9 
and streams, has led to an over-fishing in some of our older 
States, and in our most accessible waters, and a consequent 
searcity of fish. This fish is worthy of the best attention 
of Commissioners, and should receive attention at our 
hands. 
In overcoming the difficulties I have spoken of, and the 
resulting low percentage of success which has attended 
such few experimental efforts as have been made, we can 
with profit call in the co-operation of the scientist to aid 
our practical force of fishculturists, who will tell why 
they meet with only partial success in present methods in 
the manipulation of the fish and the treatment of the ova. 
He will be able to point out, with the aid of the microscope 
and a higher education and sharpened intelligence, the 
causes which result in low impregnation, and the ary in 
which present methods may be improved. 
Much has been done in the past few years in attempts 
to successfully introduce into our waters foreign species of 
fish, and while these efforts should not be too harshly crit- 
icised, it may be said that outside of one or two varieties 
thus introduced, this work has been unsuccessful. The ex- 
periments have been of but little practical value when we 
count results. It must appeal to the average judgment 
after all, it would seem, that if an equal amount of effort, 
time and means had been devoted to the increase of the 
‘native fish which we have that are deserving of care and 
attention and multiplication, the money, time and effort 
would have been more practically spent. These indigen- 
oush fish are natural to our waters, are of excellent char- 
acter; it is no experiment to determine whether they will 
live and thrive. They do not require to be adapted to 
strange conditions and new surroundings. Is it not better 
practical fishculture to increase the good varieties that we 
have, than to go too far into the field of experimentation ? 
It would seem that the office and function of a Fish Com- 
mission is best fulfilled when it gives its attention to the 
