8 FISH-CULTURAL ASSOCIATION. | 
May 5th. Salmon.—Female from the Penobscot; small gammarus 
and some gelatinous material in stomach. Ovaries small—just begin- 
ning to develop. 
May 5th. Black Bass (3).—Males; stomachs empty, spermaries 
getting soft. 
May 11th to June 2nd. Sea-bass.—11 males, 8 females; stomachs 
generally with small fish; one with crab. Ovaries and spermaries of 
most were soft. On May 21st one male ripe and flowing; on June 22nd 
two ovaries nearly ripe. 
May 12th. Bluefish, North Carolina (20)—Apparently all males; 
stomachs literally crammed with fish—small bluefish, weakfish, but- 
terfish, kingfish, menhaden, Lafayettes and gurnards. 
May 26th. Bluefish (13)—AIll males; spermaries small; stomachs 
full of half digested fish remains. 
@ May 21st to June 2nd. Sheepshead.—6 males, 6 females; stomachs 
all empty, but in intestines of one remains of crabs. Spermaries and 
ovaries mostly somewhat soft, and one, on May 2nd, appearing spent. 
May 21st to June 2nd. Weakfish (6).—5 males, one female. Three 
males quite ripe; female and other males nearly so. Stomachs with 
fish and shrimp. 
May 22nd. Sturgeon, Gravesend Bay.—Female, 200 pounds; ova 
nearly ripe. . 
June 2nd. Moonfish—Female; stomach empty, ovaries apparently 
just spawned. Very respectfully, 
Hy (Jo aRTes, 
Mr. BLackrorp.—I will state that the time covered by the in- 
vestigations was so short that we are not prepared to draw con- 
clusions as to the general food of the fishes examined, but they 
will be continued, and next year Prof. Rice will also observe 
the times of spawning of the fishes. Fulton Market is probably 
the best place in the country to pursue these studies, as there 
are specimens from all parts of the coast found there. 
Mr. Pace.—This question of the food of our fishes is a most 
important one, and one in which there has been much interest 
taken lately on account of the discussions which have been 
going on in the Forest and Stream and other papers concerning the 
menhaden fisheries. It has been claimed that the capture of the 
menhaden for oil is depriving the striped bass and other valu- 
able fishes of their natural food. The menhaden fishers have 
