11 



We can only judge by comparison of llie practijal nature of the 

 work performed by the Commission. We cannot tell just what 

 has been accomplished by the plants made in public waters, but 

 when in lakes free from overflow we chu estimate the increase 

 very closely, and watch the growth of the iii-li planted. Some 

 remarkable Jesuits have followed the planting of bafs and crappie 

 in inland lakes. We note particularly the rapid growth and large 

 increase in black bass which have been planted in inland ponds 

 under conditions that would naturally seem adverse, the water 

 still and fed only by surface drainage, and during the summer 

 months attaining a high temperature. The san)e results have been 

 obtained with the crappie and perch. If our game fish can thrive 

 under such conditions we may reasonably expect even greater re- 

 sults when the same fish are planted in running streams, and with 

 all the conditions favorable to a natural growth and increase. 

 The varieties distributed comprised the following list: 



Black bass. 



Strawberry bass (black crappie or calico bass). 



Crappie. 



Ring perch. 



Spotted cat-flsli. , 



Carp. 



Red-eye perch. 



Sun flsbes. 



Pike perch. 



From the angler's standpoint, the black bass is, perhaps, the 

 best, followed closely by the pike perch, spotted cat-fish, etc., and 

 will adapt themselves to any of the waters of the State. 



In the appendix to this report will be found a list of plants 

 made in public waters, also of private ponds supplied. 



We regard this branch of our work as one of its most import- 

 ant features, and its results as among the most satisfactory. Since 

 the organization of the Commission, the fish taken from the dry- 

 ing pools and put into the rivers and lakes of this State would 

 represent an immense money value. The fish thus saved annually 

 will aggregate millions of pounds, even at the age of two years, 

 and each succeeding year multiplies their growth and increase. 



Very few people not directly interested in such matters take 

 into consideration the fact that fish form a very large proportion 

 of the food supply of the people, and so do not realiz*^ the im- 

 portance of making our rivers and lakes as productive as they 

 once were. 



The fish saved each year serve, also, to offset to a great extent, 

 the immense drain upon the waters resulting from tlie universal 

 use of seines and nets. Some idea of the extent of the annual 

 loss from this cause may be had by an examination of the illus- 

 trations in this report, reproduced from photographs taken by 

 Prof. Forbes' corps of biological students, on the Illinois river. 

 From them can be drawn a fair conception of tlie condition of 



