American Fisheries Society. 95 
spawn eater in existence. That is a logical conclusion, and 
discrimination is unfair. 
Mr. Meehan: Perhaps the reason why legislation has not 
been taken against these other fishes the gentleman has men- 
tioned, is, that God put them here in the beginning, while the 
German carp is an introduced fish, and nature in arranging this 
matter did not contemplate the unwarranted interference of 
man, and when the German carp was placed in these waters the 
balance was broken. I know very well that we have other fishes 
that are spawn eaters. We know that the eel is destructive, the 
lamprey will even enter the shad to get at the spawn; nature 
provided for that. Speaking of the shad alone, if it were not 
for the upsetting of the balance established by nature, we know 
very well that the rivers would be filled with shad everywhere. 
In regard to the Dolly Varden trout, we do not have it in 
Pennsylvania unless it has been put in by the national govern- 
ment, and we will not propagate it, and will propagate no intro- 
duced fish that we believe to be very destructive. 
I have nothing in particular against the German carp: I do 
not want to eat it—I would sooner eat monkey veal; (Laughter ) 
but I do want to say that while it is a fish that undoubtedly holds 
a place in the market, while it has a large sale, and while we sell 
it in Pennsylvania markets to an amount running up to nearly 
$100,000 a year in Philadelphia and Pittsburg, yet there is con- 
siderable evidence to show that it has destroyed fish that would 
be worth more money to us. Black bass is worth more to us in 
Pennsylvania in dollars and cents than the German carp ever 
could be, and so far as its use for game and food purposes is 
concerned, the black bass is far superior to the fish that we 
have put under the ban of the law. 
The German carp not only eats spawn but is destroying in 
many sections of the country, plants that. form hiding places 
for other fishes. Other counts can also be brought against the 
carp. I have heard it said that there has been no specific evi- 
dence brought against the German carp. Now I have seen plenty 
of specific evidence; I can bring volumes of it from my office, 
on the destructiveness of that fish. I have seen what the fish 
have done at various times. I have nothing particular against 
