1912 GAME AND FISHEEIES. 13 



Woodcock. 



This bird is still very scarce in his district. He has heard of a few being 

 killed, but not enough to really count them as one of the game birds of the district. 



Black Squirrels. 



So much of the woods has been cut down in his district that there are not 

 many places left for the squirrels. He is glad to report, however, that they are still 

 increasing in numT)er, which is attributed by sportsmen to the short season in 

 which they are allowed to be shot. 



Wild Geese. 



Very few of these birds were killed in his district. Instead of frequenting the 

 marshes as formerly, where the sportsmen shot them over decoys in the same man- 

 ner as they shot ducks, these birds now spread all over the country, and feed in the 

 wheat fields, so that they are far more difficult to approach. 



Wild Ducks. 



The Long Point District has been visited by fully as many of the marsh ducks 

 as usual, the black duck, mallard and pin-tail being very numerous. A number 

 of the black ducks have again bred in the marshes about Long Point Bay this sea- 

 son. The deep water or bay ducks, such as canvas-backs, red-heads and blue-bills, 

 have not been as numerous this fall as for a number of years past. Sportsmen, 

 however, attribute this to the fact that the weather in the North- West has not been 

 cold enough to drive these ducks south yet. While there are great quantities of 

 the marsh ducks here, the weather has been very fine this fall, so that very few 

 large bags have been made. 



Fur-Beaking Animals. 



The muskrat continues to be the main fur-bearing animal in his district. The 

 water in Lake Erie, however was so low last winter that the trappers report the, 

 catch last spring as being less than for some years past. This fall the water is 

 still lower, and he fears that there will be a very small catch next spring. Some 

 of the game companies surrounding Long Point Bay are limiting the trapping 

 during this period of low water in order to have enough rats left in the marshes 

 for breeding purposes. He would again report that the fur of the rats killed in 

 December is of an inferior quality. None of the persons owning marsh lands trap 

 them during December, but all of them wait until spring, so that the only rats 

 killed in December are those taken by poachers, and he would again strongly 

 recommend that the killing of muskrats in the month of December be prohibited, 

 and that the use of dogs, spears and guns in the taking of muskrats also be pro- 

 hibited. 



He is glad to report that the game laws in his district have been well observed. 



The Deputy Wardens and Overseers have performed their duties in an efficient 

 manner, so that there have been practically no complaints of infringements of the 

 law. 



Warden Victor Chauvin, of Windsor, reports that the fishermen are satisfied 

 with their catch of whitefish this fall; some claim that they caught more white- 

 fish than the previous year, and they are still running good. He had complaints 



