260 Reminiscences of 



in the sea, where the profusion of game fish exceeds 

 those of any part of the world. 



Several fish of great value have been successfully 

 introduced, notably the striped bass and the shad, 

 which abound plentifully and are furinshed at low 

 prices in the market. Also the black bass, which seems 

 to adapt itself admirably wherever it is placed. It is 

 questionable if the carp and catfish, now plentiful, are 

 of great value, and the carp, growing to a large size, are 

 not sought for as an attractive food, and have become 

 a source of particular annoyance about the tide-over- 

 flowed lands having a large area adjoining the bay of 

 San Francisco. Upon these tide lands many sporting 

 clubs were established, where ducks, plover, and snipe 

 gave successful bags. 



The carp, which may be properly designated as the 

 grubbing hog of fresh waters, living largely upon the 

 roots and growth of vegetable life, has made favorite 

 feeding grounds of these semi-overflowed tracts and 

 destroyed the snails and aquatic insects and tender 

 plant life, so that the lands have become largely de- 

 serted by the birds formerly swarming on them, and 

 many of the club sites have been given up. 



The sport of hare coursing is one which is carried on 

 in California more extensively than elsewhere in the 

 world, for which the plentifulness of the hares and the 

 many level fields give encouragement. 



In California the hares called jack rabbits are 

 plentiful, particularly in the southern part of the State, 

 consuming such an amount of ground feed, and young 

 fruit trees, garden vegetables, and grapes in the vine- 

 yards, as to be a great nuisance, necessitating periodical 

 drives by which large numbers are destroyed. These 



