196 Thirty-fourth Annual Meeting. 
All these features have been written about and talked about 
till they should be matters of general knowledge. Of one fea- 
ture, however, of greatest interest to us as fish-culturists and 
fishermen, little is known, for little notice has been taken of the 
trout which now abound in its splendid lakes and streams. 
But there is, perhaps, a reason for this ignorance in the fact 
that only a few years ago all its waters, except those of the Yel- 
lowstone basin, were entirely destitute of fish life of any value. 
The absence of trout from these streams and lakes has been 
accounted for on the assumption that all animal life was de- 
stroyed by the flow of volcanic matter which formed the 
plateau, while fish have been unable to ascend the streams from 
below on account of the great natural obstructions which they 
contain. But if these theories are accepted it becomes necessary 
to explain their presence in the Yellowstone, whose mighty cata- 
ract exceeds by far the falls of any other stream. 
Scientists, some years ago, advanced the theory, which other 
writers have followed, that black-spotted trout, with which the 
entire Yellowstone system abounds, came here from the Pacific 
slope through Two Ocean Creek, a remarkable stream which, 
sub-dividing, sends part of its waters to the Atlantic and part to 
the Pacific. No account seems to be taken of the fact established 
by the geological survey, that Yellowstone Lake once stood 150 
feet above its present level and then vented its waters to the 
Pacific through Outlet Creek and Hart River. As there were 
then no obstructions between the Yellowstone and the natural 
trout waters below, why may trout not have come here while 
this system of waters was still a part of the Pacific coast drain- 
age? 
However this may be, the fact remains that the Yellowstone 
had trout in great abundance when the region was first discov- 
ered, while they were entirely absent from all its other waters. 
The idea of creating from these barren lakes and streams a 
Great Natural Fishing Resort seems to have originated in 1889 
with Capt. A. F. Boutelle, the then acting superintendent. 
No stronger commentary on the success and value of fish- 
cultural work exists than that found in several pithy paragraphs 
from various reports of Capt. Boutelle and some of his s*~ces- 
sors. In his first report for 1889, Capt. Boutelle calls atrention 
