American Fisheries Society. 93 



Mr. Stranahan: In that case it takes all the way from four 

 or five days to two weeks to determine whether the eggs are 

 fertilized or not, so you may lose by the carelessness of the spawn- 

 taker, a million eggs, while in this way it is determined at once 

 and he is notified by telegraph. 



Mr. Bower: I used to be associated with Mr. Stranahan al 

 the Put-in-Bay hatchery when we didn't use the microscope. 1 

 am thoroughly convinced that from what he has learned from 

 the use of the microscope, he has got anywhere from 15 to 25 per 

 cent, increase in hatch. That show's that the microscope is of 

 great practical value. 



Mr. Clark: 1 was rather skeptical on the question of the use 

 of the microscope as applied practic^ly, until I visited Put-in- 

 Bay and witnessed its operation. I was instructed to proceed on 

 the same line; I visited Mr. Stranahan's station and Mr. Strana- 

 han showed me how his observations were conducted. I sup- 

 posed it was going to take him a long time to do it but it did not 

 take more than two minutes before he had figured out what the 

 percentage of loss was and in about five minutes he had the eggs 

 transferred to a photographic plate and in about twenty min- 

 utes he showed me the photograph. Any superintendent can 

 do it; it is a very practical thing, especially with whitefish and 

 lake trout eggs. I propose to take up this work, but I didn't 

 get it in time last season to do so. 



Mr. Gunckel then read a paper entitled "Fish Culturists," 

 which follows: 



THE FISH CULTURIST. 



Generally speaking, scientific men, men whose knowledge 

 upon any specific group of objects has been gained by systematic 

 observation, experience, and reasoning, become so absorbed and 

 lost in their work that the public seems to lose interest in them, 

 and they in the i)ublic; the latter only appreciating and enthusing 

 when the results have been obtained. The botanist will introduce 

 a new peculiar name, and look serious as he carefully analyzes 

 each sprig, leaf, flower, but the world only cares for what is of 

 personal interest, of pecuniary gain, or of pleasure, and sees only 

 its outward beauty, and praises its rich fragrance, and no one 

 cares whether it comes from the Ladrones or the bottom over- 

 flows of the Missouri. So in like manner it can be said of the 

 history of the science of physiology, of chemistry, astronomy, 

 modern electricity, which has harnessed the most potent force of 



