American Fisheries Society. 97 
waters of the natural enemies of the spawning fish classed as 
game fish, and the ones we care most about to catch. (Applause. ) 
Mr. Stranahan: I have seen a half pound black bass whip 
and drive off a 10 pound carp. I do not believe the carp is 
destructive to the black bass; and in either event he has come to 
stay. Pennsylvania cannot cut much figure in his extermina- 
tion, no matter how much she spends. 
Mr. Meehan: I have also seen a black bass drive away a 
German carp and while he was busily engaged in that occupation 
another carp destroyed the nest that the bass had been guarding. 
Mr. Leary: I have seen sun perch drive a tremendous carp 
from its nest. ‘The idea of a carp taking eggs from a black bass 
nest is almost incredible. The carp will take an abandoned 
nest and will undoubtedly eat a great many eggs; but I have 12 
big carp in ponds where I am propagating crappie and we never 
get any crap from this pond showing that the crappie destroy 
the carp, not the carp the crappie. Suppose you take all these 
spawn eaters away, what are your bass going to eat? I! will 
answer the question—they will eat one another. 
Mr. Atkins: I would like to ask whether Mr. Meehan re- 
gards the extermination of the carp as practicable. 
Mr. Meehan: No sir, I do not think it can be done. Jike 
certain races of people it is impossible to get rid of them. They 
are with us to stay. 
Mt. Atkins: If it is impossible to exterminate them, I 
should judge the next best thing would be to eat them. (Ap- 
lause and laughter. ) 
Mr. Titcomb: I did not intend to say anything on this 
carp question. It has been threshed over at every meeting and 
still it comes up. I was only going to say that it seems to 
resolve itself into a sectional question; it is a sectional issue. 
For instance, with our present knowledge of the carp we would 
not ship them to the waters of Maine, or the waters of Pennsyl- 
vania, but there are a great many states in the union where the 
carp today is a very valuable food fish and where the people enjoy 
