MILNER FISHERIES OF THE GREAT LAKES. 17 



aunual iucrease, the numbers must of course diminish, and over-fishing 

 is to be considered in investigating tlie causes of decrease. Still, it is 

 veiy evident that much more wholesale causes than merely the num- 

 ber of nets in use exist in the lakes, the principal one being the capture 

 in large numbers of small fishes by the pound-nets. 



The taking of full-gro^^l, mature fishes, so long as all are preserved 

 and used for food, cannof be questioned as a legitimate and rightful 

 occupation. The capture of half-grown, immature fishes is less le- 

 gitimate, not only from the fact that the number is diminished by the 

 amount taken, but that the supply of full-gro^\'n fish in the waters through- 

 out a term of years, being no greater than the demand, it is evident 

 that if this demand is filled from half-grown individuals their numbers 

 will diminish from year to year at an accelerating rate. And this ac- 

 celerating ratio of loss is seen to be multiplied many times, when we 

 take into consideration the fact that the supply is barely kept up if 

 only those fishes are taken which are sufficiently^ matured to have 

 spawned once or twice, while the destruction of fishes, too young to 

 have spawned, must reduce the natural increase by perhaps hundreds in 

 the death of each one. 



If every fish that had jjassed the precarious embryonic stages and 

 developed into a thrifty swimmer of four or five ounces, had been al- 

 lowed to mature, and to spawn once or twice before it was taken out of 

 the water, the supply of white-fish would not have diminished to any 

 great extent. 



The cai)ture of immature fishes is, without doubt, the principal cause 

 of a decrease. 



The taking of fish in too large quantities to allow of handling and 

 preservation, the destruction of fishes too small for use, or of others be- 

 cause they are not in a special line of fishing followed by certain fisher- 

 men, or the capture, when used, of those not old enough to spawn, are 

 all entirely wrong and destructive to the fishing-interests. 



(IG a.) The pound-nets. — In observing the lifts of white-fish taken from 

 the pound-nets during the spring and summer seasons of fishing, along 

 the west shore, they were estimated to contain from one-twentieth to one- 

 sixth of small fishes, that, when i>repared for salting, entrails and heads 

 removed, would weigh less than eight ounces. These, among fishermen 

 supplying the peddlers, are all made use of. A few fishermen prepare 

 them by a slight salting and smoking, and sell them in boxes, as smoked 

 herring, but the majority are compelled to bury them, as useless, as 

 they are smaller than any grade recognized in the salt-fish market. 



The inspection-regulations of the Chicago market, that are accepted 

 throughout Lake Michigan, provide for three grades of white-fish, with 

 reference to size. The inspection is intrusted to the judgment of the 

 inspectors without any very exact stipulations as to dimensions or weight 

 of the different grades. 

 S. Mis. 74 2 



