REPORT ON INVESTIGATIONS BY THE U. S. FISH COMMISSION 

 IN MISSISSIPPI, LOUISIANA, AND TEXAS, IN 1897. 



By Barton Warren Evermann, Ph. D., 

 Ichthyologist of the United States Fish Commission. 



INTRODUCTION. 



In the present paper are embodied reports upon three distinct inves- 

 tigations, viz: 



1. An examination of the waters in southwestern Mississippi in the 

 vicinity of the mouths of Pearl River, for the purpose of determining 

 their general character, what fishes they already contain, and whether 

 additional species may be advantageously introduced into them. This 

 investigation was made at the instance of Hon. Robert C. Davey, Rep- 

 resentative in Congress from the second district of Louisiana, Hon. A. 

 Baldwin, of New Orleans, and other gentlemen of that city, who take 

 an interest in keeping up the supply of game and food-fishes of that 

 region. 



2. An investigation of the catfish industry of the Atchafalaya River, 

 Louisiana. Representations had been made to the Commission by the 

 fishing firms of Morgan City, through Hon. Robert F. Broussard, Rep- 

 resentative in Congress from the third district of Louisiana, that the 

 catch of catfish had greatly decreased within the last few years. It 

 was requested that an investigation be made as to the fact and cause 

 of the decrease, and that recommendations be made as to the remedy. 



3. Upon the recommendation of Hon. S. B. Cooper, Representative 

 in Congress from the second district of Texas, an examination was 

 made of the Sabine and Neches rivers with reference to their fitness 

 for shad. 



These various investigations were carried on under the immediate 

 direction of Professor Evermann, who was assisted in the field work by 

 Mr. Fred. M. Chamberlain and Mr. H. R. Center, both of the division 

 of scientific inquiry of the IT. S. Fish Commission. The party left 

 Washington April 13, 1897, arriving at New Orleans the next day. 

 On the 15th they went to Baldwin Lodge, Mississippi, at the mouth of 

 Pearl River, where investigations were carried on by the entire party 

 until April 18, and by Messrs. Chamberlain and Center for one day 

 longer. On the 19th Professor Evermann went to Morgan City, and at 

 once went on board the fishing tug Shamrock for a trip through those 

 portions of the Atchafalaya River and its connecting lakes and bayous 



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