FISHERIES, GAME AND FORESTS. 117 



The larvae of the dragon-fly, under the name of the " What is it," was said to 

 have been " discovered " as a black bass bait in the Mohawk River, and its fame as 

 such has traveled far into the State, and it is an excellent bait and will take black 

 bass when other baits fail. Anglers have sent from various parts of the State to the 

 Mohawk for the bait, when probably they have it in their home waters, and it 

 requires only the manipulation of a landing net with strong frame and small mesh in 

 the water weeds to obtain it. 



There is such a demand for this bait that men may be seen almost daily from the 

 car windows on the Delaware and Hudson Canal Company's railroad, netting the flags 

 in the pond holes near West Troy. 



Perhaps the most rapacious of water insects is the water beetle, Dytiscus. The 

 larva? have mandibles which close upon their victims with certain destruction, and 

 little fishes are their victims on occasions; but larger fishes eat the beetle; though they 

 are not to be cultivated, for in larval and in perfect form they will work destruction 

 among a lot of fry. The larvae has six legs near the head, and its segmented body 

 tapers towards the tail. In the different species, the larvae may be from one to one 

 and a half inches long. 



If the test net is used to determine the desirable fish food that may be in any water 

 and the amount of it, it will be of considerable assistance to the Commission in filling 

 applications for fish for public waters understanding^ ; and if its use is further con- 

 tinued as a means of transplanting fish food from waters where it abounds to waters 

 where it is scarce, it will add greatly to the success of fish planting. The cultivation 

 and transplanting of fish food should receive some attention from every one interested 

 in fishes, whether as food or for sport. 



A. N. CHENEY, 



State Fish Culturist. 



