48 Thirty-fifth Annual Meeting 
dition of either fish which would differ from the other after the 
head was removed. I presume you will understand what we 
desire and if we can get the information in such shape that we 
can instruct the deputies of this department, it will be a great 
assistance in enforcing the commercial fishing laws. It is quite 
an important question in the department at this time and I will 
be under great obligation-to you if you can obtain this informa- 
tion in such form that a person not possessing a mind educated 
in science may comprehend the difference.” 
With reference to this letter it may be noted that the term 
whitefish as used in the statute is interpreted by both the game 
and fish wardens and by the fishermen to mean the true white- 
fish (Coregonus clupeiformis), though I am not aware that the 
statute has ever been interpreted by the courts. In order then 
to secure conviction under the statute, it is necessary to show that 
the fish in question are true whitefish. If they are not true 
whitefish, it does not matter what they are. It is not necessary 
to show that they are either menominee, black fins, long jaws or 
herring. It is not necessary that the game and fish wardens 
should know how to distinguish between menominees, black 
fins, long jaws and herring. They need to know merely white- 
fish from that which is not whitefish. 
As the question raised by the State Game and Fish Warden 
is that of distinguishing between whitefish (Coregonus clupei- 
formis) and menominee (c. quadrilateralis) it may be assumed 
provisionally that the question of the separation of the true 
whitefish from the various other species of whitefish and herring 
present in the Great Lakes does not arise or presents no diffi- 
culties. 
I received from the State Game and Fish Warden thirty-five 
fish which had been cleaned by removal of the head and viscera 
and then split and salted. These were the fish in dispute. <Ac- 
companying them were specimens in the round of whitefish and 
menominees (Coregonus quadrilateralis). Most of these fish sent 
in the round reached me in such condition that I could not use 
them, but by utilizing the collection of the University of Michi- 
gan and the markets of Detroit, I had for examination in the 
round: six menominees from Lake Huron; twenty-two white- 
