170 American Fisheries Society 



minimizing in the slightest degree the splendid results 

 that have come from their activity, or the ability and 

 care that a multitude of superintendents and helpers 

 have devoted to make their operations successful; but 

 they have thus far contented themselves with the consid- 

 eration of a single phase in the activity of the fish. They 

 have depended on more or less general, and often imper- 

 fect statements concerning the natural conditions of re- 

 production, while they have been entirely ignorant of 

 the other factors in the environment of the fish. So far 

 as I know, the consideration of other factors in fish life 

 has been limited to somewhat fragmentary and periodic 

 studies by individual men connected with various fish 

 bureaus and stations, — to the work of a few state surveys 

 (notably the Illinois Natural History Survey, and the 

 Wisconsin Natural History Survey), and to the work of 

 the United States Bureau of Fisheries. The latter de- 

 serves prominent mention in this connection. Under the 

 direction of the present efficient Commissioner of Fisher- 

 ies, the scientific work of the Bureau has been carried on 

 with increasing success for a long period of years; and 

 the results are augmented by the efforts of numerous 

 regular and special scientific investigators. These form a 

 substantial foundation for our knowledge of fish life and 

 habits. Certainly every member of this Society hopes 

 that the work of the Bureau may be continued and ex- 

 tended along these lines already so well inaugurated ; and 

 that our national Congress may be favorable to granting 

 adequate sums for the prosecution of this work. Its 

 fundamental importance cannot be questioned; its bril- 

 liant successes cannot be doubted. 



But, with all this, the situation is as yet rather poor 

 when we compare conditions as they exist in the fisheries 

 field, with those in agriculture. In every state one or 

 more agricultural experiment stations are maintained for 

 the continuous and exclusive investigation of agricultural 

 problems. Experiments on plants and animals are inaug- 

 urated and followed out for long periods of time, giving 

 opportunity for the study of complete cycles of existence, 

 and for the determination of the factors which influence 



