50 AMERICAN FISHERIES SOCIETY 



plentiful again, and I know of no cause for it except the plant- 

 ing of the young in large numbers from the hatcheries." 



From all the places named above, as well as other points on 

 the lake, much more evidence of the same kind might be offered ; 

 but it would be merely a repetition of w^hat has already been 

 given. Accurate data showing the total whitefish catch of the 

 lake for a term of years, or even for one season, would be al- 

 most impossible to obtain, from the fact tliat many fishermen 

 classify their entire catch simply as "hard fish," "soft fish," 

 etc., whitefish, of course, being included in the former. Tlie 

 statements, however, cover sufficient grounds to form a reliable 

 basis for conclusions. They show that while there was no per- 

 ceptible increase the past season in the whitefish runs at the ex- 

 treme west end of the lake, there was a decided increase on the 

 coast and island reefs further down, and a very marked increase 

 in numbers still further down on the feeding grounds, in deeper 

 water, where gill-nets are operated. On the whole, sufficient 

 is shown to prove beyond a doubt that the aggregate catch was 

 greater than for several years, that whitefish are decidedly on 

 the increase in Lake Erie, and that the increase is simply the 

 legitimate result of the work of the hatcheries. The removal 

 from the lake every year of thousands and hundreds of thou- 

 sands of adult fish, whether taken directly from the breeding 

 grounds or not (the results are the same), must certainly ere this 

 have caused a very material decrease in the stock but for the 

 compensation of young from the hatcheries. 



Northville, Mich. 



HOW TO RESTORE OUR TROUT STREAMS. 



BY J. S. VAN CLEEF. 



In 1 87 7 and the two following years, the supervisors of one 

 of the counties of the State of New York lying east of the 

 Hudson River, made appropriations for restocking the waters 

 of the county with fish, and a committee of which the ivriter 

 was the chairman was intrusted with the work. 



