106 REPORT OF COMMISSIONER OF FISH AND FISHERIES. 



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

 Pascagoula rdver, 70,000 ])OUU(ls, $l,7oO; Yazoo Iliver, 102,000 pounds, 

 $2,540; Big Biloxi Eiver aud tributaries, 144,100 pounds, $G,800. 



ALABAMA. 



Tlie ])rincipal fresh-water fisheries of this State are proseeuted in 

 those streams having' ^Mobile Bay as their outlet, namely, the jMobile 

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

 chief tributary of the latter, the Bla(!k AVarrior River. The Tennessee 

 Elver, whieh traverses the northern i»art of the State, also has compar- 

 atively important fislieries. In tlie matter of persons engaged and 

 value of the catch, Alabama has ])receden('e over Mississip])i, altliough 

 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 i)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 Elver, G7 on Tennessee EiVer, 04 on Black War- 

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

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

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

 dui)licatcd in these figures. 



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

 The most prominent items in the investment were fyke nets ($6,500), 

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

 the fyke nets 970, the trammel nets 110, the set lines 090. The fyke 

 nets and 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 and value, the yield 

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

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

 output of the fisheries was 1,809,400 jtounds, with a value to the fisher- 

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

 fj'ke nets. 



More fish were taken in the Ahibama 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 i)ounds, for which the fish- 

 ermen received $19,500. In the Tombigbee Eiver 402,300 ])ouiids of 

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

 Mobile Bay and Eiver were 390,900 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, whicth borders the eastern side of the 

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

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



