REPORT OF COMMISSIONER OF FISH AND FISHERIES. 105 



follows: Black bass, $1,355; crappie, $2,048; shrimp, $1,716; terrapin 

 and tui-tles, $6,108; alligators, $23,334; otters, $9,254. 



The catch in the Atchafalaya basin was larger than in all the other 

 waters of the State combined. Catfish was the most important prodnct, 

 amounting to over 3,890,000 pounds, valued at $87,000 ; other prominent 

 species were bnffalo-fish (559,000 pounds, $5,850), terrapin (51,500 

 pounds, $4,635), alligators (25,070 hides, $12,535). The aggregate yield 

 of this region was about 4,567,900 jwunds of edible products, the value 

 of which, with alligator aud otter skins, was $120,620. In the Missis- 

 sippi Eiver the output was 283,000 pounds, valued at $16,140^ and in 

 the Eed Eiver 565,000 pounds, worth $14,530. 



MISSISSIPPI. 



The Mississippi Eiver, which forms the western boundary of this 

 State, is the principal fishing- ground, as would naturally be expected 

 from its size aud length. In its princii)al tributaries, the Homachitto, 

 Yazoo, and Big Black rivers, considerable fishing is also done. In that 

 section of the State having a frontage on the Gulf of Mexico, commer- 

 cial fishing is prosecuted in the Pascagoula, Big Biloxi, Jordan, Wolf, 

 and other streams. In the northeastern part of Mississippi there is 

 some fishing in the Tombigbee Eiver, the principal part of which 

 stream is in Alabama. Several lakes along the Mississippi Eiver, 

 which represent the former channel of that stream, have economic fish- 

 ing; among these are Louis, Wolf, aud Horn lakes. The Pearl Eiver, 

 which is a stream of considerable size flowing south through the south- 

 central part of the State, has no fishing of noteworthy imi^oitance. 



As compared with the adjoining State of Louisiana the fishing indus- 

 try of Mississippi is of small proportions ; it is, however, greater in 

 extent than in Alabama. 



The x^ersons engaged in taking fishery products for market in 1894 

 numbered 380; of these, 129 were on the Mississippi Eiver and 70 on 

 the Pascagoula Eiver. The number of fishermen using set lines was 

 120, trammel nets 104, cast nets 85, hand lines 68, shrimp traps 57, fyke 

 nets 43, and seines 36, many of the men engaging in two or more 

 branches aud being duplicated to that extent in these figures. 



Only $10,093 was invested in the fisheries of Mississippi in 1894. 

 This sum represented the value of 154 boats, 19 seines, 39 trammel nets, 

 187 fyke nets, 87 cast nets, 472 set and hand lines, 775 small traps, and 

 various shore and accessory property. 



The most prominent commercial fishes in the fresh waters of Missis- 

 sippi are the catfishes, which constitute about half the quantity and 

 value of the yield. The buffalo-fishes rank next in amount and value. 

 Other .important species are black bass, fresh-water drum, sunfishes, 

 and shrimp. The aggregate catch in 1894 was 1,500,745 pound'^, for 

 which the fishermen received $40,484. Set lines and seines together 

 took about four-fifths the total quantity of produ(!ts. 



The ]Mississippi Eiver fisheries yielded over 1,030,000 jwunds, valued 



