188 Thirty-Third Annual Meeting 
thrown away. They were gradually put on the market at twenty- 
five cents apiece, and the demand was limited. In 1880 the 
going price was $1.25. ‘Today in Detroit river a female sturgeon 
in the month of June sells quickly, at first hands, for $15.00. 
So you see there is a marked change in sentiment in the use of 
that particular kind of fish. 
I remember when the lawyer or eel pout were absolutely un- 
saleable, but today I think every one that is caught finds a market 
at some price. 
A few years ago buyers were buying up sheephead and they 
went on the market as shredded codfish. 
A number of years ago I was associated with Mr. Stranahan, 
and I have often heard him state that he believed that there was 
no living animal that was not suitable for food. Perhaps some 
of them were not particularly toothsome or palatable, but still 
they were nutritious and wholesome. We have an animal in the 
Great Lakes called the menobranchus, mud puppy, or “water liz- 
ard,” which is very respulsive in appearance, Mr. Stranahan took 
the ground that they were excellent food, and predicted that in 
time they would be regarded as a delicacy, like frogs and turtles, 
which by the way, not very many years ago were not themselves 
eaten. One day we caught one and Mr. Stranahan dressed it, 
put it on a shovel, placed it in the furnace, under the boiler, 
cooked it and brought it out, and said he wanted a witness that 
he had eaten a mud puppy. He invited me to participate in the 
feast. Well, it did look really inviting, it smelled delicious and 
the flesh was white. He used salt and pepper and butter, sat 
down and ate it and said it was good—I can testify to that—and 
I have no doubt that he is right in his prediction that in a few 
years they will be considered a delicacy and bring as good a price 
as frogs and turtles do today. 
Dr. Bean: There is another fish in the Great Lakes which 
fifteen years ago was scarcely thought of at all, and that is the 
lake herring, now one of the most important fish of the Great 
Lakes. The price has advanced from about two or three cents 
upwards. 
President: Half a cent. 
