14 Fortieth Annual Meeting 



two-thirds vote to change the dotting of an i or the crossing 

 of a ^, was carried by ten affirmative votes. 



However, in this case I do not beheve that history will 

 repeat itself because it seems inevitable, as time goes on, 

 that the actual value, and more especially the potential value, 

 of our fisheries will come more and more to be appreciated 

 and recognized; and this naturally will add to the growth 

 and influence of the pioneer national organization devoted 

 to these interests. 



Fortunately for me, and I think, for the rest of you, the 

 long list of papers and addresses necessitates brevity on my 

 part, and I will therefore take but a few minutes in 

 presenting some very general thoughts on a timely subject. 



The President then read an address on "Fishery Con- 

 servation," which appears elsewhere in this report. 



President: It seems peculiarly fitting that the fortieth 

 anniversary meeting of this Society should be held in this 

 great city, its birthplace, and especially appropriate that we 

 should convene in this building which was the first great per- 

 manent institution in America for the exhibition of live fish. 



It is equally fitting and appropriate that we should be 

 welcomed to this city by one of its distinguished citizens, a 

 man of wide experience in practical and scientific fish culture, 

 one who has made the study of fishery problems his life 

 work. I esteem it a privilege to be permitted to introduce 

 to you the director of this aquarium and the acting director 

 of the American Museum of Natural History, Dr. Charles 

 H. Townsend, of New York City. 



Dr. Charles H. Townsend: Members of the American 

 Fisheries Society, I am glad to have the privilege of wel- 

 coming you to New York for the fortieth annual meeting 

 of this Society. The period which is included between the 

 founding of this Society and the present time includes prac- 

 tically the first attempt at fish culture and the final successful 

 establishment of such work in this country. The achieve- 

 ments of American fish culture are inseparably connected 

 with the experiments and the successes of members of this 



