94 Twenty-se7'CiitJi Animal Meeting 



nature for man's use; and of the other sciences of equal import- 

 ance, requiring deep thought, experience, and seclusion. But to 

 no science can nature claim a closer alliance than the science of 

 fishes. Its branches leading us nearer to nature and thus closer 

 to humanity. It directly appeals to all the finer senses, and the 

 pursuit of its o])jects leads us into many pleasant places, among 

 the most beautiful realms of God's earthly kingdom. 



As the population of the world increases, the demands upon 

 the land and water resources naturally increase. The bufTalo, the 

 deer, the wild pigeon, dozens of other American game, are almost 

 numbered with our animal curiosities, and no one has ever sug- 

 gested a way to replenish the forests. Once gone, forever gone. 

 But when our streams are robbed of food life, our commercial 

 fishes driven from our shores with certain species now almost 

 extinct, the fish culturist finds no trouble in restocking, and in 

 many instances better than before. The grayling, that most 

 beautiful of all inland fishes, almost extinct, in the fish hatchery 

 department of the Tra'ns-Mississippi Exposition you will see 

 young fry by the thousands perfectly at home and but recently 

 brought into this world by our careful fisli culturist. soon to be 

 planted in their native Michigan streams. 



Since the first meeting of this society on December 20th, 

 1870, to the call for the present session, men have earnestly de- 

 voted time, study and money in devising ways and means, not 

 only to ]/rotect the fishes of common waters, to replenish the 

 depletcfl inland streams, through natural and artificial processes, 

 but to introduce new species. The salmon rivers of the Pacific 

 slope, the shad rivers of the East, and the whitefish fisheries of the 

 lakes are now so thoroughly under the control of the fish culturist 

 that it but remains for the Government of the United States, and 

 each State individually, to give them the same unlimited authority 

 as are given to other sciences of less importance. 



Fish culture has been practiced from very early ages. It ap- 

 pears to have been in use in ancient Egypt, and was followed in 

 China, but it was confined to the propagation and rearing of 

 young fish in artificial ponds, with the view of introducing fish 

 not previously found in the locality, or of increasing the supply 

 of desirable good fishes. We find in the Smithsonian Report, 

 1880, page 149, the following: "The first honor prize, the gift 

 of the Emperor of Germany, was awarded to Professor Baird, as 

 a personal tribute to one who is regarded in Europe as the first 

 fish cidturist in the world." As a result, to-dav, salmon and trout 



