16 REPORT OF THE No. 32 



In some instances there are overseers who are stimulated into special 

 activity from their sportsmanlike interest more than from any personal 

 advantage, while others, although equally desirous of enforcing the regu- 

 lations cannot afford the time unless at a great loss to their business. It is 

 therefore absolutely necessary, if the game and fish are to be efficiently pro- 

 tected, that our officers be properly remunerated. 



I regret to note the action of certain gentlemen in continually calling 

 public attention to the necessity of protecting the game fish, while not a word 

 is uttered in the interest of our great commercial fisheries. Those portions of 

 the waters of the Bay of Quinte, River St. Lawrence, and Georgian Bay 

 frequented by game fish, have been receiving, for years, special protection, 

 and the sale of bass, maskinonge and trout has been prohibited, as well as a 

 limit placed on the size and number of the fish taken. It will be thus seen 

 that the Department has not overlooked the protection of game fish, and I 

 am satisfied that these regulations are fairly well observed. 



I have the honor to be 



Your obedient servant, 



J. S. Webster, 



Acting Inspector. 

 E. TiNSLEY, Esq., 



Superintendent of Game and Fisheries. 



bei 



ali^ Game and Fishery Wardens. 



Pro- 



I S^*^ Game and Fishery Warden William Burt, Simcoe, reports that the 

 ^ speckled trout have become very scarce in his district. In the few streams, 

 however, where this game fish is found, they are reported to be as numerous 

 as in the previous year. The bass at Long Point have been very plentiful, 

 anglers having no difficulty whatever in securing the limit allowed by the 

 Fishery Act. 



During the year he was asked to investigate the fishing in the Grand 

 River below Brantford. He found that a glue factory and a starch factory 

 in that city were discharging their refuse into the river. This had the effect 

 of polluting the waters so that the fish were killed, and, in his opinion, it 

 would be impossible for fish to live in these waters while this pollution con- 

 tinues. 



There are not many quail in this district, but during this year they have 

 been fully as numerous, and he thinks a little more numerous than in the 

 year previous. Partridge have been very scarce all through his district. The 

 woods have been cut down, and the land cleared, so that there is not much 

 cover left for them, and even in the covers the birds have been scarce. He 

 attributes this "to the cold late spring, although a number of people who study 

 the habits of these birds think they were afflicted with some disease. Owing 

 to the clearing up of the land there are not many black squirrels left in his 

 district, but in places where the woods are dense enough they have been 

 fairly numerous this year. The wild geese rarely visit his district in the 

 autumn. Formerly great numbers stopped there in their northern flight in 

 the spring, but of late years they have been very scarce, so that it is now a 

 very rare thing to hear of a goose being killed in his district. Along the 

 Niagara River and the Grand River wild ducks are reported to have been not 

 80 numerous as in previous years, but in the Long Point Bay district they 



