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Mr. SKINNER, Secretary of the St. Lawrence Angling Association, read the 
following selections from the “American Fish and Game Warden,” in reference to. 
the relation of the American Fishery Society to protective fish laws: 
“| firmly believe that to-day there is less known about the spawning seasons. 
of our game fishes by fishermen generally than about the playing of the crack 
base ball teams. 
“T speak feelingly and from experience on the subject. As angling editor 
of Shooting and Fishing, I often write privately to correspondents, who ask 
about the spawning season of our best known fishes rather than expose their 
ignorance in print. 
“ The saving of a game and food fish from extinction is certainly a ‘ question 
of an economic nature, and I believe the Black Bass is slowly being whipped from 
the waters of this country because of inadequate laws, or no laws. This is partly 
through cupidity, partly through ignorance. But black bass require something 
more than a mere close season to cover the act of spawning, for they watch over 
their young after they are hatched, the only fish protected by law that do, for 
I am not aware that the sunfish and bullhead are protected. If black bass are 
taken a week after the ova is hatched, every black bass fry will be eaten by 
other fishes always in wait to do this very thing. As a fact, I have seen a bass 
with young just hatched on the 25th day of August; but this was probably an 
isolated case, I have known a bass to remain with its young for six weeks, and 
this is probably not an unusual thing.” 
Sccretary STEWART: There are several motions which we passed at the 
meeting at Rochester which will now, I presume, be presented for discussion 
or adoption by this meeting. I will move the adoption of the following: 
“ Resolved, That provisions ought to be introduced into the laws of all the 
States and Provinces represented in this Conference, forbidding the taking and 
having in possession of salmon trout and whitefish of the weight of less than two 
pounds each, and bass of the weight of less than one pound, and blue pike of less 
weight than three-quarters of a pound.” ‘ 
Dr. SmitH: I would ask if blue pike should be protected to the exclusion of 
better pike, such as the wall-eyed pike. I think that resolution should apply to 
all fishes of the pike tamily. 
Secretary STEWART :—The addition of the blue pike was made at the sugges- 
tion of Gen. Sherman, but we can amend this if some one will make a motion to 
that effect. 
Dr. MacCaLLuM: Should any of these be protected ? Are they not the hawks 
of the fish tribe ? They are very destructive to smaller fish. 
Secretary STEWART: ] may say that, as the mover of that resolution, the 
principal reason which led me to move it was that, in common with many other 
fishermen, and more or less observing men, I have come to the conclusion that a 
great deal of good can be effected by restricting the taking of fish in regard to 
size or weight. We have had it come under our observation during the fishing 
season that innumerable fish are slaughtered of a very small and insignificant 
size—too small to be of any use as supplies to the market, and which, if left 
alone, would propagate and be prolific, and be of use in their own day. The idea 
is that fishermen should be restricted in their fishing by putting some limitation 
on the size and weight of the fish to be caught. Then Gen. Sherman thought 
that the blue pike should be added to these in the list. 
Mr. WHITAKER: It is true that the blue pike of commerce are unques- 
tionably carnivorous, and if that was the sole reason why our attention 
