CXXV1 



FISHES OF ILLINOIS 



their improvement and development. Making due allowance for 

 fishes sold in local markets, distributed by peddlers, eaten by 

 those who take them, and not represented, consequently, in 

 published statistics of the trade, it may fairly be said that our 

 Illinois fisheries now yield at the rate of a pound a day, through- 

 out the year, of cheap and desirable food to about 80,000 per- 

 sons — virtually equivalent to one meal of fish a day for a quarter 

 of a million people. It is encouraging to conclude, from a 

 comparison of available statistics, that we have no reason to 

 believe that the general fishery product of our rivers is now 

 declining, either in value or amount. On the contrary, according 

 to reports of the State Fishermen's Association published from 

 1897 to 1901, the total value of the Illinois River product in- 

 creased by 60 per cent, during that interval, being $207,685 for 

 1897 and $351,753 for 1901. The yield of carp increased in 

 value 69 per cent, during this period; that of buffalo, 88 per 

 cent.; of black bass, 32 per cent.; of catfish and bullpouts, 41 

 per cent.; of crappie, 47 per cent.; of sunfish and yellow perch, 

 154 per cent.; and that of striped bass, 27 per cent., — the only 

 important species then reported as diminishing being the sheeps- 

 head, or fresh-water drum, commonly marketed as white perch, 

 the yield of which declined 27^ per cent.* 



Comparative Statistics, Fisheries Illinois River, 1897 and 1901 

 computed from reports of the illinois fishermen's association 



1897 



1901 



Carp 



Buffalo 



Black bass 



Drum 



Catfish and bullpouts . 

 Spoonbill 



99,059 

 48,139 

 3,434 

 20,452 

 26,283 



167,266 



90,357 



4,532 



14,838 



36,933 



232 



*Unpublished data of shipments from Illinois River points, recently furnished me through 

 the courtesy of Mr. N. H. Cohen, President of the Illinois State Fish Commission, enable me to 

 compare the total product of this river for 1906 and 1907 with that for 1899 as contained in the 

 Report of the United States Commissioner of Fish and Fisheries for the year ending June 30, 

 1901. Against a total product of the Illinois River of approximately 14J^ million pounds in 

 1899 we have for 1906 16,149,076 pounds, and for 1907 13,218,137 pounds, or an average for 

 the two latter years of 14,683,606 pounds.— S. A. F. 



