Evening star., 1914-10-01
DISCOVERY Of FISH
IS TOLD SCIENTISTS
Spawning Grounds of "Spoon.
bill Cat" Found in
Louisiana.
EGGS USED IN CAVIAR
YIELD $500, 900 A YEAR
Convention of American Fisheries
Society Hears Announcement
by M. L. Alexander.

Interest approaching excitement was
aroused today at the convention Of the
American Fisheries Society in the New
National Museum building, when NJ. L.
Alexander of Louisiana announced that
the dsh wardens of that state have
discovered the spawning grounds and
females with eggs of the "spoon-bill
cat" a fish that is expected to develop
great food supply for the United
States
Mr.. Alexander. who is president of
the Louisiana conserva tion commission,
was subjected to cross-examination
by the fish culturists and other scien-
lists who compose the American Fish
cries Society, in view of the fact that
scientific history records the finding
of only one female with eggs of the
"spoon-bilI cat otherwise known as
the paddle fish,. 1t was stated that:
Columbia University has a standing
offer Of $4,000 for the finding of the
spawning grounds and females with
eggs of this species of fish, which is
found in the Mississippi valley from
Texas to Wisconsin.
Eggs Bring $2 Pound.
Mr.. Alexander declared the fish spawn
inSthe Shallow lakes of Louisiana and
are now shipping 100000 worth of the
eggs of the fish to New York each
year. there to be manufactured into
caviar. He instanced the recent catch
ing of a female weighing 1872 pounds,
from which were taken ten pounds OF
eggs which sold at 50 a pound Fish
culturists from the Lake Erie and
tention of investigating the Louisiana
spawning grounds. Mr.. Alexander said
that with proper conservation the
"spoon-bill cat" could be made source
States. and that there is no reason
why the eggs of this fish should not
dfsplace the Russian caviar, until re-
Gently imported He said that the cat
nsh and buffalo fish Industries of Louis
lana now net the fishermen of that
state $1,000 100000 year.
Representative ]. Charles Linthicum
or Maryland. author of bill placing
migratory fish under federal control,
addressed the convention by special in
vltatton on why the States Have Been
Unable to Protect Our Food Fish,
Other Addresses Listed.
Among the other addresses on the
program today were the following:
William c. Kendall, scientific assist
ant, United States bureau of fisheries,
Notes on Some New England Charrs"; ;
Millard c. Marsh. State Institute for
the Study of Malignant Disease, THE
Feeding of Trout in Relation to Thy
roid Iumor'; John T. Nichols, Ameri-
York, Stray Notes from Porto Rico:
Lewis Radcliffe. scientific assistant,
United States bureau of fisheries, (1)
Progress in the Culture of the Dia-
Some North Carolina sharks and
Rays; John W. Titcomb, state COM
missioner of fisheries and game, Yer
mont. The Use of Copper Sulphate in
Z. Ward. University of Illinois, IAN
experimental Plant for the Study of
Fish Culture on Small Scale,' and
William w. Welsh, scientific assistant.
onstration of Some Modern Oceano-
graphic Apparatus as Used by the Bu-
reau of Fisheries
Delegates Registered.
Delegates who have registered at
the convention are as follows:
District of Columbia-B. A. Bean.
L. NJ. Cogswell. 1. H. Dunlap, L. J.
Harron. R. S. Johnson. W. c. Kendall.
]. E. Mercer. T. s. Palmer, L. Rad
cliffe. NJ. F. Stapleton, H. NJ Smith
and w. w. Welch.
Other cities-L. NJ. Alexander of
->S" OtASdhS, iIT N-HdTlSS NJ. BLOCK
ford of Staunton, Va: G. c. Brown of
New York, John T. Benson of Bos-
ton, E. W. Cobb of St Paul, Mimi:
John NJ Champion of New Haven.
Conn; E s Casselmann of Dorset, Vt;
l. L. Dyche of Pratt, Kan; G. G.
Embody of Ithaca, n. Y: G. W. Field
Of Boston, W. L. Furley of Portland;
Ore; D. B. Fearing of Newport. r. l.;
L. A. Geserich of st. Louis, F. D. Hox.
sic of Carolina, r. l.: w. NJ. Keil of
Tuxedo Park, n. Y: Dwight Lyden of
Comstock Park, Mich; NJ. c. Marsh
of Buffalo. j. T. Nichols of New York,
Raymond Osburn of New York, r.
Porter of Paris. Mo-: J. c. Speaks of
Columbus, Ohio; John W. Titcomb of
Lyndeville. Vt; c. w. Willard of Wes-
terly, r: l.: F. P. Woods of Missouri,
J. Q. Ward of Frankfort, KY; H. B.
Ward of Champaign. ILL.,; Carl Kraik-
er of Philadelphia. s. w. Downing, B.
D. Filkins OF Worthwhile, Mich: c. H.
Graham of Massachusetts, w. w.
Thayer of Worthwhile Mich and Waldo