297 



tionately. Now within a few days he had received infor- 

 mation from two sources that this fish were coming back 

 to the Gulf of Maine in very large numbers ; and the fact 

 that they were coming back where they could get food 

 suitable to yield this large amount of oil would be of great 

 importance to the American fishermen, and would no doubt 

 increase the value of their take to something like a million 

 dollars annually. 



Professor HuBRECHT, in seconding the vote of thanks, 

 said the question of the food of fishes was of the greatest 

 importance, and at the same time the investigations re- 

 quired were difficult and complicated. It would be 

 gathered from the Paper that it was not so much from 

 kindly attention towards the fish that their appetites were 

 so much considered, but more in order to increase if pos- 

 sible the number, or at least to keep up as far as possible 

 the stock of those useful to man ; so that, after all, this 

 inquiry into their food was of rather a selfish character. 

 This was not a very flattering reflection, but still, on the 

 other hand, they might be consoled by remembering that 

 they had also heard from Dr. Day that fishes not only 

 ate their fellows, but also their relatives and even offspring, 

 and therefore it might be considered that when a few fish 

 were caught for the use of man, it would save a great 

 number of others from destruction. 



Dr. SPENCER COBBOLD thought it would be a pity that 

 the audience should disperse without some further remarks 

 on this extremely valuable Paper. It had so many bear- 

 ings, not only those which had been so well spoken of 

 by Professor Goode, but also others which would not be so 

 apparent to a general audience. It would not escape 

 notice that in this Paper it had been stated that small 



