1907 GAME AND FISHERIES. 39 



The game laws were also well observed. He posted up all tlie notices in 

 various parts of his district. Black squirrels are getting to be very scarce. 

 There should be a close season for them for the next three years, or else they 

 will ,soon be extinct. Quail are more numerous than last year, and partridge 

 are very scarce. He would suggest that a license fee of |2 per year per head- 

 be charged all people coming out from towns to shoot on farms, as they try 

 to run things round Byron and vicinity. 



Overseer A. Clunis, Claude, reports that he feels quite well satisfied 

 that the close season for fish has been very well kept this season so far. He 

 thinks the people are beginning to understand that if thej do not obey the 

 law as to close season, they will very soon have no fishing at all. He finds, 

 in going over some of the tributaries of the Credit, that there were some 

 very fine spawning beds of speckled trout. He has kept a close watch of 

 those beds, and has not got any trace of them having been molested. 



As to game, we have quite a few partridge, but they are quite hard to 

 get, as the woods are run by hounds at all times of the season. They are 

 making rabbits and hares very scarce, as they catch and kill the young. 



Overseer A. Corsant, Masonville, reports that the principal fish caught 

 in his district last season were nearly all suckers, although there were a few 

 fine specimens of black bass. The close season was fairly well observed. 

 He received one report of illegal fishing in the south branch of the River 

 Thames, which he investigated and found to be false. There are five fish- 

 ways in his district, two of which are fairly good. In his opinion the parties 

 owning dams on the River Thames should be compelled to erect proper 

 fish ways. 



Overseer J. W. Gibson, Strathroy, reports that last spring he had some 

 trouble with parties putting refuse into a stream and in one instance an old 

 dead horse, all of which he made them remove forthwith. The anglers have 

 had a fairly good year's sport. Some fine pike were taken, one weighing 

 14 lbs. There have not been manj black bass taken. There are many kinds 

 of bass there, such as rock bass, which makes good sport, and green bass 

 in great numbers. The people there are not so afraid of the carp now as 

 they were, as they find they do not do much damage to other fish. 



There are two sawmills in his district, but no sawdust goes into 

 the water. 



He has had enquiries about licenses to use gill nets in the stream four 

 or five miles west of Strathroy, but does not think it would do to grant them, 

 as no fish would get up there. 



Overseer James Gillespie, Berkeley, reports that he issued no license 

 to anyone, and cannot say anything as to the larger fish. As to speckled 

 trout, which are plentiful in his district, he has reason to believe that the 

 law has been fairly well observed. Some parties have been suspected of using 

 nets, but he has not been able to get any evidence. Some years ago the netting 

 of speckled trout was, he believes, a common thing, but the fact that there is 

 an overseer in the district has almost put a stop to it. In 1906 he had a 

 notice in the local papers warning the public that anyone violating the law 

 would be prosecuted, and he believes it had a good effect. No illegal fishing 

 came to his knowledge. There are no navigable waters in his district, and 

 no fishways, so far as he knows. He is of opinion that the law with regard 

 to netting speckled trout should be published and printed in the Fishery 

 Rules and Regulations, as well as the close season. He has had those rules 

 posted up in different parts of his district. 



Overseer FranJc Hunter. Dorchester, reports that no illegal fishing came 

 to his notice, therefore, there were no fines or confiscations. The principal 



