155 
miles) the short-nosed gar, the dogfish or bowfin, the common sucker, the 
speckled bullhead (Ameturus nebulosus), the bluegill sunfish, the black 
crappie, and the warmouth (Chaenobryttus) were represented by one to 
three specimens each in hauls which gave us 174 European carp. The 
common perch, both the crappies, and the large-mouthed black bass began 
to appear in some numbers at Depue (60 miles), but not in their normal 
ratio much above Chillicothe (93 miles).* The larger and more voracious 
game fishes, such as the wall-eyed pike and the pickerel, which had dis- 
appeared above Peoria, seem never to have been normally abundant in 
the Illinois. The most notable species whose numbers have fallen off 
greatly of recent years in the main middle course of the stream (Pekin 
to Meredosia) are the shovel-fish or spoonbill cat, the buffalo-fish, and the 
sheepshead or drum. 
On the whole, the general make-up of the river population of fishes 
has been surprisingly little affected by any of the recent events here dis- 
' cussed excepting, of course, the introduction of the European carp. 
INVESTIGATION NEEDED 
The total effect of reclamation operations upon the important fisher- 
ies of the Illinois is so serious as to call for a careful study of the possi- 
bilities of prevention and remedy ; and this is the conclusion reached by 
Alvord and Burdick in their report to the Rivers and Lakes Commission. 
After calling attention to the fact “that the fishery of the Illinois River 
is more valuable than that of any other fresh-water river fishery in the 
United States, and is exceeded only by the Great Lakes and the salmon, 
industry of the Pacific coast,” and that, owing mainly to reclamation oper- 
ations, the yield of the river has lately been reduced to about a third that 
previously reported, they say: “It would seem, however, that there is 
prospect of a good profit by intelligent fish culture in the ponds and 
water courses remaining within the levee districts, provided that the 
industry is carried on as an adjunct to farming in much the same way 
that poultry is ordinarily raised upon the farm. This would utilize a 
water acreage that otherwise could produce no revenue and could serve 
no useful purpose except to store the flood waters in the course of passage 
to the drainage ditches. If the fishery is to remain commercially important, 
means must be provided to take the place of the breeding grounds for- 
merly furnished by the shallow waters of the lakes and sloughs which 
have been reclaimed. 
* * * * * c * 
“Tt is believed, notwithstanding the levee districts present and future, 
that a scientific utilization of the remaining public waters, including the 
river and twenty or more meandered lakes, together with the best use 
of the remaining undiked bottoms and the spaces between the river banks 
and levee toes, will result in the maintenance of a valuable fishery. We 
* The field party already referred to, which made the survey of the river from 
Hennepin to Peoria in August and September, 1918, saw no signs of fishes in the river 
at either Hennepin or Henry, and were told by fishermen that none had been seen for 
By One time at either place. At Lacon one had been occasionally noticed in the river 
channel. 
