9 



ands of fish wliicli will, at the opening of next season, be ready 

 to begin their work of reproduction in the waters which are their 

 natural homes, and under the conditions natural to their habits, 

 we may hope for marked and encouraging results. It would seem 

 to ITS, to be the most practical and economical method of propa- 

 gation and distribution possible. And as the question is not now, 

 nor has it been for years, one of experirnent, but a fact demon- 

 strated by an increase in the supply in every portion of the State, 

 we fully believe that, with better facilities for our work, and 

 proper protection for the fish, it can not be long before our State 

 will be, as it was originally, one of the best in the Union for fish. 



DISTRIBUTION OF NATIVE FISH. 



The fish distributed in our inland streams and lakes, are. such 

 as are gathered from the sloughs and holes along the Mississippi 

 River, left there by the receding Avaters, and if not so cared for, 

 would perish in countless numbers each season. They are 

 gathered by means of small-meshed seines. Such as are not used 

 for distribution, are put into nearest deep water. When men are 

 not occupied in gathering for distribution, their time is utilized 

 in rescuing the fish from these drying holes, and putting them 

 in the river. The fish gathered are, in the main, of the varieties 

 named below, and are native to Illinois waters. The following 

 are the varieties found: 



Big mouthed Black Bass, Small mouthed Black Bass, Croppie, 

 pale; Croppie, black; Wall-eyed Pike, Pickerel, Pike, Striped 

 Bass, White Bass, -Yellow Bass, Ringed Perch, Spotted Catfish, 

 Channel Catfish, White Perch, Sun Fishes, Buffalo. 



With these, however, there are more or less of the Hickory 

 Shad and the Minnow family, which are as essential to a success- 

 ful planting of fish, as the better varieties themselves, furnishing 

 food for the latter, being prolific breeders, and adapting them- 

 selves to the waters of the State, equally as well as the others. 



Of the varieties enumerated, the Pickerel, Wall-eyed Pike, and 

 Ringed Perch, have been i^lenty only of late years, plants of 

 them having been made throughout the State, and in the Missis- 

 sippi river in 1881, 1882, 1883, and at various times since. The 

 spawn of the Wall-ej'ed Pike was obtained at Green Lake, Wis., 

 and hatched artificially. The Pickerel and Ringed Perch having 

 been brought from Lake Michigan, Lake Geneva and Green Lake 

 as spawners. Ringed Perch, in season of 1887 were very plentiful, 

 being taken in very large numbers when seining the small ponds 

 for fish, but this season have, so far, proved to be scarce. The 

 Wall-eyed Pike and Silver Bass predominated early in the season, 

 greater quantities of the young being taken, than in any previous 

 season, which, as noted before, was true as regards the mature 

 fish. 



We used, in distribution, cars No. 1 and 2^ of the United 

 States Fish Commission. Car No. 1, in charge of Newton Simmons, 



