ar Ps oo ie e + oe He ae is Ge bi i os ie i we Sout regan ee oa ~ J SS trshes v-* U. S. COMMISSION OF FISH AND FISHERIES. S. 3 GEORGE M. BOWERS, Commissioner. DWision of Fishes, National Museu: (Pane oe TY Roe ORE OF THE COMMISSIONER THE YEAR ENDING JUNE 380, 1898. WASHINGTON: GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE. 1899, thea CONT EN TS. Page. TRO Ore THN CHiN NO Re Shp oSons onde Coop aaeSCn Ben Han sade CoSeoree acer VII-X XIX Report on the Propagation and Distribution of Food-Fishes. By W.deC. JREWGiGll -coS6qnesHdd dobscuicced cOsdbTIE ad BESO BODE EE Ep boo SudabuoE XXXI-CXXII Report on Inquiry respecting Food-fishes and the Fishing-Grounds. By (ECTS LLL SETS 2 GRE SSE SRS Sai Be ee ee ees See CXXIII-CXLVI Report of the Division of Statistics and Methods of the Fisheries. By Ob JEG MINCR PIR GI eon Coccne.s Hers oo Sabb ote HeoU OOO EE OOOTOoe CXLVII-CLXXV APPENDICES. Report on Mackerel Investigations in 1897. By J. Percy Moore.-.---...-..--- 1-22 Report on Fishes obtained by the Steamer Albatross in the vicinity of Santa Catalina Island and Monterey Bay. By Charles H. Gilbert ..---...---- ---- 23-29 Notes on the Extent and Condition of the Alewife Fisheries of the United Smeen ie sone ce ly Emon, Smibhn ean. 628 oa dieses eau dane anal Soeenicee 31-48 Report on the Oyster Beds of Louisiana. By H. F. Moore........-.....-... 45-100 The Shad Fisheries of the Atlantic Coast of the United States. By Charles ERG SLO VODSON jane =o einer. ees = sa minin | Seloreiowoe Sa geminacns co os ceeesesie cease 101-269 List of Fishes collected at the Revillagigedo Archipelago and Neighboring Islands. By David Starr Jordan and R.C. McGregor.......-.-----.----- 271-284 Report on Investigations by the U. 8. Fish Commission in Mississippi, Louisi- ana, and Texas in 1897. By Barton W. Evermann............--...------ 285-310 List of Publications of the U. 8. Fish Commission available for Distribution Marohw 1899 Se nsieae cio sm ganas (eases sina oeeiciss oe} ac ce oe seincewceusics- ss eoll ook Report on the Exhibit of the U. 8. Fish Commission a he Tennessee Gentes nial position wm 1897. By Wi. de C. Ravenelils 2 =< nice esas cela clojecn 329-339 IIt | £3429 ibe ual 1 Haiebeal- ue rif a ue reyes: 7: a on me i i le LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS. Page. Priate I. Manchester Station, Iowa, Rearing-ponds and Hatchery.......-----..-.-------- VIL II. Bird’s-eye view of St. Johnsbury Station, Vt -.......--------------------------- XII Die sish way. improved Call SYStCM se = ene), seg ~ aioe ain ee = ans a aaa aeemnreelacwatas XXX T/., (CEP INE KE) OR a A Oe oc Cate Oem CB OS ee AES OE EO CSO CEC BHnSOnrepOboE Ober gyccbsnbsecce XXXI WEG BTN Ooo NLOriOn te sancatcee ae wenicie Geum a’as nicie ars Stua's's'a wcinic siKIn en peters do See RERCK Ve Wile Main Mntrance:to-A quariam, Omaha. cscs. = <= Sassen eens ae see eae XXXVI VII. General View of the Fish Commission Exhibit, Omaha................--------- ROX KVL VIL. Interior of the Grotto, looking from one of the Pools, Omaha ........-..-.----- XL IX. (1) Hatchery at St. Johnsbury, Vt. (2) Boat equipped with Jack-light for cap- turing Trout at night on their Spawning-beds at Caspian Lake .-...--..----- XLIV 2 UMD VA? db Oe Cra Wan JT Cee oe eeeeeonbe ean ceotcop Sqe-bbeeobede soe XLVI XI. Hatchery at Gloucester; View from Gloucester Harbor. -.-.....--..--.------------ L XII. Interior view of Gloucester Hatchery showing Cod Boxes in operation --...--- LII XIII. Development of the Whitefish Embryo.—(1) Unfertilized Whitefish Egg, 24 hours old. (2) Fertilized Whitefish Egg, 6 hours old, germinal discs forming, no segmentation having taken place. (3) Whitefish Egg, 12 hours old, show- ing first Cleavage; water, 38°. (4) Whitefish Egg, eighteenth hour, water 38°, showing second Segmentation; 4 cellsformed. (5) Whitefish Egg, 24 hours old; water, 38°. (6) Whitefish Egg, 48 hours old; water, 38°............----- LXXII XIV. Development of the Whitefish Embryo.—(7) Fertilized Whitefish Egg, 72 hours old, showing Segmentation well advanced. (8) Whitefish Egg, seventh day, Embryo beginning toshow. (9) Whitefish Egg, 43 days old, showing Embryo. (10) Whitefish Egg, 90 days old, showing embryo. (11) Whitefish Egg Yolk, ruptured by rough handling, 24 hours old. (12) Whitefish Eggs with triple GISGB Esse ac nee oot emai sie ws asin mas cin Sein ie lela ciets sic sinialne ciocire ew ciate alstetemisiate ty seme LXXxII XV. Development of the Whitefish Embryo.—(13) Whitefish Eggs showing twin discs, 3 days old. (14) Whitefish Egg, twin disc, sixth day. (15) Whitefish Eggs, showing twin discs, 7 days old. (16) Whitefish Eggs, showing twin discs, 8 days old. (17) Whitefish Egg, showing twin discs, 13 days old. (18) Whitefish Egg, showing twin discs, 15 days old ........-...--.-.---.--.»----- LXXII XVI. Development of the Whitefish Embryo.—(19) Double-headed Whitefish Fry just hatched. (20) Double-headed Whitefish Fry. (21) A Common Deformity of Curved Spine of Whitefish Fry. (22) Whitefish Fry just hatched, three-eyed, Curved Spine. (23) A Common Deformity of Whitefish Fry. (24) Four-eyed Wii Gefishibryce cece con qaceinees can cccscviinsacisisen(e ecnisinsclam ncinisece suncemise ese LXXII Xe Velbme tert at ON OLY sine a sien gece cae sas ainai- in sale nic ae nie Wa anise aisisieslsace session eeeee LXXxX XVIII. Duluth Hatchery, Nursery troughs, and Storehouse...........-.-.--------+---- LXXXII NOPD ANS NOUS ab ManchOster: VOW as cas seas-ascscencecunoccsscuceecesccuescosseuece LXXXIV XX. Little White Salmon River, looking north, showing the two new Hatcheries, Office; andsMess=hOuse) 5-1 sosas ee aon nian (saves essa cacheclcsis os aiblocee cients or Cc XXI. Little White Salmon River, showing Hatcheries and Lumber Flume ..-..-.---- CIV EAT Hee admlints DOLOOdOs 252. s Waansescecanscasecesseaseeses- ees 284 8. Polyodon spathula. Lepisosteus platostomus..-........-..-.-----------seee+-+-e0e--- 310 PAGHID CAL fim G ALOLON UN YS TOLIS fava cote occ an aa Sees eee eas tocsaazeesssee be seeeee 310 ie elighthygimaringscesssssveaecen es aan t ses salsa sce as snete ccc owace sabiccmecineeceonemeee 310 PLO talurus tUrcatns cece ese sens cesta rene on teeta cae oe ct minis ona sana seaea esac cesses 310 LAL GiA TS AN OOM Gi aicccccascesuccecoghaceesseesccesccessosons ehacaesantewas ADoerocedos 310 VE PLATE 13. 14. 15. 16. WA 18. 19. 20. 21. 22. 23. 24. 25. 26. 27. 28. 29. 30. 31. 32. 33. 34, 35. 36. 37. LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS. Page. Totalurus PUNCtawus) =. 