78 Tliirty-Sccund Annual Meeting 



salmon-fry fed chopped meat until July 4 and maggots there- 

 after until October attained an average of 51 grains. In 1888 

 the average of some thousands of maggot-fed fish was 46 grains, 

 against 35 grains for a like number fed on chopped meat. In 

 1891 the disparity was still greater, 53 grains to 35 grains, as 

 an average of over 40,000 fish on each side. 



Whether live food of this character will produce fish of better 

 quality than dead food is a question that should await investiga- 

 tion; I do not mean simply better quality for human consump- 

 tion, but better for the purposes of nature, making a healthier 

 fish — one more likely to survive in the struggle for existence, and 

 transmit desirable qualities to its offspring. From what has been 

 observed of the influence of various foods I think the presump- 

 tion fairly lies in favor of the superiority in this respect of this 

 class of fish food. 



I regret that I can cite no investigation of the availability for 

 our purpose of the larvae of other than flesh-flies. There are, 

 for instance, the house and stable flies, whose extreme abund- 

 ance suggests the possibility of breeding and using their young. 

 There are also species that breed in decaying seaweed, and re- 

 search in other vegetable matter would doubtless reveal many 

 other larvae, of which some might be available. A vegetarian 

 feeder would surely be welcomed, as bringing relief from the 

 disagreeable odors connected with flesh-eating larvae; but I do 

 not consider it improbable that means will yet be found to sup- 

 press those odors in good degree while retaining the flesh feeders. 



Like many other branches of the fishcultural art, this one oE 

 live food has received no thorough study, and presents a great 

 field for future investigation ; and as one offering the possibility 

 of discoveries of the very first importance I commend it to all of 

 you who have facilities for experimental work. 



^ ^ ^ H: * ^ 



Before reading his paper Mr. Atkins said: I took this sub- 

 ject by request, not that I felt myself in position to handle it as 

 well as I would like to have it handled. My experience has not 

 been sufficiently recent and up-to-date to expect that. I have 

 tried to present in this pa])er the result of my own observations 

 to some extent, and to glean a little from some other authorities, 

 and hope that the paper may prove of some interest to you. 



