We invite special attention to the accompanying letters from those who know the facts stated by them. Many verbal reports have come to the commissioners from creditable presons confirming those published.

The food quality of these fish is excellent.

Mr. Carston, of Douglas county, reports that the fish delivered to him in October, 1885, being at that time two or three inches long, in one years, time grew to be from sixteen to eighteen inches long, and weigh from two to two and a half pounds.

Mr. Avery, of Douglas county, also reports his carp, one and a half years old, measuring eighteen inches long, six inches broad, and weighing from three to three and a half pounds.

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of 1885 pro

Mr. Rohwer, of Washington county, says that his duct now weigh from two and a half to three pounds. Several persons in the state, encouraged by the success in a small way, have entered upon the business of raising this and other species of fish for market, and others are contemplating entering into the same enterprise.

The facilities in this state for private fish ponds are not excelled by those of any other state in the union, and the people are beginning to understand the comparative ease and economy with which they can accomplish the desirable result of raising their own fish, besides the pleasure derived in its accomplishment, without regard to the profit that be derived as a business engagement. There is no doubt

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that within a few years the fish growers of Nebraska will be found in our markets with the product of their ponds alongside with those of the fields; when the carp, the bass, the pike, and the trout, all raised in Nebraska water, will tempt the gastronomic proclivities and refinement of the epicure, at a price within the easy reach of all conditions of people—“a consummation devoutly to be wished."

BROOK TROUT.

This species of fish, planted by the commission in the months of February and March, 1884-85 and 6, in the streams of the northern and western parts of the state have lived and made excellent growth.

The commission have not received detailed reports from all the localities where these fish have been planted, but from such reports as we have, both written and verbal, by reputable citizens, there is most incontestable proof that this branch of the work is completely successful. We refer with pleasure to the letter from Major Henry Lippencott, post surgeon U. S. A., at Fort Niobrara; also to the letter of Hon. George A. Brooks, of Bazile Mills, Knox county, also published with this report. The "strange fish" has been reported to members

of the commission from other places.

Those planted in 1884, elsewhere, have doubtless spawned this fall like their beautiful congeners at Bazile Mills. The strange fish seen by the boys, companions of the one they captured by shooting it, were up in that little stream spawning, as it is their instinctive habit to return to their native stream to spawn when old enough to propagate their species. These adult fish would not have left the deep stream below for any other purpose, either at this or any other season of the year, and especially at this season. It is very doubtful if a better record of the growth of the trout at Bazile Mills has been excelled anywhere at the age of the specimen mentioned in Mr. Brook's letter, two years and nine months old, without special care and feeding. This is a natural growth, in its wild state, and shows that the streams of Nebraska contain the best of food for trout; and in a few years hundreds of the streams of the state will teem with the speckled beauties, all through the northern and western borders of the state, while the bass, the wall-eyed pike, and carp will people the waters of the eastern and central portions of the state.

BLACK BASS.

The work of the commission in this regard has been attended with gratifying results. In every instance, where these desirable fish have been planted, from which we have received reports, the fish are doing well, in private as well as in public ponds and lakes. The commission has increased the facilities for breeding these fish, and will no doubt be able in a short time to supply black bass for every unstocked lake and stream in the state.

WALL-EYED PIKE.

The report of the superintendent shows with what success this branch of the work has been carried forward notwithstanding the great difficulty in handling with safety, both the eggs and the fry. The commission need more adequate means for transporting the young fish to different parts of the state. Shipping them in cans such long distances (in many cases several hundred miles), often requiring two or three days en route, is attended with great inconvenience and hazard, and sometimes total loss of the fish; and we earnestly call attention to our last report on the subject. Much better results could be accomplished if the facilities there referred to can be procured.

The commission recommend that the work of supplying the walleyed pike to our lakes and streams should be continued until every lake and stream adapted to them shall be well stocked with this valuable fish. It is a good grower, and its natural food exists in abundance in all fresh water lakes and streams in the sttate.

