106 REPORT OF COMMISSIONER OF FISH AND FISHERIES. 



at $24,000. The results in some of the other waters were as follows: 

 Paseagoula Eiver, 70,000 ])Ouuds, $1,750; Yazoo River, 102,000 pouuds, 

 $2,540; Big Biloxi Eiver aud tributaries, 144,100 pounds, $G,S00. 



ALABAMA. 



The i)rincipal fresh- water fisheries of this State are proseeuted in 

 those streams having Mobile Bay as their outlet, namely, the Mobile 

 Eiver; its tributaries, the Alabama and Tombigbee rivers; and the 

 chief tributary of the latter, the Black Warrior Eiver. The Tennessee 

 Eiver, which traverses the northern part of the State, also has compar- 

 atively imjwrtant fisheries, hi the matter of persons engaged aud 

 value of the catch, Alabama has i)recedeuce over Mississippi, although 

 the quantity of fish taken in the latter State is somewhat greater; the 

 investment in the two States is about the same. 



The number of ])ersons ascertained to be engaged in the commercial 

 fisheries of this State was 407, of whom 123 were on Mobile Eiver and 

 Bay, 100 on Alabama Eiver, G7 on Tennessee Eiver, 64 on Black War- 

 rior Eiver, and 53 on Tombigbee Eiver. The trammel- net, fyke-net, 

 and set-line fisheries gave employment to 115, 194, aud 188 persons, 

 respectively, some of the men being in two or more branches and 

 duplicated in these figures. 



The capital invested in the Alabama fisheries was about $14,500. 

 The most prominent items in the investment were fyke nets ($0,560), 

 boats ($3,433), and trammel nets ($2,900). The boats numbered 287, 

 the fyke nets 970, the trammel nets 116, the set lines 090. The fyke 

 nets aud set lines were most numerous on the Tennessee Eiver; the 

 trammel nets were confined to Mobile Bay and Eiver. 



The buflalo-fishes are the most important economic fishes of this 

 State; more than 1,000,000 pounds of these, having a value of over 

 $25,000, were taken. Catfish rank next in quantity aud value, the yield 

 being over 300,000 pounds, worth $15,700. Other prominent species 

 are fresh-water drum, sunfish, and warmouth bass. The aggregate 

 output of the fisheries was 1,869,400 pounds, with a value to the fisher- 

 men of $72,500. Much more than half the catch was obtained with 

 fyke nets. 



More fish were taken in the Alabama Eiver than in any other water, 

 although the value of the catch was greatest in Mobile Bay and Eiver. 

 In the former stream the yield was 482,050 pounds, for which the fish- 

 ermen received $19,500. lu the Tombigbee Eiver 462,300 pounds of 

 fish were secured, valued at $10,150. The results of the fishing in 

 Mobile Bay aud Eiver were 396,900 pounds, worth $21,520. 



ARKANSAS. 



The fresh-water fisheries of Arkansas are more important than those 

 of any other State in this region, with the exception of Louisiana. 

 Besides the Mississippi Eiver, Avhich borders the eastern side of the 

 State, there are several important streams, tributary to the Mississippi, 

 which traverse the State. Among these are the Arkansas, the White, 



