FISHERIES AT CHICAGO AND VICINITY. 797 



of this species occurred, and over 200 pounds were taken in a day. Pre- 

 vious to this date and since then, only occasional specimens have been 

 taken. 



Roccm chrysops, white bass ; a few taken every summer, 



Esox lucius, pickerel ; formerly abundant ; quite rare now. 



Myxostoma aureola, mullet ; occasional duriug summer. 



Catostomus commersonii, common suckers ; abundant at all seasons ; 

 sometimes as many as 800 pounds are taken daily in the fall. 



Myxostoma macrolepidota, red horse ; rare ; occasionally a specimen is 

 taken in the gill-net. 



Bubalichthys bubalus, buffalo-tish ; only taken in the seine in spring 

 and fall. 



Amiurus catus, bull-head ; common at all seasons. 



Amiurus nigricans, catfish ; specimens taken at short intervals during 

 the spring. 



A7tiia calva, dogfish ; very abundant during the entire year. 



Lepidosteus osseus, gar pike ; this species is occasionally taken at all 

 seasons. 



One fall, several years since, over 200 gars were taken from the hoop- 

 net in one day. During his nine years' fishing, the Riverdale fisherman 

 tells me he has taken about a dozen eels ; they have generally occurred 

 in the spring or fall. 



The only evidence as yet of the success of the attempt to stock the 

 Calumet with eels and shad, made by Mr. Milner in 1872, was the capture 

 of a small shad 3 or 4 inches in length. This specimen was caught in 

 a hoop-net at Riverdale, April, 1874. 



A small portion of the number of fishes Mr. Milner brought to the 

 Calumet, were placed in the river near Riverdale, but the majority were 

 placed nearer the mouth of the river. Without doubt, such of the 

 young fish as were below the distillery, were killed by the filthy condi- 

 tion of the water. Probably those that have remained above are still 

 living, and should an attempt be made to obtain specimens there, it 

 would very likely prove successful. Should the young of these species 

 be placed iu Calumet Lake, they would doubtless thrive, and in time 

 might stock the river. They would at least be shielded from the effect of 

 the impurities of the river water, and as the water in the lake is naturally 

 as pure as that iu the river, both coming from the same source, the fish 

 would have a much better chance in the " struggle for existence." 



5. — ILLINOIS RIVER AND TRIBUTARIES. 



As the character of the fishing at Lemont and Lockport is the same 

 as at Joliet, and I have a more complete account of the subject at the 

 latter place, I will let my notes on the fishing at Joliet and the list of 

 species, unless otherwise stated, apply to both these places. Joliet is 

 situated upon the Desplaines River, which empties into the Kankakee 

 River a few miles below this town, and the Kankakee finally empties 

 into the Illinois River. 



