224 Roosevelt JJ'ild Life Bulletin 



by subsisting upon those competitor;. " Pickerel " subsist largely 

 upon minnows and to some extent upon the young of other fishes. 

 Pickerel have become scarce in Lake George. ]\Iinnow5 should 

 have increased in proportion. The minnows eating whitefish food 

 depri\'e the whitefish in proportion to the increased amount eaten by 

 minnows : the resulting decrease in the number of whitefish deprives 

 the lake trout of food : and the lake trout deteriorate and become less 

 numerous. 



\A'hether probaijle or not. it is possible that the growing scarcity 

 of pickerel in Lake George has been an additional factor to that of 

 man in reducing and maintaining the reduction of the lake trout 

 stock. An increase of other fishes, particularly those which subsist to 

 any extent upon Entomostraca would have the same effect. Hence 

 before recommending certain measures for the reduction of pickerel 

 and rockbass. it would be well to first make sure of our grounds 

 for such recommendations. 



Dr. G. Brown Goode once said ' '94) : "' Scientific research 

 involves four processes: (1) observation; (2j the record of the 

 results of observation ; 1 3 j the classification and assimilation of 

 these results; (4) their interpretation, both for immediate use and 

 as a guide for subsequent inquiry." 



There have been many investigations of inland waters when 

 obserA-ations were made and the results recorded ; some in which the 

 results have been class-ified and perhaps assimilated; but there have 

 been but few. the results of which have been interpreted for im- 

 mediate use or subsequent guidance. 



In his recommendations concerning measures to improve the fish- 

 ing in Lake George. Dr. J. G. Xeedham ('22) makes two major 

 divisions: L ^Measures immediately applicable, and IL Pleasures 

 looking toward the future. Under the latter division he says : " Go 

 out after more knowledge. Nothing else will serxe as a basis of 

 rational procedure. In all doubtful and difficult fish cultural prac- 

 tices substitute carefully planned studies for random observ^ations 

 and exact knowledge for hearsa}". On everv' hand are problems of 

 fish production with the limiting factors unknown. The cure for 

 this condition is research." 



In conclusion concerning certain suggestions. Dr. Xeedham said 

 that he made them because it was perfectly clear to him that all 

 success in husbandr}- is based on intimate knowledge of the natural 

 histor}' of plants and animals and of their relations to each other. 

 " This knowledge." he said. " we must have for fishes before we 

 can have completely successful fi.sh culture." 



Consult the dictionan,- of a few years ago and you will not find 

 the word '" ecology," but modern dictionaries define it some^^■hat 

 as follows : " The branch of biolog}- which deals v.ith the 

 mutual relations between organisms and their complete environment." 

 The foregoing statements concerning the necessity for biological 

 and physical investigations of waters simply signify ecological 

 study. In recent years ecological studies have become quite the 



