REPORT OF THE FISH AND GAME COMMISSION. 23 



shortening several seasons and giving needed protection to geese. Bag 

 limits on waterfowl and upland game birds were also materially 

 reduced, thus going a step farther than the federal law. The additional 

 protection given salmon by the prohibition of netting in the Sacramento 

 River above Vina and the making of a closed season from May 15th to 

 the close of the year for the district between Vina and Colusa, has 

 resulted in a notable increase in the fish ascending the McCloud River. 

 The legislation regulating the operations of commercial fishermen is 

 assuring the conservation of the fishery resources. The law giving 

 protection to the spiked buck has been widely observed and unanimously 

 indorsed. The uniform season for rabbits and quail has been instru- 

 mental in keeping the gunner out of the fields until the young quail 

 have matured. Although the rabbit may sometimes be a pest, yet if we 

 profit by the experience of Pennsylvania this game mammal of the 

 common hunter must be carefully protected. Pennsylvania is now 

 attempting to restock the state with rabbits. The dove season is now 

 much more satisfactory and band-tailed pigeons have received needed 

 protection. The elimination of ''bull hunting" has proved to be a wise 

 conservation measure. The future will still more clearly demonstrate 

 the value of the new and amended fish and game laws of the 1915 legis- 

 lature. 



The District Offices. 



On account of the vast area of our state and in order that the work 

 of the commission in the various parts might be expedited, there have 

 been created three administrative divisions, the San Francisco, Sacra- 

 mento and Los Angeles. The head office is located in San Francisco. 

 Here are also the offices of the departments of Fish Culture, Com- 

 mercial Fisheries, Licenses and Bookkeeping. 



Assistants working in the San Francisco Division patrol an area 

 covering 46,000 square miles with a population of nearly 1,500,000. 

 The Sacramento office attends to the work of the commission in the 

 Sacramento Valley and the northeastern part of the state, covering an 

 area of 43,347 square miles with a population of nearly 500,000. The 

 Los Angeles office is in charge of the southern part of the state whicli 

 has an area of 56,435 square miles and a population of nearly 1,000,000. 

 For several years, the commission maintained an office in the San 

 Joaquin Valley at Fresno. It was deemed expedient to combine this 

 office with the San Francisco office early in the year 1916. Mr. A. D. 

 Ferguson, who had been in charge since the division was created, was 

 made Field Agent with duties extending into all parts of the state. 



Conspicuous among the activities of the Sacramento Division have 

 been the winter feeding of game and the seining of fish from overflowed 

 lands. 



