54 THE REPOET UPON^ No. 13 



guns to the bush. He found several in the bush this year whom he strongly sus- 

 pected of hunting partridge, but they said they were after rabbits, and he had no 

 proof to the contrary. 



Middlesex County. 



Overseer William Bohr, of Byron^ reports that the fishing in the Thames 

 River was about the same as last year. The game laws have been very well 

 observed. He would suggest a close season all the year round for black squirrels, 

 ^.s they are beginning to get very scarce. Quails are almost extinct in this neigh- 

 .bourhood. Partridge are scarce. There are more flocks of ducks and geese than 

 last year. 



Overseer J. D. Camphell, of Sylvan, reports that the law has been well observed 

 in his division during the present season. Coarse fish have been very plentiful and 

 game fish scarce. The two fishways in his division are in good repair. Game of 

 all kinds, except ducks, is very scarce. 



Overseer W. E. Collins,'^ of Stratliroy, reports that the law in his district has 

 been fairly well observed, no illegal fishing having come to his notice. The catch 

 of pickerel, pike and bass was about the same as last year, and altogether the 

 fishing was very good. 



Squirrels were plentiful this season, but not many mink or muskrats, as the 

 young were flooded out by the rains. Partridge were scarce, also quail. He 

 thinks last winter was a hard one on them. 



Overseer Arthur Corsant, of Masonville, reports that the fishing in his dis- 

 trict has been light on account of some high water in the river and streams 

 this summer caused by the heavy rains. There have been some very fine catches 

 of black bass. The laws have been well observed. 



The fur-bearing animals will soon become extinct. 



He thinks that the hunting or killing of those animals for at least three years 

 in his district should be prohibited. 



Overseer J. M. Temple, of Dorchester, reports that the fish laws are generally 

 well kept by the country people, but they are broken by the city people and boys 

 from the city destroying the small birds and going around people's buildings, 

 firing at and destroying useful articles. Therefore he thinks that a sufficient 

 reason to place a license of five dollars on each gun, and the man who buys the 

 license be permitted to do trapping, and not without a license. There are scarcely 

 any quail. Black squirrels are scarce; in fact, all game and birds are scarce. Mink 

 and muskrats are scarce in this section, also coon. Otter is an animal of the 

 past. There are no beaver nor deer. Some few fox were caught last winter. 

 There are quite a number of hares in the swamps, and cottontail rabbits are quite 

 plentiful. He thinks there should be a fine for allowing dogs to run and annoy 

 and kill young cottontail rabbits, so there would be more to shoot when they are in 

 season. 



He has been taking notice since the first day of Xovemher, 1911, concerning 

 fur-bearing animals, and finds as mink come in season on the 1st of November, 

 that as traps are set in or near the water a number of muskrats are caught and 

 killed and their hides cured, and when the parties are spoken to they make the 

 remark they did not set for rats ; and small boys do a lot of violating of the law 



