33 



fish is unwise; and we suggest that, in some of the lakes which, on 

 examination, appear to be suitable, enclosures of small area might 

 be made by means of stakes and wire netting, anjd a comparatively 

 small number of fish, ,say, ten to twenty- live adult black bass, placed 

 therein for experimental purposes. In most cases, local parties inter- Bass experiments 

 ested in the matter would bo able to watch the progress of the fish, 

 and report as to their condition, such parties being members of 

 sporting clubs, or if the fishery officer living near be available IDC 

 could carry on this supervision and report 011 the success or failure 

 of the experiment. To place black bass, as has hitherto been done, 

 in lakes about which no full or sufficient information has been ob- 

 tained, is, we are convinced, a mistake and a waste of fish. * The 

 suitability or nonsuitability of the water in selected lakes could be 

 ascertained before extensive stocking is carried out. The quality 

 of the water, the suitability of the food, the temperature, chemical 

 conditions, &c., would all be included in such an experiment, and if 

 these conditions were not favourable the department would have 

 accurate information concerning them. We also think, in this 

 connection, that some enclosures might be made where whitefish 

 could be placed, especially the fry, or young, of whitefish, so that 

 their growth could be observed. The commission has had one great 

 difficulty facing it, namely, the diversity of opinion as to the size 

 or age at which whitefish reach a mature or spawning condition. 

 Various opinions have been expressed by experts, and perhaps the 

 most feasible method of putting the matter to a test would be to 

 plant whitefish fry in a small lake, say a square mile in area, and 

 have the lake watched anld the growth of the fish reported upon 

 from time to time. If such a lake be selected and there are many 

 lakes available within easy reach of the railway tracks the experi- 

 ment would be much more likely to be normal than when the fry 

 are placed in an artificial pond or enclosure where the conditions 

 would be altogether unnatural. 



NEED FOR BIOLOGICAL INVESTIGATIONS IN MANITOBA. 



The commission have been continually impressed with the 

 absence of accurate information both as to the habits, growth, the 

 food and other points in the life history of the valuable fishes which 

 have aboun'ded in the waters of Manitoba. The determination of the 

 movements of the fish, of the feeding grounds and spawning resorts 

 of the whitefish, pickerel, sturgeon, gold-eye and other commercial 

 species, could be readily accomplished, if a biological station were 

 founded on Lake Winnipeg or at some suitable place. The views 

 of experienced fishermen are most .contradictory on such important 

 matters as the size at which whitefish first contain spawn, or reach 

 the mature breeding' stage. The food of the whitefish seems to be 

 a matter still in doubt in the minds of most of the practical men, 

 and as an example it may be stated that a bottle of acquatic organ-- 

 isms was sent to the chairman of the commission as probable food 

 of whitefish, which was wholly different from the food of that fish 

 as studied in the eastern lakes. The question of the grey-back pick- 

 erel is another matter which came before the commission, and wit- 

 nesses claimed that it was a diminutive fish and never reached any 

 size, while others hold the opinion that it may be the young- of a 

 larger kind of pike-perch. The food and spawning of the sturgeon 



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