96 ORTMANN— THE DESTRUCTION OF [April 23. 



instance). This is not so in certain remote streams, but not on 

 account of the legitimate pursuit of the sport, but in consequence 

 of the illegal destruction of the fishes. The worst is the dynamiting 

 of the streams which, of course, can be carried out safely only in 

 such places where the fish warden is likely not watching. I can 

 name at least one stream, in which this has had serious conse- 

 quences : Raccoon Creek in Beaver County, and here it is done, as 

 I have been informed, by parties that come over the state line from 

 West Virginia and Ohio, and that have no right whatever to fish in 

 our waters. The fish warden cannot be on the spot all the time, 

 and the farmers of the region are powerless to stop the abuse, and 

 thus Raccoon Creek, which is physically in good condition, and 

 which used to teem with fish life, has been spoiled. For the dyna- 

 miting kills all fishes, old and young indiscriminately, and must be 

 regarded as the most contemptuous way of wanton destruction. 



I do not doubt that it is resorted to in other parts (I heard of 

 one case mDeer Cr^^^^ Allegheny County, not far from Pittsburgh ) , 

 yet, of course, since it is executed by the guilty parties only under 

 rigorous precautions, in order that they may not be caught by the 

 authorities, such cases generally escape detection. 



There is only one other group of fresh- water animals which is 

 of direct value to man (if we disregard the muskrat, which is hunted 

 for its pelt, and some turtles, which are eaten). These are the 

 fresh- water mussels (Unionidse). For food they are not much 

 sought, but the occasional occurrence of pearls in them makes them 

 valuable. In Pennsylvania pearl fishing is not much practiced, yet 

 I know that certain individuals hunt for pearls in mussels along the 

 Allegheny River in Armstrong County, and once I came across a 

 party of three, hunting pearls in the Ohio in Beaver County. These 

 people were from somewhere down the Ohio in the state of Ohio or 

 West Virginia, and it was indeed a sight to look upon the wholesale 

 destruction carried on by them. 



In general we may say that by the direct action of man our 

 fresh-water fauna, chiefly that of the fishes, has suffered a good 

 deal, but the complete extermination has not been brought about by 

 it in any stream. Fishing might go on in the usual way, under the 

 established legal restrictions, and our fish fauna will survive indefi- 



