﻿XCVIII 
  REPORT 
  OF 
  COMMISSIONER 
  OF 
  FISH 
  AND 
  FISHERIES. 
  

  

  carried 
  on 
  chiefly 
  in 
  tlie 
  vicinity 
  of 
  Baldwin 
  Lodge, 
  located 
  on 
  Cani])- 
  

   bell 
  Bayon. 
  The 
  water 
  in 
  this 
  locality 
  consists 
  of 
  two 
  mouths 
  of 
  Pearl 
  

   River 
  and 
  a 
  large 
  number 
  of 
  lagoons, 
  bayous, 
  and 
  lakes. 
  At 
  the 
  time 
  

   of 
  the 
  visit 
  these 
  waters 
  were 
  almost 
  fresh, 
  being 
  slightly 
  brackish 
  only 
  

   in 
  the 
  portions 
  nearest 
  the 
  Gulf 
  of 
  Mexico. 
  During 
  the 
  dry 
  season, 
  

   however, 
  it 
  is 
  likely 
  that 
  brackish 
  water 
  extends 
  several 
  miles 
  above 
  

   Baldwin 
  Lodge. 
  The 
  lagoons 
  and 
  lakes 
  are 
  shallow, 
  and 
  the 
  water 
  in 
  

   summer 
  doubtless 
  becomes 
  quite 
  warm. 
  In 
  April 
  the 
  temperature 
  at 
  

   the 
  surface 
  was 
  found 
  to 
  vary 
  from 
  68° 
  to 
  76°, 
  and 
  at 
  the 
  bottom, 
  in 
  10 
  

   feet 
  of 
  water, 
  was 
  65°. 
  

  

  The 
  large-mouthed 
  black 
  bass 
  {Micropterus 
  salmoides) 
  is 
  the 
  principal 
  

   fresh-water 
  game 
  fish 
  in 
  this 
  region, 
  though 
  the 
  goggle 
  eye 
  (Chwno- 
  

   hryttus 
  {/iilosus) 
  and 
  several 
  other 
  species 
  of 
  sun 
  fishes 
  and 
  catfishes 
  are 
  

   also 
  abundant. 
  During 
  the 
  dry 
  season 
  various 
  salt-water 
  fishes, 
  such 
  as 
  

   sheepshead, 
  redfish, 
  drum, 
  etc., 
  appear 
  in 
  large 
  numbers. 
  The 
  fishes 
  

   which 
  can 
  bo 
  introduced 
  into 
  these 
  waters 
  to 
  the 
  best 
  advantage 
  are 
  

   the 
  crappie 
  and 
  the 
  calico 
  bass. 
  It 
  is 
  very 
  probable 
  that 
  both 
  of 
  these 
  

   would 
  thrive 
  very 
  well 
  in 
  the 
  lagoons, 
  lakes, 
  and 
  channels 
  farthest 
  

   from 
  the 
  Gulf. 
  

  

  SOUTHEASTERN 
  TEXAS. 
  

  

  In 
  the 
  latter 
  part 
  of 
  April 
  a 
  few 
  days 
  were 
  spent 
  by 
  Messrs. 
  Evermann 
  

   and 
  Chamberlain 
  on 
  the 
  Sabine 
  and 
  Neches 
  rivers, 
  in 
  southeastern 
  

   Texas, 
  for 
  the 
  purpose 
  of 
  determining 
  whether 
  these 
  streams 
  are 
  suit- 
  

   able 
  for 
  stocking 
  Avith 
  shad. 
  Inquiries 
  were 
  conducted 
  at 
  Orange, 
  

   Beaumont, 
  Lufkin, 
  and 
  Logansport. 
  Considerable 
  collections 
  of 
  fishes 
  

   were 
  obtained 
  at 
  these 
  jdaces, 
  and 
  inquiries 
  were 
  made 
  of 
  various 
  people 
  

   acquainted 
  with 
  the 
  rivers, 
  but 
  no 
  evidence 
  was 
  obtained 
  indicating 
  

   that 
  the 
  shad 
  planted 
  here 
  several 
  years 
  ago 
  have 
  ever 
  been 
  seen 
  since. 
  

   The 
  character 
  of 
  tbese 
  streams 
  does 
  not 
  indicate 
  that 
  they 
  would 
  prove 
  

   suitable 
  for 
  shad. 
  The 
  water 
  would 
  probably 
  be 
  so 
  muddy 
  during 
  the 
  

   spawning 
  season 
  as 
  to 
  prove 
  fatal 
  to 
  a 
  large 
  percentage 
  of 
  the 
  eggs 
  

   and 
  fry. 
  

  

  LOUISIANA. 
  

  

  It 
  having 
  been 
  represented 
  to 
  the 
  Commission 
  that 
  the 
  catch 
  of 
  

   catfish 
  in 
  the 
  Atchafalaya 
  River, 
  Louisiana, 
  has 
  been 
  rapidly 
  decreas- 
  

   ing 
  during 
  the 
  last 
  two 
  or 
  three 
  years, 
  a 
  brief 
  investigation 
  was 
  made 
  

   during 
  the 
  latter 
  part 
  of 
  April, 
  1897, 
  to 
  determine 
  the 
  cause 
  of 
  the 
  

   decrease 
  and 
  the 
  remedy 
  therefor. 
  The 
  inquiries 
  were 
  carried 
  on 
  by 
  

   Messrs. 
  B. 
  W. 
  Evermann, 
  F. 
  M. 
  Chamberlain, 
  and 
  H. 
  E. 
  Center. 
  

  

  The 
  catfish 
  industry 
  of 
  the 
  Atchafalaya 
  River 
  centers 
  chiefly 
  at 
  Mor- 
  

   gan 
  City, 
  and 
  is 
  a 
  very 
  important 
  one, 
  the 
  three 
  firms 
  doing 
  business 
  

   there 
  shipping 
  more 
  than 
  a 
  million 
  pounds 
  of 
  drer.sed 
  fish 
  annually. 
  

  

  During 
  ordinary 
  stages 
  of 
  water 
  the 
  fishing 
  is 
  prosecuted 
  chiefly 
  in 
  

   the 
  regular 
  waterways 
  or 
  channels, 
  and 
  set 
  lines 
  of 
  various 
  lengths 
  are 
  

   used; 
  but 
  when 
  the 
  country 
  becomes 
  flooded 
  in 
  spring, 
  the 
  fishing 
  is 
  

   done 
  in 
  the 
  woods. 
  Instead 
  of 
  trot 
  lines, 
  a 
  single 
  short 
  line 
  is 
  used, 
  

  

  