148 American Fisheries Society 



only in transferring it from one neighborhood to another." 

 From every point of view the matter should have consider- 

 ation. There can be no doubt that, as a means of breeding 

 disease it is one of the most productive. If there were no 

 other means than the use of rivers and brooks to care for 

 sewage and chemicals from factories, it would be a different 

 proposition, but with modern septic devices that will care 

 for it and do it well, there would seem no reason why proper 

 legislation should not be had. Water which is foul enough 

 to kill fish should be warning enough to localities that 

 serious consequences would follow in other directions. 



"The decrease in the supply of food fishes is traceable more 

 to the pollution of waters than to any other cause, and 

 stream pollution is going on at a rate proportionate to the 

 increase in population and the development of manufactur- 

 ing industries. The pollution of streams not only affects 

 fishing for sport and commercial fishing, but the all impor- 

 tant matter of the public health. 



"The agencies at work are almost too varied for enumera- 

 tion. In general, the pollution of water is caused by saw- 

 mills, pulp and paper mills, tanneries, starch, cheese, and 

 sugar factories; gas, wood alcohol, chemical, glass, and dye 

 works; oil refineries, distilleries, and breweries; logging, 

 smelting, and mining; and by factories of all sorts. To 

 this catalogue might be added the item of dead animals, 

 which in the aggregate is an important one. 



"There is hope for the early salvation of our mountain 

 streams where the population is not yet sufficient to cause 

 damage by sewage. Here we have to deal chiefly with such 

 matters as pollution by sawdust and wood-pulp refuse. 



"Recent experiments have shown that sawdust promotes 

 the growth of fungus on fish eggs and kills both eggs and 

 young fishes. The finer kinds of sawdust affects the larger 

 fishes, getting into their gills, and dead fishes are found with 

 considerable sawdust in their stomachs. Paper and pulp 

 mills use lime, caustic soda, sulphuric acid, etc.. all of which 

 are deadly to fish life, when drained into streams. 



