14 REPORT OF THE COMMISSIONER OF FISHERIES. 



scale than heretofore. These sloughs in summer either become entirely 

 dry, or, with the high temperature of the water, till with a rank 

 growth of vegetation which smothers the fish; in winter the}^ freeze. 

 Thus the fish in them must perish unless removed, and the work of 

 the Bureau consists in seining these overflowed places and transferring 

 the fish to suitable waters. Millions of fish have thus been rescued 

 and returned to the rivers; and large numbers are retained for distri- 

 bution by the car and messenger service to applicants in all parts of 

 the country, these sloughs being one of the chief sources of supply for 

 large-mouth black bass, crappie, and sunfish. The greater proportion 

 of the fish are young, whose presence is accounted for by the fact that 

 the adult fish have found the sloughs satisfactory spawning places and 

 the eggs and young have been left as the water receded. Those des- 

 tined for distribution are first transferred to stations along the river, 

 where they are retained in tanks and ponds until hardened. 



On the Illinois River this work centers at Meredosia, the Illinois 

 state fish commission cooperating with the Bureau to the extent of 

 furnishing a steamer and crew. On the Mississippi River stations for 

 the hardening and distribution of fishes are maintained during the 

 collecting period at Bellevue and North Gregor, Iowa. At the close 

 of the year a third station was in course of construction at La Crosse, 

 Wis. The season's operations on the Illinois River were rather dis- 

 appointing owing to high water, but on the Mississippi the work was 

 very satisfactory except when interfered with as reported below. The 

 field for work of this character is very extensive, and the operations 

 of the Bureau are limited only bj r the funds available. 



In September, 1904, a crew of employees of the Bellevue, Iowa, 

 station, engaged in rescuing food and game fishes from the over- 

 flowed lands adjoining the Mississippi in Jo Daviess County, 111., were 

 set upon by the sheriff of that count}', subjected to many indignities, 

 and imprisoned over night in wet clothes. The alleged ground for 

 this arrest was violation of the state law; as a matter of fact, the 

 Bureau was operating in strict accordance with the law, and this was 

 well known to the sheriff. An Illinois statute provides that — 



* * * it shall be lawful for the Fish Commissioners, or persons authorized by 

 them, to take fish in any way, at any time, and in anv such places as they deem best 

 for the purpose of propagation, distribution, or destroying of objectionable fish, 



and in pursuance of this authority the state fish commissioners issued 

 a formal written permit to the Bureau's representatives to carry on 

 this work, which has been in progress in that section for many years. 

 After a hearing that had some farcical features the case against the 

 Bureau's agents was not allowed to come to trial, being dismissed by 

 the prosecution. 



It has been intimated that the sheriff will make further efforts to 

 stop the fishery work in the county in question, and it will be impor- 



