fisli 

 there, and that is the only way we know as to whether or not tliev 

 are spawning at that point. I think that after we have our 

 scientists do some dredging and working on that line, they will 

 be able to tell us. I believe I have stated that we do not know 

 where the s^jawning grounds are. x\s long as we liave taken 

 eggs off Alpena, ever since 1880, we get ripe fish at certain 

 points, but I am here to say that I do not know that that is the 

 spawning ground, because there have never been any eggs taken 

 up from the bottom. 



Dr. Birge: That would indicate a very considerable distance 

 of migration. Whitefish are caught all through the southern 

 end of Lake Michigan and the schools must have migrated 80 or 

 100 miles there, if the fish did not spawn south of Frankfort. 



Mr. Clark: I would not call 80 miles a great migration. 



Dr. Birge : 1 would not tliink so eitlier. 



^fr. Clark : When we have this l)iological station some of 

 these questions will l)e settled, and I do not expect to see this 

 problem decided until a thorough investigation on that line is 

 made and this is wliat tlie practical fish culturists on our gi-eat 

 lakes are waiting for — something along tliat line — and our 

 scientists must start it. 



Prof. Reighard: I may. p:'rha])s. throw a little liu'lit on the 

 question of the existence of local races of whitelish : T>ast sum- 

 mer the United States Fish Commission sent a man to Lake Va-\o 

 to study the local races of whitefish, and he worked at several 

 places on Lake Frie, l)y the statistical method, making verv 

 accurate measurements and determinations of color of whitefish 



