feel about it, but I always enjoy Mr. Follett's lectures and moving pictures. At Washington he gave an entirely different set of pictures, which made a distinct and decided hit. If there are no further remarks we will adjourn to the smaller audience room.

Remember, gentlemen, that we have a lot of work before us, and we must improve every possible moment. I want to call attention to the fact that the gentleman who will read the next paper is really the dean of the American Fisheries Society. He is the oldest living active member, oldest in point of membership. He joined the Society in the year 1875 and we were born in 1870. This gentleman is, as many of you know, perhaps the most eminent ichthyologist in the United States today. He will address you on the subject of "The Natural History of the Weakfish."

Dr. Theodore Gill, Smithsonian Institution, Washington, D. C., then addressed the Society on the subject announced, and the address was discussed.

PRESIDENT: Thirty years ago, when I was in the employ of the United States Fish Commission, I was sent to North Bass Island, Ohio, to make a collection of whitefish eggs. As that was my first year in the business and as I was without experience in that feature of the work, I naturally had some misgivings as to its outcome. However, after landing on the island and talking a few minutes with three men, two of whom later sailed my boat, while the other acted as spawntaker, I was completely reassured, because I saw at once that I was dealing with men of brains and resources. This was amply demonstrated by the fact that within a few years these men who had been working as common fishermen, were superintendents of stations in the United States Fish Commission. I am pleased to state that one of those men who thirty years ago was a fisherman, and who has since become one of the best practical fish culturists in the United States, is with us today in the person of Mr. S. W. Downing, Superintendent United States Fisheries Station, Put-in Bay, Ohio, who has given us a paper entitled

"Some of the Difficulties Encountered in Collecting PikePerch Eggs."

Mr. Downing's paper was read by Mr. Meehan and was discussed.

PRESIDENT: The next paper on the program is by Mr. W. H. Safford, Superintendent of the Crawford State Hatchery, at Conneaut Lake, Pa., and is entitled "Some Observations in Frog Culture." At the author's request this paper will be read by the Secretary.

Mr. Safford's paper was then read and discussed.

MR. M. C. MARSH, Washington, D. C.: I should like to inquire, as chairman of the Program Committee, how many papers there are whose authors are present. Before the meeting this morning there were twenty-four papers with authors ready to read them. Owing to absence part of the time I do not know how many you have had today, but I suppose at least a dozen. I do not see how we can get through the remaining papers unless we hold an evening session.

PRESIDENT: Personally I am willing to hold an evening session, but I will guarantee that we cannot get ten people at the Aquarium this evening. It is all in the hands of the Society, however.

MR. FULLERTON: Why could not the meeting be held at the hotel?

PRESIDENT: I do not know whether they have any suitable place there.

DR. TOWNSEND: The hotel has a room at your disposal. MR. MEEHAN: Many of the members have made other arrangements for the evening.

PRESIDENT: I know of several who have engaged reserved seats. I think Mr. Clark is one of them. (Laughter.)

MR. CLARK: Oh, no. However, I move we adjourn until 9 o'clock, sharp, tomorrow morning at the Aquarium. The motion was seconded and carried.

PRESIDENT: We will open at 9 o'clock sharp, even if you are not all there.

MR. TOWNSEND: The meeting will be held at the Aquarium?

PRESIDENT: Yes.

Thursday, September 29, 1910

The meeting was called to order at the Aquarium by the President at 9 o'clock a.m.

PRESIDENT: Before taking up the reading of papers this morning it is thought best to transact some business, to the extent that committee chairmen are ready to report. One of the first committees to be called on is that on the recommendations made by the Secretary, and inasmuch as none of the members of that committee are present, and I think two of them are almost certain not to be here, we have referred the matter to Mr. Clark and will call on him to report.

MR. CLARK: Mr. President, I have given the matter some thought and will try to make a report which, I hope, will be satisfactory to the Society.

The Acting Secretary recommends a certificate of membership and a seal. Such a certificate ought to be something that each member will cherish. The Society is very fortunate in that it has a member who has volunteered to donate these articles. Mr. Fearing has kindly offered to stand all expense for a suitable membership certificate. (Applause.) Of course, the committee recommends the acceptance of so generous an offer.

It is further recommended that a set of all back numbers of reports, so far as obtainable, be bound, at a cost not to exceed $25.

As to the matter of the card index that the Secretary suggests in his report, we would like to recommend its adop tion, provided we have the money. It is, therefore, recommended that a card index be provided if there are sufficient funds.

I move the adoption of the committee's report.

The motion was seconded.

PRESIDENT: It is moved and seconded that the report on

the recommendations of the Assistant Secretary be adopted.

MR. DANIEL B. FEARING, Newport, R. I.: I understood yesterday that the seal of the Society had disappeared, somewhat like the Pope's ring. If we are incorporated we need a new seal, and my offer included a new seal to be made by Tiffany. (Applause.)

MR. CLARK: In my remarks as to Mr. Fearing's offer I meant to include the seal. A plate, of course, will be made for the certificate.

PRESIDENT: The plate and seal are the donation of Mr. Fearing.

MR. GUNCKEL: I do not know anything more valuable to us than a certificate of membership. Suppose I was in Missouri and told a fish story that was doubted, I could show my certificate and that would settle everything. (Laughter.)

PRESIDENT: I agree with Mr. Gunckel that all of us need a certificate of membership, except himself. Mr. Gunckel would not need to be identified anywhere. (Laughter.) The report was thereupon unanimously adopted.

INDEX OF THE TRANSACTIONS

MR. JOHN W. TITCOMB, Lyndonville, Vt.: Is the card index to be a topical index?

ACTING SECRETARY: The principal object is to have references both to members and all subjects coming before the Society. An authors' index has recently been worked up in connection with a history of the Society that I have prepared, but naturally it will not meet future contributions nor does it give references to the wide range of topics embraced in the discussions of papers or during business sessions.

MR. TITCOMB: It does not purport to contain a topical index to all the subjects discussed?

ACTING SECRETARY: It includes only references to authors and papers. The discussions often wandered over a variety of subjects, which, if properly indexed, would mean quite an undertaking.

MR. TITCOMB: I will give my share toward the publication of such an index. I think it is worth a great deal, as it will save much needless repetition. We can look back and see what has been said, and what has been settled will not have to be repeated.

ACTING SECRETARY: One feature of the index I have in mind is a history of each member's connection with the Society, insofar as it can be obtained from the records, including both present and past members.

MR. TITCOMB: Of course, that is desirable for the use of the Secretary, but we ought to have an index, accessible to every member, of the subjects discussed here from time immemorial. I mean that we will take up a discussion on trout and somebody will break off into bass and we get some good meat on bass; but it is absolutely lost for all time after it is buried in the proceedings, unless you pore over the whole thing to get it. Now what I want to see is a topical index of the papers and matter contained in the discussions from the time the Transactions were first published to the present day. I am ready to subscribe my share towards having a card index of that kind prepared.

Acting SecreTARY: To be in the Secretary's hands?

Mr. TITCOMB: I mean an index to be in the Secretary's hands, and when printed have copies for the rest of us, so that each member can have it to file with the Society's reports.

ACTING SECRETARY: That is more elaborate than I at first contemplated.

MR. TITCOMB: We have not time enough to pore over all the Society's publications which at present is necessary if we want to carefully work up a subject. If we have a complete topical index much labor will be saved. Take, for instance, yesterday; we began with Professor Forbes' paper on the Illinois River and landed up in the lumber region of Canada. We want references to show that the discussion included views on the effect of running logs and emptying sawdust into streams. Likewise every time that