20-425 scs cscs cose vccen weiss samessece snoesandulconnsessus ces eiomemar 310 JNRENIMID TEEP CS ENS) encase Seep Io dad0 Dae DS DATO Donn on POs gaSSIOngn ce canons © soebadsos4 310 IBS) Ney) bye ey Ee ene OR re nbeaC Sco beG RSE RIC ne Sanatice UCD ONcOtSSSEoTemor- Taqrescease 310 MG nls ohy ey TE on eam ipdesoccoSsee od enororind ceonosccodermccneccesuchocctossccte cat 310 TetiO busi w Palos ee mace ease eee eee a eeaie ele ee eee ee 310 Notropis)chamberlaini-2 = 222 -c-sc) sm snicme ease a eee eal eee ee ate ee era ee 310 INOtrO pis! OUST oe ere niaiel atm nila ae eiatsre = ee aaa ale ee a eo ale ee 310 HWorosoma cepedianuMexte. -o— ccc eme sae eae aa Se eise ee eee eae eee ete ela leet 310 Sienalosa atchatal ayes << oe cae veemm al eelminite see atte alee allan alan ee ete eel sien ieee 310 Bre voortialbyrannus PauronUs ea sec eae se ere eee eee hese = tesa eee 310 IPP rool hye weakly pls eee sae npaecaors opsoqcis aso ocaecor oobocieddsacoecoscsecisonobosecos 310 Magill cep halig 2c xtecnco.ct re alate cine slatanemetseetaieae a siesta a aie els) ale ae eee 310 PPOMOXIS ANNUALS ola contol are eo are eared tar ete te here eda 310 POMOXIS: SPATOLES 50 creel le aicis oie tate teenie tae tate Sia ete ta ene rete 310 Cheenobryttus gulosas. 2. ...2< secre d J. renee we Meenoeie sana seo Reson seen see enaoe 310 Micropterus Salmoides 2-2... hoe ae eae ieee aes alte see ae Ree ree 310 RROCCUS :ChYYSODS <\-ais2 cae cts eelee pe to ear eee etree ae itctotd = tera ere Soke eee 310 Die OO Ona OM ON CS Seer ate eet ee ttle le cet alae eee eee le 310 Archosargus probatocephallus) -6 ncn. 54> eee ae eed s seater cit- aoe. See. aoe 316 Cynoscion:nebulosus) 2. .secene =e oe eee ae eee teat ae eae seit a setae ene wie) ale 310 Scizsnops ocellatas sisi jt oes cose sae Soe eee ae clare wine ee ke Arte inte eetoleieei a= cities 310 Leiostomus! xanthurtis. ous) 225 secon e aoeb aides ove cote e et aeevese bile okie acters 310 Micropogon untdulatnssss5.04s— eee a Oa eae soca ee sweeeeianteniae bite dale.) clan a 310 Aplodinotus .grunniens-cosecesee cen eesee seca bsean ame e meh ses seem Sent nate eee ae 310 Diagram U.S. Fish Commission Exhibit at Centennial and International Exposition, Nashyille; Lennie, secseucedesvewedwencecupedsdatecesmubivssduiciver cs stsbem saleteeakicesdt<=) TOL soe 7 cnn oe ie ; - a aren | Oh 5 ria Da 7 iit Me ‘= le PLATE |. (To face page VII.) Report U.S. F. C. 1898. “AUSHOLVH GNV SGNOd ONIMVAY ‘YVMO! ‘NOILVLS + ai ami ii ta tw Sn ‘ YSLSSHONVI Nd tig og Oh cial OF THE UNITED STATES COMMISSIONER OF FISH AND FISHERIES FOR THE FISCAL YEAR ENDING JUNE 30, 1898. I have the honor to submit a report of the work of the United States Commission of Fish and Fisheries for the year ending June 30, 1898, together with the reports of the assistants in charge of its divisions, which, with the papers describing special investigations, published as appendices to this report or in the Bulletin of the Commission, form a complete record of its operations for this period. The Commission was under the direction of Commissioner John J. Brice until February 16, 1898, when the present Commissioner, George M. Bowers, appointed Yebruary 1, took charge. In view of the marked increase of the work of the Commission and the addition of the new stations authorized each year by Congress, and the consequent enlarged demands on its resources, it is impossible to carry on its operations in such manner as to obtain the best results with the present appropriation, which is small considering the impor- tant interests at stake, representing millions of dollars invested in the fisheries and allied interests throughout the country. It is, therefore, earnestly recommended that the estimates submitted, embodying cer- tain increases, be favorably acted on by Congress, particularly those items providing for the propagation of food-fishes and for the contin- gent expenses required for scientific and statistical investigations, the demands for which are steadily increasing. Special technical information is frequently desired for important objects, such as protective legislation by the States or the extension or establishment of fishery enterprises, and this often involves exten- sive studies or investigations of aquatic life, which can be carried on only under Government auspices. Appropriations are needed for the improvement of the grounds and buildings at some of the stations, and the efficiency of several could be materially enhanced by additions to their water supply and enlargement of their pond systems. The sta- tions are always places of public interest in their respective neighbor- hoods, and while they are not designed for parks or pleasure-grounds it appears eminently proper that they should be made attractive and beautified to a certain degree. VII VIII REPORT OF COMMISSIONER OF FISH AND FISHERIES. While the division reports describe the work in detail, attention may be called to the progress made in fish propagation, and to some of the more important investigations and canvasses carried on by the Divi- sions of Inquiry respecting Food-fishes and of Statistics. DIVISION OF FISH-CULTURE. The operations of this division were in many respects more important than in any past year, owing in part to the natural growth of the work and in part to greater efficiency in dealing with the various questions and problems that come up for consideration. The propagation and distribution of food-fishes during the present fiscal year exceeded by about 40 per cent the work accomplished in any other similar period. The number of adult and yearling fishes, fry, and ege's distributed in public and private waters or transferred to the State authorities was about 857,000,000, of which the largest number rep- resented important commercial species, like the shad, cod, whitefish, salmon, lake trout, herring, pike perch, and lobster. There were 33 hatching stations and substations in use, the one located at Erwin, Tenn., having been completed and placed in operation in addition to those mentioned last year. The steamer Fish Hawk was also utilized for shad-hatching in Albemarle Sound and the Delaware River. A comparison of the output for this year with that of last shows a marked expansion in the hatching of shad, Pacific salmon, and cod. The extension of the salmon-hatching work on the Pacific coast was especially gratifying, as the enormous annual drain on the salmon streams of that region makes it very important that the supply should be kept up by artificial means. At the substation situated on Battle Creek, a tributary of the Sacramento River, the largest collection of salmon eggs (48,000,000) in the history of fish-culture was made in the fall of 1897. Although there are several desirable species of salmon in the Pacific rivers, the Commission gives its principal attention to the chinook or quinnat salmon, which is the species most desired