CALIFORNIA FISH AND GAME. 89 



FACTS OF CURRENT INTEREST. 



The new commercial fisheries patrol boat was successfully launched 

 at San Pedro, December 27, and is now in commission. 



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The fishing season opened auspiciously April 1, a return to an earlier 

 date after a try at a May 1 opening. 



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More than four thousand ducks and geese, illegally taken or 

 shipped, were confiscated during the past open season and donated to 

 charity. 



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All deep-sea fishing is now under government control. Each fisher- 

 man is under license and an attempt is being made to reduce the price 

 of fish to the consumer. 



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Five aliens convicted of killing songbirds recently paid fines approx- 

 imating $200. 



Striped bass market fishermen persist in violating the law, as is 

 evidenced by the confiscation of 5,644 pounds of this fish during 

 November, December and January. All of this fish was donated to 

 charity, 



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At the Mount Shasta Hatchery there are 13,000,000 young salmon 

 awaiting distribution. 



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During January the first jury made up exclusively of women to 

 try a game case brought in a verdict of guilty and the four Colusa 

 hunters convicted of night shooting were sentenced to $100 fine or 100 

 days in the county jail. 



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The largest albacore ever taken on rod and reel was secured by 

 Mr. Elijah Pringle of Tuxedo Park, New York, on February 14, 1918, 

 while fishing near Catalina Island. The fish, which weighed 81 

 pounds, took twenty-nine minutes to land. Two other albacore 

 recently caught weighed over fifty pounds. The record albacore 

 previous to the Pringle fish weighed 67 pounds and was taken by Tad 

 Grey on January 11, 1918. 



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Until this year it was believed that the albacore entirely disap- 

 peared from the waters of southern California during the winter 

 season. Investigation has shown that a few large fish of this species 

 remain each winter and the former theory is entirely upset by the 

 large catches of several hundred fish weighing over forty pounds 

 which have been taken this past winter. 



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Severe penalties were recently meted out to two trappers who had 

 failed to secure licenses. One paid a fine of $15 and the other was 

 sentenced to 40 days in the county jail, it being the latter 's second 

 off'ense. 



