1909 GAME AND FISHEEIES. 43 



They are coining back into the lake slowly. If the lake can be kept up to high 

 water mark, and the fish carefully watched there will be plenty of them in an- 

 other year. The bass are more numerous. The laws in regard to fishing have 

 been well observed. 



Ducks are very plentiful this fall. There are lots of hunters around, and they 

 seem very well pleased that the law is being properly carried out. 



He has examined the hides and seen to it that they are not placed too far out 

 in the lake. 



There has been no illegal work going on. 



Partridge are very scarce in this section. They should be protected for a few 

 years longer. 



Muskrats are very plentiful and busy building their houses for the winter. 



He will see to it that the law is carried out. 



He has not sold any licenses this season. There are no American tourists 

 around there. 



Overseer Jas. Howell, of Bancroft, reports that there are no fishing licenses 

 issued in his district, and no fishing done except by settlers for their own use. 

 There are no fish exported. The close season has been well observed. He has 

 visited the different lakes several times during close season. No violations of the 

 Act came to his notice, with the exception of one case. The Act respecting mill 

 refuse was well observed. There are no fishways in his district. He would re- 

 commend that Baptiste and T7Amable Lakes be closed the first of October instead 

 of the first of November, as he finds that the fish in those lakes do their spawn- 

 ing in October. 



As regards game, he finds that partridge are greatly on the increase in his di- 

 vision. Muskrats are also reported to be on the increase in Baptiste Lake, but 

 there is little or no trapping being done for them. 



Overseer Charles Jickling, St. Paul's Station, reports that speckled trout are 

 very scarce in some of our streams. He heard a report of 10,000 trout fry having 

 been sent to Embro to be placed in Harrington Mill Pond, and here is how it was 

 done. They stayed there all night and were brought up by the mail carrier and 

 were given to some boys to empty into the pond. He was told by parties who saw 

 these that they all lay dead in the bottom of the pond. He hopes if ever there 

 are more to be sent, that a more reliable person will be sent to look after them. 



Black bass were very scarce last fall and this summer. The water being low 

 they were very nearly fished out, as not many have been caught this summer in 

 the River Thames. In William Skiner's pond on Trout Creek, they are quite 

 plentiful. He went up twice in spawning season and once after spawn was 

 hatched. It would make a sportsman smile to see all the little spawn that were 

 hatched, and the farmers for five or six miles along the stream have notices up 

 prohibiting the fishing altogether. He thinks the laws are being fairly well 

 observed. 



Partridge appear to be very scarce; he has two or three reports from reliable 

 parties of finding them under trees dead in the month of March. He himself 

 came across one. It appears that there must be some disease amongst them. The 

 one he found he examined closely and came to the conclusion it was like cholera 

 among fowl. Black squirrels, also grey squirrels, seem to be rather on the in- 

 crease. Hare seem to be very scarce, but the cotton tail rabbits are numerous in 