for canning and fresh consumption. Some light has been thrown on the results of fish-cultural work on the west coast by the recent capture of a consid- erable number of large salmon with the soft dorsal fin missing. These are fish that were liberated from the Government hatcheries about three years ago, when they were less than a year old, after having been marked by the removal of the adipose fin. The work of the Commis- sion is very popular in the West, and its value is generally recognized by the salmon fishermen and canners. The wall-eyed pike or pike perch, Stizostedion vitreum, is one of the most valuable of the fishes of the Great Lakes. In Lake Erie, where by far the largest part of the catch is taken, it ranks first in money value. The fishing interests being desirous that the Government should keep up the supply, the propagation of this species, which had been discontinued for several years. was resumed in the spring of 1898 at REPORT OF COMMISSIONER OF FISH AND FISHERIES. Ix Put-in-Bay Station, on Lake Erie, 221,062,500 eggs being collected. It was also designed to take up this work on Lake Ontario, where formerly there was a comparatively large catch, but after careful investigation it was found that but few spawning fish were found on fishing-grounds that a few years ago yielded tons of fish. This disappearance from their usual spawning-grounds was attributed by some to the discharge of refuse from mills and factories into the tributaries of Lake Ontario. 30,000,000 of the eggs collected at Put-in Bay were transferred to the Lake Ontario station, and the fry resulting from them were planted in the St. Lawrence. The passage of laws by the State of Michigan prohibiting the capture of whitefish and lake trout in Lakes Huron and Michigan from Novem- ber 1 to December 15, unfortunately caused the abandonment of white- fish work on these lakes. Efforts were made to collect eggs at Duluth, but very few were secured. At Put-in Bay, Lake Erie, notwithstanding the unfavorable weather that prevailed during the fall, 112,842,000 whitefish and 27,786,000 cisco or lake-herring eggs were collected from fish taken by the commercial fishermen: 10,000,000 of these were sent to Alpena, Mich., to be hatched and liberated in Lake Huron. Further experiments were conducted on Lake Erie to determine the practicability of holding in pens the adult whitefish taken prior to the Spawning season; 1,200 fish were secured from the fishermen in the vicinity of Put-in Bay and impounded in floating live-boxes, and over 10,000,000 eggs were thus secured. The results of the experiment, though not as large as anticipated, are encouraging, and will probably lead to a considerable extension of whitefish propagation in Lake Erie, as in this way a definite supply of spawners can be depended on. Stormy weather has in the past often prevented the taking of sufficient numbers of fish during the spawning season. In conducting this experimental work great assistance was rendered by the fishermen, who allowed the Commission to take fish from their pound nets without charge and hold them in live-boxes until after the spawning season, when they were returned to the fishermen. The lake-trout work at Northville and Alpena stations in Michigan was larger than heretofore, notwithstanding that the passage of the act previously referred to cut short the collecting season materially and few eggs could be obtained from grounds that had in the past yielded large numbers. There is little doubt that under ordinary conditions the collections for Northville, which reached 12,000,000, would have doubled that amount. The propagation of marine species, such as cod, flatfish, pollock, and lobsters, was the objecfof attention on the Atlantic Coast, at the Woods Hole and Gloucester stations. Profiting by the preliminary investiga- tion made during the previous year, large numbers of cod eggs were obtained at Plymouth, which, with those taken from the brood-fish held at Woods Hole, made an aggregate of 153,436,000 eggs, which yielded x REPORT OF COMMISSIONER OF FISH AND FISHERIES. 105,863,000 fry. Over 160,000,000 eggs were also collected at Kittery Point, Maine, which were transferred to the Gloucester Station, from which 96,700,000 cod fry were hatched and liberated. During the months of November and December between 7,000,000 and 8,000,000 pollock eggs were collected from boats fishing out of Glou- cester, and the fry resulting from them were planted in neighboring waters. It was intended to take up the propagation of this species on a large scale, but most of the pollock in that vicinity are now captured with hand lines instead of gill nets, making it impossible to obtain spawning fish in quantities. The constant decline in the lobster fishery accentuates the necessity . for increased work in this line. The schooner Grampus was employed during the months of April, May, and June in collecting egg lobsters along the entire coast of Maine. The fisheries on the coasts of Massa- chusetts, Rhode Island, and Connecticut were looked after by fishing smacks and steam launches, and as a result of these efforts 95,000,000 fry were liberated. During the spring of 1898 over 300,000,000 shad eggs were collected on the Delaware, Susquehanna, and Potomac rivers, and in the Albe- marle Sound, North Carolina; 228,000,000 of these eggs were hatched and the fry planted—a very satisfactory increase over the previous year. The usual shad operations on the Delaware with the Fish Hawk were interrupted by the war, which caused the detail of that vessel for naval service. To prevent the abandonment of the work, arrangements were made with the Pennsylvania authorities to operate the State hatchery at Bristol. An important new feature of the fish-cultural work was the hatching of 3,000,000 fry of the grayling at Bozeman Station. This fine food and game fish has a very limited distribution, and its artificial propagation has heretofore been chiefly experimental. The efforts to acclimatize food-fishes in waters to which they are not indigenous have been continued by transferring quantities of eggs of the quinnat salmon and steelhead trout to eastern stations to be hatched, so that the fry could be planted in Atlantic coastal streams. Adult tautog, lobsters, and blue crabs have been sent to California and planted in the Pacific. Many of the lobsters were females with eggs, and the plant should result in from 3,000,000 to 4,000,000 fry besides the adult lobsters. The steady increase in the catch of shad in the United States is con- elusive evidence of the value of artificial propagation. In the year 1880, prior to which time but little work of this character had been done, the catch of shad in the