The sum appropriated two years ago for obtaining "fish eggs, fish, keeping them, printing, postage, etc.," was entirely inadequate to meet the legitimate necessary expenses demanded in the work of obtaining fish eggs and fish, and distributing or planting the same; and for this reason the work performed in that essential branch of the business has been greatly curtailed in order to keep within the limit of the appropriation for these objects, and the results, for this reason, have not been what they otherwise would with a more ample provision for meeting this branch of the work, the most important of all. The facilities at the fishery are sufficient for much greater work. The waters of the state adapted to useful species of fish are more extensive than is generally understood, and are generally distributed over the entire territory, not excepting a single county, and scarcely a township in the whole area of 76,000 square miles.

The planting of trout, bass, pike, and other species of food fish in a few streams and lakes makes very little show. As an experiment to test the practicability of the enterprise, this condition is only justifiable. It has required years to demonstrate the fact, but since it is now proven beyond doubt or cavil, the board are fully justified in asking more ample provision in this behalf.

The supply of valuable food fishes in the lakes and streams of this great state for the ultimate use of its rapidly increasing thousands of inhabitants is within the reach of well directed energy in that behalf. It is no longer an experiment. It needs only the liberal hand of the legislature to assure it by needed appropriation to carry on the work, and judicious legislation for its protection from the destructive methods and the greedy avariciousness of the market fisherman, who ekes out a miserable existence by destroying that which he in no way aids in producing.

A law providing for the election or appointment of an officer in each precinct, clothed with the authority and official duty to make arrests of persons violating the laws for the protection of game and fish, and to seize the guilty devices used in their nefarious business, and confiscate them, with adequate puishment of the individual, should be speedily passed and rigorously enforced.

The commission again recommend that the law prohibiting the taking of fish in the inland waters of the state with seines, nets, and other devices, except by hook and line, should be amended so as to more clearly define the distinction between private and public ponds and streams. A pond or stream embraced within the boundaries of a single or common ownership may be, and probably should be, excepted from such prohibition. But, on the contrary, meandered lakes and streams, and all lakes and streams not under the exclusive dominion of a single owner, or joint ownership in common, are in the nature of public waters, and legislation upon the subject should be clear and specific. As the law now stands some persons claim that the owner or lessee of the land upon one side of a stream, as the Elkhorn river, for instance, may stretch a trammel-net or draw a seine for catching the fish that pass and repass in the stream, and by parity of reason, by leasing a small strip of a few rods, or feet, even, along its opposite bank, may stretch his nets from shore to shore and thus arrest the passage of every fish, both great and small. Of course this is not a true interpretation of the law, but its present phraseology affords a quibble for those whose greed and selfishness impel them to seek some excuse for violating the law, and makes prosecutions for such violations sometimes difficult. With the enforcement of reasonable and

adequate laws in this behalf, the work of the fish commission will result in the stocking of every stream and lake in the state with valuable food fishes, and add both wealth to the state and comfort and amusement to its people.

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We desire to notice the continued and uniform assistance and courtof the railway companies in aiding the commission in carrying on its work, by furnishing free transportation to the commissioners, superintendent and messengers, with permits to carry fish cans in the baggage cars.

The commission earnestly recommend that an appropriation be made by the legislature for establishing in connection with the fisheries a museum where specimens of the fish fauna of the state may be collected and preserved as well as batrachia and other animals that subsist upon or are destructive to fish. The inauguration of such an enterprise would not cost a large sum at the utmost, and would be attended with valuable results in the propagation and care of fish, as well as the enlightenment of the people upon this very much neglected subject. A suitable building of brick or stone can be erected for $2,500 to $3,000, which, with an incidental fund of a few hundred dollars for furnishing needed apparatus, etc., would place the enterprise upon a practical footing with the other work of the commission. The superintendent has already commenced the collection and preservation of both fish and batrachia, incidental to his other work, but of necessity in a limited degree, because he has not the room at his command in which to keep them when procured. The exhibition of the few specimens of both live and preserved fish, etc., at the state fairs in 1885 and 1886 at a very slight expense to the commission has created a widespread interest in the state in the matter of fish culture and shows conclusively that the inevitable result of a collection as here spoken of would be of vast benefit to the people of the state. For prosecuting the work of the commission for the years 1887 and 1888 the commission recommend that the following sums be appropriated, viz.: