IC 



law have been talked over, and an effort made on the part of some 

 to inaugurate a movement that would induce the iishermen them- 

 selves to prepare the spawn as taken from the ripe tish when caught 

 and dressed and deposit it in the lake, as one of the steps towards a 

 means of propagation. Mr. A. Booth, one of the largest fish dealers 

 in Chicago, if not in the world, said in an interview with one of the 

 commissioners : 



"I have been engaged in the fish trade here in Chicago for a 

 great number oif years, and I am sorry to say that the w^hite fish 

 and lake trout are getting scarcer^ each year. A few years ago a 

 boat and crew could without trouble catch a boat load in a day. 

 To-day a number of boats and crews with a tug could not get half 

 the number. Something must be done to bring up the supply or 

 we will soon be out of white fish here in Lake Michigan. I get 

 my supplies from points at a great distance from Chicago, but 

 what is true of Lake Michigan will soon be true of the other great 

 lakes. I am of the opinion, however, that a means of production 

 by artificial propagation can be devised that will accomplish the 

 desired result better tban any protective measures. We who are in 

 the business are anxious for some means to be devised to increase 

 the supply, and I for one would be glad to give the use of boats 

 and men to promote any such interest." 



As before stated, Illinois has so far done but little in the matter 

 of stocking the lakes, much of the work having been done in the 

 interest of the inland lakes and streams. During the month of 

 April, 1886, the United States Fish Commission's car No. 3 was sent 

 out to Chicago, at which place a meeting of the American Fisheries 

 Society was held at that time. The car was used as a hatching 

 station, having been fitted up for that purpose. About 3,000,000 

 white fish weie hatched from eggs supplied from the Northville sta- 

 tion. The fry so hatched was planted at various points in the lake 

 within the borders of the State. We would recommend that a small 

 hatching house for the purpose of hatching the white fish for Lake 

 Michigan, and wall-eyed pike for the interior lakes and streams, be 

 built and maintained at some convenient place — Chicago or Wauke- 

 gan — and that a liberal amount of work be done in this direction. 

 The eggs would be furnished by those interested in a commercial 

 way, and the cost of such work and maintenance would be com- 

 paratively slight. 



SHAD. 



The United States Fish Commission sent Illinois one carload of 

 shad, which were planted in the Fox, Eock and Illinois Pavers. 

 What has been the result of such planting we cannot state. That 

 it will be a success we doubt, as but little encouragement has so 

 far been obtained from former plants made during previous years 

 at various points in the State and at different northern points on 

 the Mississippi River. 



FISHWAY3. 



In a former report the necessity of fishways, the laws regarding 

 them, the opposition to their construction and the finding of the 

 court in favor 'of the law, were fully considered. Acting upon the 



