American Fisheries Society 43 



feel about it, but I always enjoy Mr. Follett's lectures and 

 moving pictures. At Washington he gave an entirely dif- 

 ferent set of pictures, which made a distinct and decided hit. 

 If there are no further remarks we will adjourn to the 

 smaller audience room. 



Remember, gentlemen, that we have a lot of work before 

 us, and we must improve every possible moment. I want 

 to call attention to the fact that the gentleman who will 

 read the next paper is really the dean of the American Fish- 

 eries Society. He is the oldest living active member, oldest 

 in point of membership. He joined the Society in the year 

 1875 and we were born in 1870. This gentleman is, as 

 many of you know, perhaps the most eminent ichthyologist 

 in the United States today. He will address you on the 

 subject of "The Natural History of the Weakfish." 



Dr. Theodore Gill, Smithsonian Institution, Washington, 

 D. C, then addressed the Society on the subject announced, 

 and the address was discussed. 



President : Thirty years ago, when I was in the employ 

 of the United States Fish Commission, I was sent to North 

 Bass Island, Ohio, to make a collection of whitefish eggs. 

 As that was my first year in the business and as I was with- 

 out experience in that feature of the work, I naturally had 

 some misgivings as to its outcome. However, after landing 

 on the island and talking a few minutes with three men, 

 two of whom later sailed my boat, while the other acted as 

 spawntaker, I was completely reassured, because I saw at 

 once that I was dealing with men of brains and resources. 

 This was amply demonstrated by the fact that within a 

 few years these men who had been working as common 

 fishermen, were superintendents of stations in the United 

 States Fish Commission. I am pleased to state that one of 

 those men who thirty years ago was a fisherman, and who 

 has since become one of the best practical fish culturists in 

 the United States, is with us today in the person of Mr. S. 

 W. Downing, Superintendent United States Fisheries Sta- 

 tion, Put-in Bay, Ohio, who has given us a paper entitled 



