matter of record that in one such instance, a catch aggregating over 

 two hundred thousand pounds was made, and at a season of the 

 year when the destruction of one fish meant the loss of thousands 

 of fry. The unfortunate part of such wholesale catches was the 

 waste of a large part of the fish so taken, for the reason that the 

 practice was not confined to the Illinois river only, but was uni- 

 versal on all rivers, and consequently the markets to which the 

 fish were shipped, St. Louis receiving th6 greater part, were 

 glutted and the shipments were either thrown away for lack of 

 purchasers at their destination, or the fish were held in live boxes 

 or seines at points near where they were caught, and the result 

 in the latter case was that it was no uncommon thing to see thous- 

 ands of dead fish floating down the river, thrown out of live boxes 

 or seines. This means of fishing could have but one result, viz. : 

 the rapid reduction of the supply, and this season's catch has 

 demonstrated even to the fishermen the fact that the wholesale 

 catching of buflPalo during the spawning season has been "killing 

 the goose that laid the golden egg." The responsible fishermen, 

 those who have a large amount of money invested in the business, 

 are now realizing the situation and are among the strongest advo- 

 cates of legislation that will protect the fish, and of the enforce- 

 ment of existing laws, but the true poacher, if such he may be 

 called, who does not give a thought to to-morrow but relies 

 solely on the products of each day's work, no matter how obtained, 

 is the greatest obstacle to the successful protection of fish. He maj' be 

 found in all rivers, in a cabin boat backed up in some bay or 

 behind some island, with his rig, usually working at night and 

 taking the product of his nets miles away to a market. 



The trammel net consists of three parts. A net made as a seine, 

 usually of four inch mesh, and made of small twine, with another 

 net of one to two inch mesh, loosely suspended on each side, is 

 placed around a tree top or across a stream, and the fishermen, 

 by pounding the water, start the fish to running, and when they 

 strike the outside or small mesh net they are carried through the 

 large net and pocket themselves. 



These nets are used as a rule, to fish lakes where it is difficult 

 to draw a seine. 



In addition to all these unlawful means of taking fish is the 

 use of dynamite and other explosives, which cause the complete de- 

 pletion of the lakes in which they are used. It is, of course, con- 

 trary to the law, in all places and at all times, but notwithstand- 

 ing that fact is frequently used. While all these means of 

 destruction exert a great influence on the supply of fish, they are 

 of such a nature that they may be controlled, to some extent, by 

 legislation, and will be in time upon a popular demand for such 

 laws as will properly protect a food suppl}-. There is another so- 

 called legitimate practice, however, which does much harm and is 

 a very important factor in reducing the supply. This is the indis- 

 criminate taking of everything that will bite by hook and line. 

 It is not an unusual thiuii: to see strings of fish numberino: from 



