INVESTIGATIONS IN MISSISSIPPI, LOUISIANA, AND TEXAS. 301 



50,000 to 250,000 young; 1,000 such fish would produce from 50,000,000 

 to 250,000,000 young. It is, of course, impossible to say how many 

 would live and grow to maturity, but that the number would be quite 

 adequate to greatly improve the fishery can not be doubted. 



The importance of these facts has already impressed the dealers. 

 They realize that something must be speedily done to prevent the 

 practical extinction of the business in which they are engaged. The 

 fishermen are also beginning to realize that the methods in vogue are 

 destructive and detrimental to any permanent fishery interests. So 

 strongly impressed are both dealers and fishermen with the threatened 

 destruction of the fishing interests of the Atchafalaya Eiver that they 

 are anxious that the State enact legislation for their preservation. In 

 the absence of any law regulating the fishery it is scarcely possible to 

 secure any united action among the various ones interested looking 

 toward the conservation of the supply. 



While the investigations were limited to the Atchafalaya Eiver, and 

 chiefly to that portion of the river tributary to Morgan City, there is 

 every reason to believe that the catfish supply is diminishing through- 

 out the State. The brief investigations made at Melville and reports 

 received from Plaquemine agree fully with the results obtained at 

 Morgan City. 



RECOMMENDATIONS. 



In the light of the foregoing facts, it is evident that State legislation 

 is essential to the preservation of the catfish fishery of the Atchafalaya 

 River and in the other waters of the State. The State legislature 

 should, at its first opportunity, enact a law regulating fishing in the 

 State, which should be reasonable and fair to all the interests con- 

 cerned. This law should provide (1) for a close season extending from 

 March 15 to May 15, which period covers the principal spawning season 

 of the two important species of catfish, and (2) it should be made 

 unlawful to catch catfish of less than 4 pounds gross weight. 



SABINE AND NECHES RIVERS. 



The investigations and iuquiries in eastern Texas and western Louisi- 

 ana were made primarily for the purpose of determining the advisability 

 of making plants of shad in the Sabine and Heches rivers. The time 

 was insufficient for making a satisfactory series of observations, there- 

 fore such conclusions as have been reached are purely tentative and 

 may be materially modified when more thorough investigations shall 

 have been made. 



The only places visited were Beaumont, Luf kin, Michelli, and Logans- 

 port. The Neches River was examined at Beaumont and at Bonners 

 Ferry, 10 miles west of Luf kin. The Angelina Biver, a tributary of 

 the Neches, was examined at Michelli, 9 miles north of Lufkin. The 

 Sabine River was inspected at Logansport. 



While at Beaumont a visit was made to some ponds and a small 

 creek near town, from which were obtained sj>ecimens of a number of 



