^1011 GAME AND FISHERIES. 39 



reveinie from the sale of angling permits as large as other years. The Law has 

 been fairly well lived up to, there being only one violation of consequence in the 

 seine fishing. This was reported to the Department, and the license was cancelled. 

 He thinks it would be well not to allow the carp seine fishing to run later than the 

 10th of May at the latest, as he believes the dragging of the nets in the bay after 

 that, seriously interferes with the spawning of the bass. 



Ducks have been very numerous in the marshes, but the shooting on the bay 

 has not been up to the average. The partridge are very scarce in that section, but 

 the black squirrels are very numerous, and in some sections have been very de- 

 structive. He tliinks it is a great mistake not having the open season the same 

 for partridge and squirrel. He also thinks the plover and duck open seasons should 

 be the same and that it would cause consideral)le less trouble and expense in looking 

 after it. 



Overseer James Voices, of Nanticolce, reports that as a general rule the fishing 

 has been exceptionally good, both for gill nets and pound nets. The tug men all 

 report large catches of whitefish, herring and blue pickerel, and the tugs have been 

 in commission the whole season, and good prices have been realized. No infractions 

 of the law among the tug fishermen licensed by him in his district have come to 

 his notice. 



The pound net fishing has also been very good. During the month of Novem- 

 ber, last year, the whitefish were very plentiful, and some > 40,000,000 whitefish 

 spawn were taken from the Nanticoke fishery to the Pennsylvania State Hatchery 

 at Erie. The hatching was very successful, and immense quantities of fry were 

 put into the lake. His licensees are unanimous in the opinion that these large 

 quantities of fry which are being put into the lake of late years are responsible 

 for the improved state of the fisheries, and are very anxious and willing to do 

 all they can to assist the officials from the hatcheries in the performance of their 

 duties. Herring were about up to the average for the pound nets, blue pickerel were 

 plentiful and yellow pickerel (dore), were above the average of the past few years. 

 Unusually large numbers of white bass were present along the shore during the 

 months of August and September, and owing to the protection given to the black 

 bass, they also appear to be increasing in numbers. Rather more sturgeon than 

 usual were caught in the eastern portion of his district, but the western portion of 

 the county reports below the average. Coarse fish were very plentiful, especially 

 carp and suckers, and the perch fishing was well up to the average. 



The angling in the Grand River was very poor, owing to high and muddy water, 

 during most of the angling season. 



Black squirrels appear to be more plentiful than usual and the short open 

 season now in force will doubtless tend to make them still more plentiful another 

 year. He has not heard of any infractions of the law about shooting squirrel out 

 of season as yet, and has posted notices announcing the change in the open season. 



Muskrat were very plentiful last winter, but he imagines they will not be 

 so plentiful the coming season. He reported two infringements of the law, both for 

 taking muskrats out of season. In each case the party was fined $5.00 and the 

 money and hides forwarded to the Department. 



Duck-shooting on the Grand River was very good. There appears to be some 

 feeling against the use of "pump" guns, as not giving the duck any chance at all. 



There is also a very strong feeling among the sportsmen, because the wood- 

 cock season does not open until the 15th October, because the woodcock move 

 south before the season opens, and our friends on the other side get all the benefit 



