74 FISH CULTURAL ASSOCIATION. 
brought to their office the other day a sea bass, probably the only 
one ever caught in the lake orriver. [twas caught in Chaumont 
Bay and weighed six pounds. They are a very fine fish, and it is 
thought by some that this is a forerunner and that there will be 
others caught.” 
We immediately wrote the firm named, inclosing drawings of 
two fishes which might be meant by the term “sea bass,” and re- 
ceived the following reply : 
SACKET’S HARBOR, N. Y., March 24th. 
“Your favor of the 21st inst. at hand with inclosure of slip from the 
Watertown 7Zvzmes, also drawings. The fish taken here was the lower 
one in drawing—Aoccus lineatus—or striped bass of New York. 
It is the first one ever seen by us taken from these waters, and we 
have an idea that it found its way up here by following the alewife, 
The specimen was very handsome, and there is no doubtas to its iden- 
tity, The great question here is, ‘“ What will be the ultimate result of 
the appearance here of the alewife?” Have they caused the extermi- 
nation of the native ciscoe? Will the alewife remain with us, or are 
they to disappear as mysteriously as they came, or will some of the 
food fishes of the salt water become Aadbztues of our lake? 
These are questions we hardly dare venture an opinion on, as we 
really can see no good that is to be enduring by the appearance of the 
alewife in our waters. 
We should be glad to read your opinion on these questions, and 
would de pleased if the Department at Washington would appoint a 
commission to investigate. The subject needs to be dealt with in a 
masterly manner. CLARK & ROBBINS.” 
The Ogdensburg /ourna/ has an article on the alewife as fol- 
lows, for we think we are correct in assuming that they refer to 
this fish when they speak of menhaden, which do not go into 
fresh waters in this latitude. It says: 
“Considerable interest will hang upon the question, ‘ What 
effect did the singular mortality noticed last year have upon the 
alewives or menhaden of the St. Lawrence?’ The total absence 
from the fish market of the old-fashioned ciscoes of Lake Onta- 
rio, reminds us that this species of fish have been supplanted by 
the newcomers as certainly as the aborigines have disappeared 
before the whites on the land. If it shall turn out that the men- 