United States was 18,074,534 pounds; and in the years immediately succeeding 1880 until 1885, when the first results of artificial propagation became observable, the supply of these fish had decreased to such an extent that it was feared they would be exhausted for commercial purposes. In 1888 the catch had increased to 35,736,585 pounds, and in 1896, the last year for which REPORT OF COMMISSIONER OF FISH AND FISHERIES. XI there are accurate data, the catch was 50,866,368 pounds, or, in round numbers, 13,000,000 fish as against a little over 5,000,000 in 1880, an increase of over 150 per cent. The value of the shad fishery to the fishermen in 1880 was $995,790; in 1896 it amounted to $1,656,711. The Commission expended during the fiscal year 1896-97, $15,726.36, and in the following of this species. year $16,356.99 in the propagation and dieiipanion ee an average annual expenditure of $15,000 per annum since 1880, the total expended in the propagation of this species during sixteen years would amount to $240,000. As a consequence of the greater abundance of the fish the cost has been materially lessened, but even at the price actually received the increased 33,000,000 pounds was worth $1,049,000, or $809,000 more than has been expended by the Commission on the propagation of this species, exclusive of the cost of the stations, in sixteen years. Table showing the number of fish and eggs furnished for distribution by the various stations. ‘ Fry and Adults and Source of supply. Species. Eggs. ese yearlings. Green Lake, Me.......------ Golden trout.........--..=-..--: 10, 000 79, 144 |.-. Brook trout. - 25, 000 321, 721 |.. Lake trout-..-- 75, 000 70, 998 |.. Steelhead trout- 22, 966 |.. Quinnat salmon... 901, 066 Landlocked salmon 111, 243° seeniaeinseh elects 121, 830 ATIINTIGS: KAlMON). oacKeersce toe wallets seca eae Sescecemcecce 16, 208 Craig Brook; Mev: 5.2.0.6 Atlantic: salmon. c22.-2-2 bh a2 = 400, 000 1, 975, 070 203, 697 Atlantic salmon domesticated ..|.........--.|.------------- 829 Landlocked salmon..........-.. CONO00 Rep ceaesscrictae 1, 960 Quinnab salmoncser wees sas see = ol sotto seine aisle siacica= weieo sate 235, 935 Steelhead trout-. 35, 941 6, 552 PCOLeh KER iOW ees see ae ea seen a issekiee | ctas nao = doals 1, 589 ISIN DO WALLOMUsee eae ee erecta | Sete © seers caeaccestece 355 St. Johnsbury, -Vt.-...------ Brook trout.... 120, 300 SEI 000 sce oaiea ne Baketroutscsecsassu rs socasn sone | aes oe en aero 145/000) 2-2 Steelhead troutices--o-c seers soe eee eee = OG: G26) See setae Mandlockedisalmon)-..2---e-s-e=|-6 2-422" = 3928: [osocicnacoees Gloucester, Mass ....--.....- OG eee pa obey coe mere cece nacniccke mses 96, 707, O00: Arem ee seaee POMOC Sere eae eee ees eee Loe sacle 4, 455, QUOI Pacceecsecee Wopstere ss see ccneaeweseeecesese |saossiseeee= 65, 097, 000) | seeet ee ses. Woods Hole, Mass..........- CWOdE eae eet en cere ce wae Soeretes [tien oa seace eae 14055 363:000)|'2-- = oseccee SOEs) Voie, ee On ee ee ee el eee meee BOSIT OOO eee eee cess oppters 2eees oe eco ced oan canes bacon access B01 92" 000M femeonesaewes Cape Vincent, N.Y ...------- Lake trottsccsecs 4-smecececdn cel asisss sevice OBON Sas lees see seneee Steelhead tronG }.c2.22.s262.c54|-ceeanenne 90)'060))| 2-2 oe aoe IBTOOK TEOUt=sses seh cose ones eae ee |a-meoeseeeee 56; 000: ees dcmemeee Quinnatisalmon: <225-ss--s-525|smsercecerse 45691, (SOL) asocsbreeeeee A tlanticisalmMOn. wsseecece es as eelaaeecsenesis OF OFM aS eees oe PIKG@ POLCHy ates sae eee see yea | aaaige eee 10, 043, (00) esse ctdaeee Steamer Fish Hawk......-... Shad: foe teers sees eeecciee 1, 811, 000 5 G4g 1000 ess cree IBTShOl wea scores cbc ce seabalea Ose asact sree =o ee ees sees) |seacamass ees 15, 460, 000s) se acuekee. Battery Station, Md.. PAA eed Ole ete enamine ents ees ae 68, 881, 000 753490) 000) yacce maces Fish Ponds, D. rol fiaemeaae Peary eal ty GOs see see eee mee oe ee cel eens eeceiatye| inciee sateen aie 3, 036, 000 Black bass, large-mouth -.------).-.---...--.|---.scesnccnes 14, 222 ‘Black bass SMiall- Mouths seca ce|eete cos sacs esos sane wiaeste 1, 837 Grappler ee sce see ae eee oa lesa ace ean =| Seebeese cee ar 779 Central Station, D.C. ....--.- Shade 48. 35f cue eases cls 5, 179, 000 Dirt; OOOH nto se taerette Ech Lieven trout: neon eee = ae - 2 < semineinme cies (Arr A lene aurecses IRIN vO WhbroUliee sess see eee aaa sl os cemaeere Gi I ae ace ENO IOMUe nce oe cee soe ceewe ee alanmcesieorace 82668: |neew ces ete Makketront.s25.c\-csces cee soe eoce|scasianesemns TOVGAO hoa atm cre Se Eandlocked- salmon. ..-2-2-02--2|s esas eee eee eles rae aan 19, 000 hake tromliescees- se eee esse’ lean meses 437, 000 INSOsHO, Moles. ----s=---=--=r Rainhowetrout sess eee nee eae | aeacee ee 14, 000 Black basse ee i2t ste fatter el esee eee a eeen bee acces Rock bass). cescen] -oesceses 2 Sool eeeeeneeene esee ence ese ces Rmehy tere ag) Ys) eepeeee ee mernncc lsosbaceS45n5||bospeocssconer San Marcos, Tex...-..--..----- Black: Dass-2-222 = sseee cece esas celoseesineee ee eeanec soos eee Rock’ bass =. s.-<=2--e-225--6 Jha nest cee oee | Seee eae aac CRED PISS 225 hac ee aaa rare ars oe eae melee eee lememeeiete mae e = Leadville, Colo .......--..... Brook troutsi2---..c.--5--22-526 172, 000 581, 000 Black-spotted/ trout: ©-.°-----ces|eesecseceeee 270, 000 Rainbow tronts:cc.. nee eo eee ese leas teehee 21, 000 Vellow-fintrout).c.2.c.o. a2- gece cleceuseeccees 7,500 Loch Leven trout......-.---c.-=- TGS (TIDE eS Se anpeeiocr Bozeman, Mont ..-........---- Brooke tmoubee acess een ene eee eae = pees eee Ree ele Steelhead trout...-....-.-- eae bate ectinc~o0|ceaceaasncsaae Grayling Soo ce. sso e sees ee ees eaaeee beatae 1, 500, 000 Baird Station, Cal...--.....--- Quinnatsalmon:)-=-----22-s2- os 6, 555, 000 GibIT S00N san e~ seen c Hort Gaston, \Cals-22-----se2s|-a545 Os bs Sct eeds poe eo ee eal ealasere ee eees 1; 276000 eseee se eue Rainbow trout. .2.-. nessa leenene aac 35, 950 4, 085 Steelhead trout....-..-----ssse G50 000 I sear aosceane Mies, Call ocak aclee emcee Qninnatiselmone- ones sae leaeeee eee 920,000 Mececet eo aase battle Creek, Cal ..--..-----<|.<-.- GOs Recess eeedie tees Bb S85:500)aaem cece << « @lackamas,Orep.----- ~~ = tees Olena s pense ane Be eae meee aera 10 029; 4964. ons cece oe Upper Clackamas, Oreg Salmon River. <...--.c-s---se5 IROPUCHRIVEN 455445544252 e6 Little White Salmon..-.-....-. Mapleton, Oreg .-.....-....... Summary of distribution. 3 Fry and fin- | Adults and Species. Eggs. eerlit gs. yearlings. Total. Mee a i iccisite CODDO DS SRC CODE meas aneaciapooeoonr aor 75, 871, 000 149,155,000 | 3,036, 000 | 228, 062, 000 Qnimnatsalmon. 