Aincriani /•ishcrirs Socicly 07 



fisli. rnintcnlional as well as willful xiolations of the fish 

 laws of the states niiijht he j^reatly lessened ])x means of 

 eicarer definitions of the names and terms employed in those 

 laws. A small illustrated pamphlet or hook eontaining de- 

 scriptions of a popular character and figures of the important 

 food and game fishes would ])ro\e extremely \"aluahle in edu- 

 cating the people and explaining the law. Thorough investi- 

 gation of the animal and ])lant life of the waters of nearly 

 all the states is greatly needed as a hasis for i)ractical work. 

 We have devoted too little time, and conser|uently have too 

 scant information al)out the results of fish distrihution. \\'e 

 ha\e not gone very full}- into a systematic inxestigation of 

 the hal)its and the growth even of our common fish: and 

 especially are w-e helpless in relation to the diseases of varied 

 origin which often sweep away in a few months the entire 

 result of years of patient labor. 



In order to illustrate more etfectively the condition of 

 affairs to which I refer. I have collated from the catalogues 

 of publications issued by the U. S. h^ish Conmiission and 

 l>ureau of h'isheries a list of titles of papers relating particu- 

 larly to fish diseases. I have added to this list some refer- 

 ences to papers which have appeared in publications by states 

 and by priA-ate indi\iduals ; but I regret to sav that the entire 

 showing is pitifulK' incomplete and meagre. It is true that 

 m\- time has pre\ented me from going fully into the biljli- 

 ography of papers discussing the diseases of fish, but 1 ha\e 

 gone far enough, I think, to demonstrate the point taken, 

 which is, that we are de\oting to(^ little attention to the sub- 

 jects upon which the \ery life of om" work depends. It is 

 certainly (lesiral)le that we consider this matter seriousl}- and 

 endeavor to correct the condition of affairs as speedily and 

 as completely as possible. 



.\n examination of the bibliography of publications which 

 forms a part of this conlribution will pro\e that \'ery little at- 

 tention has been given by either the federal or the state gov- 

 ernments to the study of fish diseases, and the investigation 

 of the habits and growth of fish. You will not find in any 



