89 
ucker family and the smaller sun-fishes—the larger species of the 
irst and the three buffalo-fishes being more generally and widely 
narketed than all other species together. Our river carp, a nearly 
vorthless fish, included with the suckers, is not at all to be con- 
ounded with the European carp, the two belonging, in fact, to dif- 
erent families. The sturgeon, the sheepshead, the white bass, the 
‘triped bass, most of our sun-fishes, and the burbot of the lakes 
wre also generally eaten. Indeed, even the dog-fish and the shovel- 
ish are esteemed for food in some localities. 
Briefly, we may say that of our one hundred and thirty-two na- 
jive fishes, about twelve are of superior quality; six, at least,— 
he white-fish, the lake trout, the two pike perch and the two 
lack bass, being among the best of all fresh water fishes. Hight- 
xen others are of fair and always merchantable quality, and at least 
» dozen more are really to be classed as edible, although they 
ire not always eaten. 
Besides these forty or more directly useful species, nearly all the 
sthers are to be considered indirectly valuable, as affording indis- 
yensable food to the edible kinds, especially to the best of these, 
ihe most highly-prized game fishes. While it may be an open 
juestion whether some of the poorer food-fishes on our list do not 
more harm than good by appropriating food which would otherwise 
naintain a large number of their betters, the absolutely injurious 
species—those which inflict injury and render no benetit, direct or 
ndirect, in return—are only the two lampreys and the three gars, 
ihe first being parasites and the others predaceous species which are 
aever eaten themselves, either by fishes or by men. 
I think that no one, with these facts in mind, can for a moment 
Joubt that the native fish fauna of Illinois is well worthy of care- 
‘ul study and of most solicitous protection. Its value, present and 
srospective, now little understood, will become more and more evi- 
dent as the people of the State become better educated in our local 
aatural history, and will, in fact, rapidly appreciate as food becomes 
more costly, and as the intelligent and well-directed efforts of our 
State Fish Commission bear their necessary fruit. It is the writer’s 
awn Opinion that the preservation and improvement of our native 
fishes, already adapted to our climate, waters, and peculiar condi- 
lions of life, afford a far more promising field of practical fish 
culture than the importation of foreign species, except, perhaps, the 
European carp. 
Cuampaicn, Iuu., December 30, 1884. 