2+ 2-cs55 --- ses eeen es sose ea teosas 30, 605, 000 45, 543, 558 230,200 | 78, 378, 758 At ANC AAMNON 202 es-a coset cece abet ee oe wee tease 400, 000 2, 072, 139 220, 635 2, 692, 774 dandilocked! salmons-- =... 5.25226 eoae = Sasser 171, 243 7, 005 121, 088 299, 336 SteclhexdtTOwtescee- - cw coos ce = f= =a connate etatote 60, 000 1, 113, 354 53, 572 1, 226, 926 AOC MGV. EN NOU Lise asc ances om we em citod itetetots etete 20, 000 20, 457 8, 000 48, 457 Rainbow toute 2) 2-fcs-tscsecee es sss sss scenes 130, 000 96, 022 249, 532 475, 554 Bigek-SpotLed routs. c-s- ee cere ans odes aaaa| see ees 258,400 Weoeee aac cre 258, 400 PBLOOK LEOUU. ccccssadeeee ssa ee Sepa ee tinasaccce se aes 319, 300 1, 863, 798 161, 391 2, 344, 489 Wake trout. ssc sccsoscsessiatescsmeceocwccaseaeese 1, 085, 000 RGA 1) (Oe eee 13, 606, 219 Sobel 868 tlOUb es ose] +e one babe cea cteaciaiclele sal a eciee == == =| = meine lel winte msi ale 1, 589 1, 589 Wellow=tin, trout@s 52222-22222. eesisssecderssasesee NOOO! | tanec sence cs 7,500 Golden trowbhte soos ee caer ceases eased oaensseane NO HAE Wee aeaiem lao e 89, 144 (Cnn de oe oS tcconace Sonos ja Jopscde Sebhoonmsaac OOO O00 8 Geeemene ei 1, 500, 000 Wrihiteneh .5ooa8.22--00- ee eeet ee ntan ccc oeceaseesae SB AS81000 sees mene e ae 88, 488, 000 IPS POVC Rae sere ee ee heater = @ ae eens eis BIGGS, COUN tees aia = = 81, 153, 750 Lake herring TEPC URI) ee eee cise 18, 970, 000 Black bass, large-mouth -. -- 76, 064 76, 064 Black bass, small-mouth-..... 1, 884 1, 854 Crappie aase sete sea ne ee Neen ee ein aaa ee l= - 3, 369 3, 369 Bahia. cc cecaee sce tcacceenuaseee ee cease seonene ene 69 69 ROCk Dass ¥ss otoet Se ee ows cece eee been wae aetees 23, 352 23, 352 SRE Wehr. OS |e oe Oe pee oeonessacneaccemessnmsneeb 5, 912 5, 912 Codtcesouscces Bes boca aban us eeeeeReeeacanete sean pet eamis nee 202/570,'000)| scence cean 202, 570, 000 Pollock oe soc er eee kee eee nears oe ae ene Re ee eee APADS5 000) |oanmcinnin cle aie 4, 455, 000 MWgthsh ss cccdcclasecec cucu DoReee eee nee neon eee none eae met BEN SRY EI Uieeteeriascee 39, 337, 000 Lobster...... sidoaddddes dd edebuseeeeeseeeenmedeeera ese et eoene 95, 234, 000 |------------ 95, 234, 000 Dotaliieccssesscceccntes woe eeetsnsseeseaersase 108, 871,543 | 744,445,346 | 4,192, 657 | 857, 309, 546 PLATE Il. (To face page XII.) Report U.S F.C. 1898. ei. ee Se eeeeeeeEeE—EE—E—EECEEEEeeeEEEEEEeee BIRD’S-EYE VIEW OF ST. JOHNSBURY STATION, VERMONT. REPORT QF COMMISSIONER OF FISH AND FISHERIES. XII The cars of the Commission traveled 98,964 miles and detached mes- sengers 121,160 miles while distributing fishes during the year. The @ommission was again the recipient of material assistance from many railroads, as shown by the following list of roads giving free transpor- tation, without which the work would have been much curtailed: x Messen: Name of railroad. Cars. gers, Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Rwy Atlantic Coast Line-....--.......--.- eOuneS : 792 |e aecee Se Jgnisjmmey id ya Gir 1a S552 oe cocadsee oSeease Sa ssSesoee se orarerssseeciseescansos|psuensee 198 isa omGl Borns Kael 6 1k die cog Soe aooeroceoo ae pa pee> Serge Sede Coren ere Seas oe ee GB) e aca BSN MINE Onan ORG am OBI WHY) «eran a)aJoiarm en ala An alsin mini = w Sieintela ain = sles wim melee min em a aloeieinnn [lee see = 34 Bostonian Al pamygbe iy elects oa eee & lac miae mw 2 a ieee oie mnie a nla ni wie e(e|' = = evisens = 26 i) viz ecioe ISOS DIN GRE! WEIN E) 126 ior one sob eoporoor den apesseccoecseer See bacssecdcacerreosocosSehboos 460 1, 938 Burlington, Cedar Rapids and Northern Rwy..-..-.--.---.---.-----------++----------- 2, 330 228 Burlington and Missouri River R. R. in Nebraska. -....---.----.-..2.--.-0------------- TRO | eaeeecee Warolinaand Nort WweSUGRM EUW; --tiesis a cic meee eelteomelaas 22h teciciem tcl d ca cmlelecieeas ta 189 28 Camel \Wihinins hs) fy ae node sSoudSonennap Se nosae: eigqscerSs SS sac edececosisc esas sscsseso| saecesoe 292 (UG TE Ssh) GG OE Tea ares oe bancoeoc sbececesopeces: qlee ceso-seobecodesce HeeMocoacuse 2) 3001 Sasaseee Chicago burling por and Gain Gy bua he leat ane) eee ete ial mie nee 1, 306 1, 463 Chicago, Malwankee and! St. Panl Rwy---------2---=nsece- seen ece econ ese nse scncawsns L510) Pasaeeee Chicaroandawestiuehi ran wiyi a. = =e essa cee ae so mec coscaesicacisjarcesmebescne 1, 686 296 Cleveland, Cincinnati, Chicago and St. Louis Rwy-.-.---.------.--.---2.--------+-2--- 1, 833 COLTRI IV OCU EG LI Ria Roce Sage scooSnoe nc Or Coobace Sepp Spocses: SS pS CneasEr Sere sebessed LOI BSD GL S GEOL Nd Be ae ote OR SICH Sp EROS SS Se NESeCE BASH sbbe BOB area pcosone Wemverpload ville ands GimMisOn HW oasis oom sc enemas angen oe sans nce aes | Denver and Rio Grande R. R .....-----.--- Detroit, Grand Rapids and Western R. R Detroit and Mackinac Rwy .-.-----.-------- Womroi Loved ojand Mal waukeohs Ri 5220 mwjese oe ote oes se owls orice oe agente enemas cocinae Phun and elronban G Ollie Wise se ate sala ara cise atee aes sien ala lea etalele aintetelars ofeteteraretete ater aieree Duluth Soush Shoreiand Atlantic Kiwiyieros- tsk tan nela 2a es ewe etl tee eee sie cena iG Mist Lennesseeand Western North CarolinavR Rico... 2.2. s.s2 OS 30, 500. 00 PaeaiPy TeApOCuIne fOMG-NSNOB << /0o 22cm cae mos >= Se aman Sseewnss 10, 800. 00 PSUS AUS LICE AT THAT OTS a Ie SC es aes ene en OR SEER yea a te 5, 000. 00 For new boilers and general repairs to the steamer Fish Hawk--...--- - 29,640.00 For rebuilding steam launch in use on Potomac River ...-....-----.---- 2, 000. 00 For purchase of steamer Senator for station at Green Lake, Me-.-..--.-- 1, 500. 00 For purchase of steam launch for steamer Albatross. ......------------- = 4,000. 00 For rebuilding fish-transportation cars. ..-.....-.-...-.....----------- - 10,000.00 For establishment of fish-cultural station in New Hampshire. .---..---- - 15,000.00 For establishment of fish-cultural station at Battle Creek, Cal ......_..- 3, 500. 00 For construction of dwelling-house at the station at St. Johnsbury, Vt- 3, 500. 00 For additional water supply at the station at St. Johnsbury, Vt.......- 3, 000. 00 For completion of stations now under construction at— SEEnes INU DTROTIS SM Nope AO eee SR Oe ae ae ee omen ee ae cae ee eee ee 1, 800. 00 iasnInH eS Tem TORE a = eae eo: eee Set oeias Sec loe seen sk os Ce oe cls 4, 216. 50 For investigation and selection of site for a fish-cultural station in APRN PE cr male ate ere lnc eha ale sl wacieje cine. a erase we Gin wate 500. 00 A report showing in detail the expenditure of these appropriations will be made to Congress in accordance with law. GEO. M. BOWERS, U. S. Commissioner of Fish and Fisheries, a) Ny o - ij ra a hod A) F if p iv it wit ei SES fee iy: ‘ i, MF un es maria M ot fi pi i Ve : war ‘) ae Wi nt an ity Wi Son ' AL ah fit ln aad ee iu fan WP ‘iy v ha, : ig bs Fay ; tf. Knaty Raat ryiy i ane Att | . uti F Fis} 4 Tk iy Adee te Be: AA A } ai ( 1 APT RO Warknit ¥ * rn ; bi . n ey Meld A iy ae an eli soa es ‘ : rieg® : : nt 1, Wee? ; Y ? ae “th Report PLATE III. Sector A-B. h pe) NS oe SEERSEERSt 2 =~ Si aa eed oat Bo apedesedag erste. a5 gal aad ] {__e\b,_ __l iu dey ee CT ewe AWN __ijt _i/F.____ Tt __.7™ Th} oe) ae | Se Sa —— es _ PRC EB —— = es A IIE = rahe) — = ee x Oeso~ “> OQ 7 AAD BR Sw ACE SP OCE EAL Oe MEO E ODE WT Oen DPSS OM PR AOD E>" BAD Yaw OLEH. fOOBOOe, eenee sa PENS ey KS PRINS Phhlarteely) Exp seth) AT Tero?) Berigloleia Bhosbliion Peer Uye Ty TASS CX CAASTOS FE Se eO eed cir Pf Lom nese PRO OMOr Sores aae De eee POs ICP, "20 e eer, = Dax! Bae se S oe) CereCe ot Efo EBS ecu 4 De © ; KIAGSO CUS OS eA Sree EIN RS BIPAITEN SS (SABHA G) Ray IAS SD IITES SASS. SA, p oy . - Pe) 4 < Ua 4 CHER Hy.B, det, FISHWAY—IMPROVED CAIL SYSTEM. * PLaTE III. Sechon A-B. Moen High toler Ga H ere ae. TAS ° CREM ORS OOS Te CVE PSorer x rcs DIRECTIONS. Slope of fishway should not be steeper than on a ratio of 1 vertical to 4 horizontal. Intake, or up-stream end of fishway, should be amply large and placed not less than 1 foot lower than crest of dam. Outlet should be below low-water level and so located or constructed that fish are naturally led to it when ascending the stream. ‘rhere should be relatively deep water, with an unobstructed flow below the outlet of the fishway. An ample discharge of water should attract the fish to the outlet. There should be plenty of light admitted in the fishway, and its construction should be such as to be readily inspected and cleaned of any débris lodging therein. The floor of the compartments should be laid slightly inclined and the bulkheads somewhat obliquely across the fishway, so that the current of water passing through the compartments can more readily clear the same of sand, gravel, mud, and rubbish. There should be no regulating gates or other devices at the intake which necessitate the services of an attendant. The apertures in the bulkheads should increase progressively from the lower to the upper ones, to insure overflow from compartment to compartment. The flow of water should be abundant, forming small waterfalls over the bulkheads, so that the fish may either jump from one compartment to the next above or may dart throngh the apertures in the bulkheads. While the iow of water through the apertures may reach a velocity of 10 feet per second, there will be relatively ae water in the compartments, thus furnishing a resting place for the ascending fish. To maintain the operation of the fishway at an average high water the same as at the ordinary stage of the stream or river, the uppermost compartment is made some- what longer, and a central bulkhead is inserted having its crest at high-water level. ‘Lhe fishway may be constructed of wood or masonry and iron; it may follow a straight line or be built in angles and curves, as the local conditions may require. The size of the fish way depends principally on the volume of water available, and can be made larger or smaller than that shown on plan, ‘The hydraulic head between two successive compartments must be so chosen as to obtain a current velocity through the apertures of not to exceed 10 feet per second. Atlow-water stage of the stream or river, with the fishway flowing full, there should bea liberal discharge over the crest of thedam, The fishwayv should be built very strong and be well protected against the destructive effects of freshets, drift ice, ete. (XXK ogag oest oT) 8061.9. 2, _ASARASTA Nests Se cee eee ee ellie eR eee — eee : ; ae a ee SBM SED pe ow ag aia een —— rere T..e?* WS Gey BYSTy ; y ae ie PLATE IV. (To face page XXxXI.) EG soes Ss Report U. “YOINSLXS—E “ON YVO REPORT ON THE PROPAGATION AND DISTRIBUTION OF FOOD-FISHES. By W. DE C. RAVENEL, Assistant in Charge. INTRODUCTION. The operations of the Division of Fish-culture during the fiscal year were more extensive and important than ever before. The number of eges, fry, and adult fish distributed was 857,509,546, the majority of which represent the important commercial species, such as the cod, shad, whitefish, quinnat salmon, lake trout, herring, pike perch, and lobsters. Following the general lines adopted the previous year, the propaga- tion of the quinnat salmon, the most important of the Pacific coast fishes, was conducted not only at Battle Creek and Baird, in the Sacra- mento River Valley, and on the Clackamas, Salmon, and Little White Salmon rivers, tributaries of the Columbia, but a temporary station was established and operated on the Rogue River and the hatchery on the Siuslaw River was reopened. Arrangements were also perfected to collect salmon eggs at the headwaters of the Clackamas River, where the spawning-beds of the early run of fish entering that stream in April and May are found. The results at the Battle Creek and Little White Salmon stations were even better than had been anticipated, over 62,000,000 eggs being taken at the two points. The fish resulting from the collections made at all of the stations were liberated in streams on the Pacific coast, with the exception of 6,000,000, which were trans- ferred to eastern stations to continue the experiment of acclimatizing the quinnat salmon in the coastal streams of the Atlantic Ocean. Encouraged by reports of the capture of steelhead trout in tributa- ries of the Great Lakes, as a result of plants made by this Commission two years ago, 750,000 eggs of this species were sent to stations on the lakes and in New England for deposit in suitable waters. Some experimental work was undértaken at Put-in Bay in penning and holding adult whitefish until ready to deposit their eggs, with the view to increasing the collections on Lake Erie, so as to supply the hatcheries at Duluth, Alpena, and Cape Vincent. The results, though not large, show that by similar methods good returns may be expected, and under favorable conditions the number of eggs collected in the future will be limited only by the number of whitefish taken during the fail months, whereas, under the present system, a storm occurring during the short spawning season reduces the collections from 30 to 50 XXXI XXXII REPORT OF COMMISSIONER OF FISH AND FISHERIES. per cent. The expansion of this work on Lake Erie is essential if the hatcheries on the Upper Lakes are to be kept open, as the collection of eggs on Lakes Huron and Michigan is now impracticable on account of the recent act passed by the Michigan legislature forbidding the capture of whitefish from November 1 to December 15, which covers almost the entire spawning period of that species. For the reason stated above, the whitefish and lake-herring work was confined to Put-in Bay Station. The collection of lake-trout eggs at Duluth and Northville was larger than usual, notwithstanding the fact that the passage of the act referred to above prevented the collection of eggs at many of the most important fishing points on Lake Michigan. The field of operations was extended into Georgian Bay, where large numbers of eggs were secured, and to the eastern end of Lake Superior, where the fishermen had heretofore furnished eggs to the Michigan Fish Commission. The resumption of pike-perch work on Lake Erie, after a lapse of two years, resulted in the collection of 221,000,000 eggs and the liberation of 81,153,000 fry in the waters of Lakes Erie and Ontario. The propagation of marine species was commenced early in the fall at Woods Hole and Gloucester, Mass., on the plan heretofore followed, except that an additional field station for the collection of cod eggs was established at Plymouth, Mass., and the number of brood-fish held at Woods Hole Station was materially reduced. The results attained by these changes were exceedingly satisfactory, over 300,000,000 eggs being handled at the two stations, which resulted in the liberation of 203,000,000 fry on the spawning-grounds along the New England coast. Considerable attention was also paid to the propagation of flatfish during the months of February and March, but, owing to presence of ice until after the spawning season was partially over in Waquoit Bay, the number of eggs collected was not so large as had been anticipated. Notwithstanding the decline in the lobster fishery and other unfavor- able conditions, over 60,000,000 eggs were taken on the coasts of Maine and Massachusetts north of Cape Cod. South of the cape and along the coasts of Connecticut and Rhode Island, however, the results were unsatisfactory, due not only to a decided decrease in the fishery, but to the fact that little or no fishing was being done in the vicinity of Woods Hole Station, where large numbers of eggs are ordinarily collected. This was partly attributed to the passage of a law by the State of Mas- sachusetts forbidding pound or trap-net fishing in Buzzards Bay, from which source all of the bait used by the lobster fishermen had been derived. The shad work was the largest ever accomplished by the Commission, more than 300,000,000 eggs being taken on the Susquehanna, Delaware, and Potomac rivers and Albemarle Sound. The steamer Fish Havok, detailed during the winter for shad work in southern waters, was used as a floating hatchery at Avoca, N. ©., on the Chowan River, at the head of Albemarle Sound. Previous to commencing this work she / REPORT OF COMMISSIONER OF FISH AND FISHERIES. XXXIII was employed in making an investigation of the Edisto River, South Carolina, to determine the advisability of establishing an auxiliary station for the propagation of shad on that stream, but the information gained was not favorable. Operations on the Delaware and Potomac rivers were materially interfered with by causes pertaining to the war with Spain; on the Delaware by the withdrawal of the Fish Hawk for navai duty at the very height of the spawning season, and on the Potomac by the estab- lishment of a blockade at Fort Washington and by the laying of mines or torpedoes on the spawning-grounds. In order that the shad work on the Delaware might not be omitted altogether, arrangements were made with the Pennsylvania Fish Com- mission for the use of their shad-hatchery at Bristol, which permitted the hatching and planting of 21,000,000 fry in this stream and its tribu- taries. At Battery Station, on the Susquehanna, the results were very satisfactory, over 209,000,000 eggs being secured between April 13 and June 10, about 100 per cent more than had ever been taken at any of the stations of the Commission during a single season. At the trout and bass stations the work was generally satisfactory, the production of brook trout being much larger than ever before. The number of bass distributed was small as compared with other fishes, but it is believed, with the experience gained during the past season, that the output from the various stations will be largely increased next season. Considerable attention has also been paid to the propagation of the crappie, one of the most desirable fishes for stocking the streams and lakes in the Mississippi and Missouri River valleys, and in the South and Southwest. In addition to the fishes heretofore handled, the propagation of the Montana grayling was taken up at Bozeman Station; about 3,000,000 eggs were collected at Red Rock, Montana, at the headwaters of the Jefferson River. Efforts have been made in past years by the United States Fish Commission and the various State fish commissions to col- lect eggs of this valuable game and food fish, but the results heretofore attained have been very unsatisfactory. Continuing the experiments of previous years, two consignments of adult lobsters were sent from Woods Hole to San Francisco during the months of July and December and liberated near the Farallone Islands. Of these, 229 were females, carrying from 10,000 to 25,000 eggs each, so that it is estimated that from 3,000,000 to 4,000,000 young lobsters resulted from this plant, in addition to the adults. In July a carload of tautog and blue crabs was also sent west for introduction into the waters of the Pacific, as it was thought they would not only be well adapted to the waters of the Pacific Coast, but would prove valuable additions to the fishery resources of that section. The plants were made near the Farallone Islands during July, and consisted of 566 fish ranging in length from 4 to 10 inches, and 162 of the common blue crab of the Atlantic Coast. F. R, 98——III XXXIV REPORT OF COMMISSIONER OF FISH AND FISHERIES. SPECIAL INVESTIGATIONS AND INSPECTION. During the month of August the assistant in charge inspected the stations of the,Commission in Michigan, Minnesota, Montana, Colorado, Missouri, and Illinois. Advantage was taken of the opportunity to confer with the superintendents regarding the conduct of the work and the possibilities of its extension. The general condition of affairs at all of the stations was satisfactory, and discipline, on the whole, was found to be well maintained. The buildings and grounds at most of the stations were in only fair condition, and in order to maintain and render them attractive to the public special appropriations are needed for most of them, as indicated in recommendations submitted with detailed report of inspection. An appropriation for improvements at the Leadville Station is particularly