America II rislicrics Society. 31 



human assistance enable nature to accomplish that which would 

 otherwise require centuries. Il it is ever practicable to take the 

 eggs from the wild fish, impregnate, hatch, and plant them back, 

 open seasons will tlien be as necessary for the removal of the 

 nsh as closed seasons are now supposed to be for their preserva- 

 tion. Indeed, it. might even then be possible to remove all re- 

 strictions as to the sale of fish. Then, that which is now the 

 sport of the few would become the occupation of many, and the 

 fish that is now a delicacy would ix' found in any market and 

 on every table. 



lUit even if the artificial hatchiui;- of the eggs of wild fish is 

 not yet practical)le, it is proliable that the closed season is not 

 iMily not beneficial but in some cases detrimental even under 

 present circumstances. W ith some classes of fish, it is better, 

 far better, to leave the season entirely cjpen, restrict the taking 

 of fish at all times to those that are mature, and during the 

 spawning months rei|uire the deliverance of all ripe fish to the 

 hands of Ciovernment and State employes for the preservatiiMi 

 of their spawn and the return of the same either as eggs or fry, 

 back to the stream or lake from which they came. This would 

 remove the fish now in the wa\ of growing stocl<, preserx'e the 

 food necessar\- lo the voung fry. and prevent the destruction ,)f 

 large quantities of eggs now consumed by the matured fish. 



rUit whichever of these jdans may l)e ado])ted in the near 

 future it is evident that the results of substituting artificial for 

 natural methods is a ])aying investment, and that we have not 

 onlv passed beyond the fear that nature's resources may be e.\- 

 haunted, but we now know that we can multiply them at will 

 and to any extent that humanity may need, provided the means 

 are at hand to obtain the spawn from the fish. 



With reference now more particularly to the An Sable, I have 

 no hesitancy in giving it as my opinion that for an egg-collect- 

 ing station it is far ahead of any other stream that has come to 

 mv notice. Tlie I'nitcd .States Commission or the .Michigan 

 Commission should undertake the problem of establishing one 

 of the largest egg-collecting stations in th€ United States on this 

 river. Ponds and long raceways should be constructed for hold- 

 ing large numbers of parent fish ; these may be held from year 

 to year, and no serious obstacle would arise to prevent so doing, 

 in addition to taking wild fish from year to year. 



One of the great drawbacks to most fish-cultm-al establish- 

 ments has been a limited quantity of water, the station nearl\- 

 always outgrowing the water supply. This woidd never be the 



