334 Roosevelt Wild Life Bulletin 



and interstate conferences concerning regulation of boundary waters, 

 but none concerning the possibility of establishing a foundation for 

 intelligent regulation through biological and ecological investiga- 

 tions. Now and then the Federal government of the United States 

 and the Dominion government of Canada have made independent 

 sporadic observations, of one kind or another, and it may be said 

 to Canada's credit, that she has been more persistent and consistent 

 in that direction than has the United States government. 

 Occasionalh', too, a state, either in connection with the Federal 

 government or alone, has made a beginning in the desired direction, 

 but while the investigations pertaining to certain problems never have 

 been concluded, they never have been even approximately completed. 



As concerns the State of New York, the foregoing brief review 

 of the " sur\-eys " and " investigations " of its streams and lakes. 

 reveals that they have been few in number, of limited geographical 

 extent, and likewise limited in results immediately applicable to 

 policies or procedures of fish conser\-ation. The reason is that 

 although special subjects, in one or another body of water have 

 been quite thoroughly studied, others have received little or no atten- 

 tion, or else studies of one kind have been made in one body of 

 water and those of another kind have been made in another, but in 

 most instances the correlation of the results has not been possible. 

 In fact no biological sur\-ey of any body of water that has been 

 made in the State can be said to be complete in itself. Each may 

 afford data that in a general way may be correlated with those of 

 another, but few, if any, positive conclusions of definite practical 

 application to any one body of water can be drawn from discon- 

 nected and temporary studies. Therefore, a definite, permanent and 

 sustained policy of investigation is the price requisite for success. 



It would be a serious oversight to conclude this discussion of the 

 fish cultural investigations in this State -without pointing out the 

 remarkable situation with regard to the Hudson River. Here is our 

 largest river, discovered over 300 years ago, and a stream without 

 question of considerable capacity for producing inland fish in its 

 upper portion. Aside from the intensive studies of the pollution of 

 its lower section, what is known of the detailed biological condi- 

 tions and of the fishery problems of this stream? In spite of the 

 numerous educational and scientific institutions scattered along its 

 course, and the great museums within sight of it. this stream remains 

 to this day, so far as the fundamentals of its fishery needs are con- 

 cerned, a veritable wilderness, as uncharted and unexplored as central 

 Africa or Siberia. This is indeed a strange situation. 



When the people of this State awaken to the anomaly of the situa- 

 tion and begin their serious study of this stream, they will have to 

 turn for guidance to the Central West, where the Illinois River 

 has now been seriously studied for a generation from the stand- 

 point of its biolog}- and its fisheries by Forbes and his associates. 

 Kofoid.. Richardson, and others. The results of their investigations 

 form the most extensive body of data on the biolog}- of any stream 

 in America and indicate what should be done for the Hudson. 



