70 Fortieth Annual Meeting 



esting matters came up for discussion, many pertaining to the future 

 of fish culture and the widespread influence for its success the asso- 

 ciation must have throughout the country and world. I wish that many 

 of the old members were alive and present to see and hear how their 

 hopes for the future of fish culture had been confirmed. Robert B. 

 Roosevelt, George Shepard Page, Seth Green, Eugene G. Blackford, 

 Fred Mather, Spencer F. Baird, G. Brown Goode, James Benkard, W. 

 M. Hudson, Marshall McDonald, and a host of other eminent men were 

 always present and took an active part in the discussions. 



Many of the early annual meetings were held the last days of March 

 just before the trout season opened, when Mr. Blackford invited the 

 members of the association and the public to inspect his display of live 

 and dead trout from every available part of the country. No expense 

 was spared to make it a success. It was always a splendid display, and 

 anticipated by all with pleasure. 



On the occasion of one meeting, a dead whale had been towed in and 

 anchored near the Fishmongers' Market by some thrifty financier who 

 enclosed it with a fence with steps in place from the pier, permitting 

 those that paid the admission fee to walk on the whale's back. Several 

 members paid the price, but most of us thought after getting inside the 

 fence and seeing the condition of the big monster that it was safer to 

 look at and smell from above. 



I am sorry that I cannot have the pleasure of being with you at this, 

 the fortieth annual meeting. 



Trusting that you have a pleasant and profitable gathering, I remain, 



Sincerely yours, 



James Annin. 



President : I have a letter from Dr. Smith, who is un- 

 avoidably absent from this meeting, which I am sure we all 

 regret. Dr. Smith took a very active interest in trying to 

 work up material for this meeting until he was unexpectedly 

 called to the conference at The Hague. The letter reads: 



North Atlantic Coast Fisheries Arbitration at The Hague. 

 Agency of the United States 



Sept. 12, 1910. 

 Mk. Seymour Bower, President American Fisheries Society, 

 New York City. 

 My Dear Sir : — It is a matter of great regret that I am unable to be 

 at the anniversary meeting of the Society, to which I had been looking 

 with pleasant anticipation. 



1 have prepared a little historical account of the great international 

 fishery dispute between America and England that has just been settled 

 Ijy arbitration, and I hope you will find a place for this article in the 

 printed record even if it is not read at the meeting. The case is note- 



