300 



SCIENCE 



[N. S. Vol. XLVII. No. 1213 



the number of the food-fishes of the coasts 

 and the lakes of the United States has taken 

 place ; and, if so, to what causes the same 

 is due ; and also whether any and what pro- 

 tective, prohibitorjr or precautionary meas- 

 ures should be adopted in the premises. ' ' 



Since thai; year (1871) when Baird be- 

 gan those masterly and far-sighted inquir- 

 ies, zoology has been the constant forerun- 

 ner or associate of fishery progress ; and the 

 conservation of the resources of our lakes, 

 rivers and coastal waters became an estab- 

 lished policy and an accomplished fact 

 many years before the term conservation 

 came into general use as applied to any 

 other resources. 



At the outset of that pioneer movement, 

 it was recognized that the only rational 

 basis for the administration of the fisheries 

 was; a complete knowledge of aquatic crea- 

 tures to be acquired by intimate investiga- 

 tion. The early researches, which have 

 served as models for subsequent; work, were 

 expected to yield practical results but were 

 conducted without any sacrifice of the cher- 

 ished principles of science. In fact, Baird 

 had the courage, which some persons might 

 have regarded -as temerity, to insist in his 

 communications to Congress and the general 

 public that in the elucidation of the eco- 

 nomic problems which Congress had im- 

 posed it would be of doubtful value to study 

 only the major forms which supported 

 fisheries and that ' ' useful conclusions must 

 needs rest upon a broad foundation of in- 

 vestigations- purely scientific in character. ' ' 



Baird 's reputation and official position 

 and the attitude with which he approached 

 his tasks enabled him to draw to his aid a 

 large body of men trained in the methods of 

 zoological research ; and the great success of 

 his early investigations, as of the later work 

 that has been their continuation or out- 

 growth, was largely, in many instances en- 

 tirely, dependent on the services of zoolo- 



gists, most of whom were university men. 

 I need only mention the names of Birge, 

 Brooks, Bumpus, Dean, Evermann, Forbes, 

 Gilbert, Goode, Grave, F. H. Herrick, Jor- 

 dan, Kellogg, Lefevre, Linton, Mead, 

 Parker, Rathbun, Reighard, Ryder and 

 Ward to recall to you zoological work that 

 has made an impress on the public welfare 

 and entitles them, and others whose names 

 will occur to you, to the thanks of a republic 

 which has 'become more and more grateful 

 as the know'ledge of their work has spread. 



It was the work of Baird and his asso- 

 ciates in zoology that chiefly induced Hux- 

 ley to assert his belief that no nation at 

 that time had comprehended the question 

 of dealing with the fisheries in so thorough, 

 excellent and scientific spirit as the United 

 States. 



Brief reference may now be made to a 

 few special cases out of the many that 

 might be cited in which zoology has rend- 

 ered noteworthy service. Passing over the 

 high degree of perfection that has been at- 

 tained in various branches of governmental 

 and private fish culture, largely as a result 

 of embryological and physiological studies, 

 attention may be invited to the American 

 oyster, which because of its prominence as 

 our principal water product has deservedly 

 received consideration at the hands of some 

 of the leading zoologists. I need only re- 

 call the work of Brooks and Ryder who, 

 with others, brought their highly developed 

 scientific minds to bear on the practical 

 problems of the oyster industry and, 

 through their studies of the biology of the 

 oyster and from experimental work in 

 oyster rearing, rendered conspicuous and 

 enduring aid. 



With the oyster, as with other water 

 creatures, the teachings of zoology have 

 been at complete variance with the con- 

 firmed practises and deep-seated prejudices 

 of certain states. The welfare of their 



