154 
BULLETIN OF THE UNITED STATES FISH COMMISSION. 
Mr. Cheney, on taking the chair, made the following address: 
Gentlemen of the Congress : I thank you for the honor you have paid me by my selection to 
preside over your deliberations. I am often asked the question, How many fish arrive at the age that 
we call adult fish! That is a difficult question to answer; hut there is this known: That during a 
drought in the rivers of Canada, salmon rivers especially, the hatchery men of the State of New York 
went to the head of one river and secured some salmon eggs. They found that only 2 per cent of the 
eggs were impregnated. If that, or anything near it, holds true of the salmon family, probably less 
than 1 per cent is hatched. In all artificial propagation of the salmon family about 95 per cent of all 
good eggs are hatched. That is a long step forward in fish propagation. We also rear a large 
percentage of other fish. 
But there is still another step, and, as I believe, a most important one, thatnow deserves attention. 
Fish-breeders have very little to do with the enacting of laws to protect fish; hut it is incumbent upon 
them to discover some means to feed the fish that are planted in the waters in such large numbers. 
The State of New York alone last year hatched aud planted of various kinds of fish 216,000,000, and 
the United States Fish Commission, for the year ending June 30, 1897, hatched and planted 586,000,000 
fish of various kinds and ages. 
Of the value of artificial fish propagation I will only refer you to one item. About 1880 the 
shad resorts of the Atlantic coast were in a deplorable condition.- The shad had fallen off, and some- 
thing had to he done to restock them, and they were restocked by artificial processes. At that time 
the catch was 5,162,000 shad. In 1896 the catch was 13,000,000 shad, an increase of 7,900,000 fish, or 
an increase in the value of the shad product of $1,580,000, on the basis of 20 cents each to the con- 
sumer. That will show the benefit derived from artificial fish propagation. 
Pursuant to the recommendations of tlie committee, the chair announced the 
following as vice-presidents: lion. Thomas H. Watts, of Alabama; Hon. Eugene G. 
Blackford, of NewYork; Hon. George F. Peabody, of Wisconsin; Hon. P. J. Berckmans, 
of Georgia; Hon. D. P. Corwin, of Pennsylvania. 
The Congress then took a recess until 3 p. m. 
The Congress reassembled at 3.30 p. m. 
The committee on resolutions, as selected by the respective States, was announced 
as follows: Alabama, W. K. Pelzer; Florida, John G. Buge; Georgia, T. B. Felder; 
Illinois, S. E. Meek; Iowa, A. Holland; Kansas, Albert Finger; Kentucky, Jule 
Plummer; Louisiana, W. Edgar Taylor; Maine, Henry O. Stanley; Massachusetts, 
F. Q. Brown; Michigan, Col. Hiram F. Hale; Minnesota, Frank Bruen; Missouri, J. A. 
Sherman ; New Jersey, George L. Smith; New York, Edward Thompson; North Caro- 
lina, W. B. Capehart; Pennsylvania, W. E. Meehan; Bhode Island, C. W. Willard; 
Tennessee, A. J. McIntosh; Vermont, J. W. Titcomb; Wisconsin, Calvert Spensley. 
The reading of papers was then taken up, and Mr. W. E. Meehan was called on 
to present his paper on u The relations between the State fish commissions and the 
commercial fishermen.” The paper was discussed by Messrs. Blackford, of New 
York; Corwin, of Pennsylvania; Peabody, of Wisconsin; Spensley, of Wisconsin; 
Cheney, of New York, and Meehan. 
The paper of Prof. Jacob Beighard on “ Methods of estimating plankton and 
their value for practical purposes,” was read by the secretary. 
Prof. W. Edgar Taylor then read his paper on u The establishment of a marine 
biological station on the Gulf of Mexico.” 
The paper of Mr. B. M. Munroe, ou u The green turtle and the possibilities of its 
protection and consequent increase on the Florida coast,” was read by the secretary. 
The Congress then adjourned to meet at 9.30 a. m. January 21. 
