American Fisheries Society. 141 
ought to know the enemy when he sees him so that he can give 
this warning.. Now in New York state, as Dr. Bean can very 
well advise you, we have this same trouble about the demand for 
fish for waters for which they are not suited, but Dr. Bean can 
also tell you that we do not give these fish any longer. 
‘here was a time when, acting on the conduct, I might say, 
(not the advice, because I do not think it was asked) of the 
United States Bureau of Fisheries, carp and brown trout were 
ladled out very handsomely; but that time is past. 
Mr. Titcomb: I want to answer that. ( Laughter.) 
The brown trout has not done very much damage in this 
country. We have made the experiment and have discontinued 
its propagation, except at one station where we are conducting 
some control experiments on just one wild stream in South 
Dakota. 
So far as the carp is concerned it was first distributed by pri- 
vate enterprise, and later by the United States Fish Commission. 
While we acknowledge that it was not economical to give those 
fish to everybody who wanted them for waters in the north, the 
clear waters of New York and New England for instance, yet 
today if it were not for false notions prevailing regarding carp, 
we would be propagating and distributing them in large numbers. 
The people in the west where they have tanks and mud _ ponds 
and small reservoirs, which catch the surface water, beg for carp, 
and we know the carp will do better in some of those waters than 
any other species. A recent article written by Leon J. Cole on 
the carp of the Great Lakes, is well worth your reading, to show 
what carp is there, and its value; and if you look at statistics 
you will see that the carp is a very important fish, in the com- 
mercial fisheries of this country, especially in [hnois. 
Mr. Clark: Has anybody yet, scientist or lay brother, ever 
given proof that the carp caused any harm? Show it to me if you 
can. 
President: Inasmuch as that brings up a discussion that we 
have been engaged in for fifteen years, I will rule out the ans- 
wer. (Laughter.) 
Dr. Bean: De mortuis nil nisi bonum! The carp is dead, 
