1916 GAME AND FISHEEIES. 55 



From Overseer Henry W. Reid, of Parry Sounds for Townships of iShawanaga, 

 Ferguson, Carling, MeDougall, McKellar, Christie, Foley, Parry Island, Cowper and 

 Conger. 



The fishermen in this division inform me that they ihave had a good average 

 season. The trout in the spring were very good, better than for many years, and they 

 believe that it is the result of good work done by the hatcheries on the Georgian 

 Bay. Some of them recommend tliat a hatchery should be established at Parry 

 Sound, as plenty of spawn could be procured here to supply it. 



The fall fishing has not been very good. Plenty of fish, but the weather con- 

 ditions prevented the men from working. I do not think that the close season being 

 taken off has been of much benefit to the fishermen on this shore, as owing to the 

 low price it did not pay them to take the risk and they have stopped operations. 



The bass fishing was not very good this season, but we did not have many 

 tourists, no doubt owing to the w5r. There were a great number of the fishing 

 clubs did not come at all. Pickerel fishing was very fair. 



Mink and muskrat are reported plentiful. 



A large number of hunters passed through here during the hunting season. 

 Deer were plentiful and the hunters were well satisfied. 



Partridge are getting very scarce in most parts of this district. In conversa- 

 tion with a lumberman, who spends' nearly all the year in the woods, I asked ihim 

 if he could account for the scarcity. He blames the foxes for it. During the cold 

 nights the birds bury themselves in the snow and the fox comes along and eats them. 

 He says he sees plenty of evidence of this every winter, and he believes that the 

 foxes are just as bad on the birds as the wolves are on the deer. 



Peel County. 



From Overseer John Bemrose, of Claude, for the Townships of Chinguacousy, 

 Caledon, and Albion. 



Last season was a very unusual one, it was so wet the speckled trout got lots 

 of feed without taking the bait. Still anglers made fairly good catches. 



Bass were very scarce. 



Other fish such as suckers were plentiful in the spring. 

 ' Partridge have been very numerous this season, much more than I looked for 

 after such a late and wet spring. I think we can thank the short open season for 

 them. 



Ducks have been plentiful; there was so much water laying ^about the farms a 

 person could see them almost any day all summer. 



Fur-bearing animals are getting very scarce, especially mink and muskrats. I 

 think it would be well to stop the taking of them for about three years to give them 

 a chance to increase. 



Cottontail rabbits are numerous. 



Black squirrel are increasing, but to save them, also the red ones, and all small 

 birds, I would recommend making every boy under 18 years of age pay a license 

 fee of two or three dollars before they could carry either a shotgun or rifle, as I 

 find it is mostly young fellows that are killing off squirrels and small birds. 



From Overseer W. H. Harrison, of Port Credit, for the waters of Lake Ontario 

 fronting on the County of Peel, and for the Kivers Credit and Etobicoke tributary 

 to the said lake. 



The game laws have been well observed in this district, though the foreign 

 !:!lement has given me trouble over their practice of shooting insectivorous birds. 



