1009 GAME AND FISHERIES. 53 



ity they are very law-abiding, as hundreds of working men there have cottages on 

 the island, consequently they are interested in better conditions of fisheries, and 

 would report any violation of the law, as the river here in the busy season is alive 

 with small boats and punts. He has not received one complaint this season. He 

 has a store on Main street, has a sign painted outside his place, so they could report 

 quite easily. This sign has on it, "N. Acton, Game and Fishery Overseer." He 

 also lives on the premises, so reports could be made at any time. Very little fish 

 were used for home consumption. 



There was no shooting of any importance for the first three winter months. 

 About April 1st there was a little open water there and quite a few ducks came in. 

 Some illegal shooting was done by Americans who came over on the heavy ice, but 

 that only lasted but a few days. About April 13th the inland waters of Gananoque 

 Lake opened up and ducks were there at once, as they always do. This fall there 

 was no shooting on the St. Lawrence ; all hunters go to lakes north. There is very 

 little of any other game in that vicinity. 



Overseer J as. A. Fraser, of Prescott, reports that the season of 1909 has been the 

 best year for fish in the last five years, at least on that part of the St. Lawrence. 

 Pike were plentiful, but of a rather small size. Pickerel (or Dore) which were 

 rarely caught above the rapids, were caught in small numbers of a fair size, whereas 

 east of the rapids, in the vicinity of Cornwall, they are the principal fish, but of 

 a smaller size. Perch, rock bass and mud pouts were especially plentiful, the lat- 

 ter more especially. Bass, he is sorry to say, are very scarce, although there were 

 some fair sized ones caught and he would strongly recommend that this part of the 

 St. Lawrence should be replenished with bass or bass fingerlings. He has heard 

 a great many complaints about the suckers, which are quite plentiful, eating up 

 their spawn. As for game, the only thing in that line on the St. Lawrence is 

 ducks. During the spring of this season ducks were very numerous and stayed in 

 the St. Lawrence remarkably late, he presumes due to not being shot at, and so far 

 this fall are more numerous than they were last year. 



On March 16th he visited Cranberry Lake to inspect some hoop nets. On June 

 17th, by order of the Department, he went to Cornwall by train, thence by boat to 

 Stanley Island and back to Cornwall, and the next morning took train to Lan- 

 caster, 'thence to Williamstown by horse and rig, and played detective, till he got 

 a few names of parties who had been illegally fishing, and seized two nets which 

 he brought away with him. Tried to get a summons from a local magistrate, but 

 finding that it would be useless, he returned home. By orders from Department, 

 he laid complaint before Warden Hunter. By appointment with him on July 13th 

 they returned to Lancaster, and had four of the same parties tried before him, 

 three of whom pleaded guilty; the fourth pleaded not guilty, and, being sworn him- 

 self, acknowledged to having caught hard fisih, as also the others had, and all four 

 were fined $5 and costs. A fifth man for whom he had a summons, being a young 

 man without encumbrance, had skipped. This place in the spring is fished by 

 hundreds, principally for suckers, but there is no doubt of their catching hard fish 

 also. 



July 7th, on his way up river/ near Jones^ Creek, he seized and confiscated a 

 very large gill net. This net he knew existed and was being used two years ago, 

 but he could never get it. He says that there are two others he will capture sooner 

 or later, which he knows exist the same way. Nothing more of note happened until 

 Aug. 10th, when he got a minnow net from an American poacher. This happened 



