Aiiicriciiii Fisheries t'<ocict}j. \-i\ 



purpose; but iu cither case the specimens selected sliould be of 

 good size, color and markings. 



I am convinced that the law of "Like begets like" applies in 

 the same manner and to the same extent in the propagation of 

 fish that it does in l)reeding domestic animals; and if it is desir- 

 able and profitable that only the fittest be selected in breeding in 

 the one case, it is just as desirable and just as necessar\^ tliat 

 such selection be made in the other. 



We should aim to improve the quality of the fish in our ponds 

 and through them the quality of the fish planted in the streams. 

 That there is room for improvement here is indicated by the fact 

 that many expert fishermen claim to be able to tell from the 

 appearance of the lirook trout they catch in our streams whether 

 the fish was ])lanted from a hatchery or came from tlie wild 

 stock in the stream. I do not believe this is possible as a rule, 

 but it is quite likely that the old trout fisherman can see a differ- 

 ence in the color and markings of the hatchery trout wliich lie 

 catches today as com})ared with the wild fish which be cauglit 

 twenty-five years ago. 



If we are right in claiming that the quantity of trout wbich 

 our streams produce is dependent on our hatcheries, then we 

 must also be held responsible in a large measure for the quality ; 

 and in this connection the fish culturist should always remend)er 

 that on the vigor of the parent stock depends, not only llic (pial- 

 ity of the offspring, but the quantity as well. 



DISCUSSION OF :\IR. SYKES' rAPEli. 



]\Ir. Titcomb: I heartily concur with the writer in all that 

 he has said about inbreeding and getting a good quality of fish 

 by introducing new stock, and I may perhaps say in that connec- 

 tion that the commerc-ial fish culturists almost all do that in the 

 East. On the ^Massachusetts coast where the commercial hatch- 

 eries are so plentiful, they very frequently call upon us for the 

 eggs of the wild trout and rear those to mix with their brood 

 stock, and thus obtain new blood. Some of the hatclu-ries intro- 

 duce new blood bv that method every year. I think that this idea 

 can lie carried out beyond tlic comnuTcial hatcheries ami beyond 

 our brood stocks at any of our state hatcheries. 1 t!iiid< 

 that the chanainu" aronnd of the stock of trout iu our natural 



