FISHERIES OF MISSISSIPPI RIVER AND TRIBUTARIES. 677 
or 14,479,915 pounds, valued at $382,372, was derived from the [linois 
River. Of the remainder, 13,371,923 pounds, worth $164,655, were 
from the Mississippi River, and 627,969 pounds, valued at $32,141, 
from various other waters. 
The greater part of the carp taken from the Illinois River in 1899 
was shipped to New York and other Eastern markets. The fish are 
packed alive, ice being put in the bottom and top of the box. When 
thus packed those in the top layer will live for two or three days ina 
torpid condition, those in the bottom dying sooner. Fifty-five car- 
loads of carp (including about 5 per cent of buffalo), of 20,000 pounds 
each, were shipped from Havana, Ill., in 1899. Most of these fish 
went to New York, but Boston is also an important market for this 
species. The shipments were made by freight, and it took them about 
a week to reach their destination. The largest shipments are made 
in the winter. At Havana the boxes were made especially for the 
purpose, and contained 150 pounds of fish each. In 1894 the catch 
of carp for the whole Mississippi system was only 1,448,217 pounds. 
Since that time nearly all of the important commercial species of the 
Illinois River have been taken in increased quantities. 
A considerable quantity of dog-fish or ‘‘grinnel cat” was utilized, 
all taken in this river; the total quantity was 802,750 pounds, valued 
at $8,695. 
Among the principal fishing localities are Henry, Chillicothe, Peoria, 
Pekin, Havana, Browning, Beardstown, and Meredosia, but commercial 
fishing of more or less importance is carried on at points all along the 
river from Ottawa to Grafton. 
The reptilian fisheries of the Illinois River are deserving of some 
notice, the catch of snapping turtle and terrapin in the year 1899 being 
546,616 pounds, valued at $11,910, and of frogs 26,610 pounds, valued 
at $3,224. Philadelphia is one of the principal markets for the turtles 
and terrapin. in some cases the frogs are dressed by removing the 
head, skin, and viscera, the remainder being used for food. 
The yield of turtles and terrapin might have been much larger had 
all of those taken been marketed. Many of the fishermen do not save 
their catch, the prices received for terrapin being small when only a 
few are caught in connection with other fishing. Snappers sometimes 
congregate in holes, and long iron rods terminating in hooks are used to 
pull them from these retreats; quite a number are picked up by hand 
in the spring. Snappers are usually sold by the pound and terrapin 
by the dozen. A shipper of Pekin keeps the animals in pounds until 
ready for shipment, feeding the snappers on live fish and the terrapin 
on watermelons, which they eat readily, including the rind. 
The frog fishery isa rather irregular one. Rifles are used largely 
in taking frogs, but they are also caught with hooks suspended from 
poles, and with ‘‘ spears,” consisting of a rod or pole with a straight- 
ened tishhook attached to the end. 