important, as an additional supply of water is needed, and in order to obtain the best results it will be necessary to provide some system for draining the Evergreen Lakes during the fall, so as to handle the brood-fish. The buildings at this Station are in excellent condition, but the grounds are overgrown with brush and prairie grass, and as it is quite a popular resort for the residents of Leadville, it should be completed. This could be done at comparatively small expense. The general condition of the station at Neosho, Mo., was worse than any of the others. The ponds were much in need of repair, and the water supply is inadequate. In December a preliminary survey of the Edisto River, South Caro- lina, was made to determine as to the practicability of establishing an auxiliary station for the propagation of shad, and as a result the Fish Hawk was detailed in March to visit that stream and undertake the collection of eggs. During April several trips were made to the shad stations on the Potomac and Susquehanna rivers, and in May to the Delaware River, for the purpose of conferring with Mr. W. E. Meehan, of the Pennsylvania Fish Commission, and the commanding officer of the steamer Fish Hawk, relative to conduct of shad work at the Bristol hatchery in the event of the Fish Hawk not being available for work in this vicinity. Visits were also made in May to Massachusetts, to arrange for lobster collections at Gloucester and Woods Hole. During the spring of 1898 the superintendent of the Cape Vincent Station investigated the sturgeon fisheries of Lakes Erie and Ontario with the view to taking up the propagation of this species, but no locality was found where spawning fish could be obtained in sufficient numbers to warrant the establishment of an auxiliary station for this purpose. 3 CAR AND MESSENGER SERVICE. Owing to the necessity for rebuilding cars Nos. 1 and 2 and the large amount of routine work necessitated by the increased output of fish during the fiscal year, this service has been taxed to its utmost capacity, and it was found necessary to hire baggage and express cars from the railroads on several occasions to assist in making the distri- bution in Virginia and Michigan. Besides the routine work, one of the Report U S. F.C. 1898. (To face page XXXIV.) PLATE V. “YOINSLNI—E ‘ON UVd REPORT OF COMMISSIONER OF FISH AND FISHERIES. XXXV cars was used during the first four months of the fiscal year in making collections of marine and fresh-water fishes and transporting the same to the Tennessee Centennial Exposition at Nashville, Tenn., and again during the months of May and June, 1898, in transferring salt-water specimens from Woods Hole, Mass., to Omaha, and fresh-water fishes from Quincy, Ill., and other points in the Mississippi Valley. Car No. 3 also made two trips from Woods Hole to San Francisco with lobsters, tautogs, and blue crabs, the first in July and the last in December. On the return trip of the car in July 350 giant crabs were brought from the Pacific Coast and planted in Pagan Creek, a tributary of the Chesapeake Bay. The car left San Francisco July 31 with 1,100 crabs, 600 females and 500 males; 450 were packed in seaweed in the refrigerator compartment under the car, 550 were placed in transporta- tion tanks, in salt water with air circulation, and 100 in crates packed in grass. On August1, when the crabs were overhauled, all were dead except those in tanks of aerated water; up to this time the temperature had been maintained at 60°; 36 were lost on August 2, 45 on the 3d, 58 on the 4th, and 61 on the 5th; the temperature had risen from 60° to 65°, the average for the period being 62°. Of 350 crabs reaching New- port, Va., 200 were females and 150 males. These were planted, with the cooperation of the officials of the Chesapeake and Ohio Railroad, in Pagan Creek, Isle of Wight County, Virginia. The temperature of the water in which they were liberated was 78°. Excellent results were attained on the last trip, in December, over 90 per cent of the lobsters reaching the Pacific Coast alive. On previ- ous trips the number reaching the destination in good condition never exceeded 50 per cent, and several times it was as low as 30 per cent. This difference in results is attributed not only to the fact that the trip was made at a season when a low temperature could be maintained, but also to the difference in the methods of transportation. On November 29 the car left Woods Hole with 150 egg-lobsters, packed 5 in a erate, with seaweed. At Boston 98 egg-lobsters and 50 males were taken on and placed in 50-gallon transportation tanks filled with filtered water and constantly supplied with air, 30 being placed in each tank. Those in the crates were taken out every day and dipped into the tanks of salt water and then repacked, the seaweed being sprinkled with salt water twice aday. The loss from December 1 to 5, when the car reached San Francisco, was 27. The average temperature of the water en route was 45°, maximum 50°, and minimum 36°, The methods followed in handling the fish were practically the same as before, except in the case of the lobsters. The cars traveled during the year 98,964 miles, of which 63,167 miles were free; detached messengers traveled 121,160 miles, of which 33,346 were free. Every State and Territory in the Union was visited. No accidents of any importance occurred, and the losses of fish were about the same as usual, less than 2 per cent of the total number handled, including the marine species, where the losses usually vary from 40 to 70 per cent on long trips. XXXVI REPORT OF COMMISSIONER OF FISH AND FISHERIES. On the return of car No. 3 from its last trip to the Pacific Coast it was sent to Tampa, Fla., to remain during the sessions of the Fisheries Congress, from January 19 to 26, for the purpose of illustrating the methods employed in hatching eggs and distributing fishes. In July ear No. 1 was placed in the shops of Jackson & Sharp, and in August car No, 3 in the shops of Harlan & Hollingsworth, Wilming- ton, Del., and were rebuilt at an expense of about $11,000. They were remodeled on practically the same plan, except that the center doors of car No. 1 do not extend to the floor, as is the case in car No.3. The dimensions of car No.3 as rebuilt are as follows: Length of body, 60 feet; total length from end of platform to end of platform, 67 feet 10 inches; width, 94 feet; height from top of rail to top of roof, 13 feet 8 inches. The frame of the car is so braced as to permit of the two large doors in the center extending from floor to roof, as shown in plate Iv. This feature very materially simplifies loading and unloading. The interior of the car is finished in ash, and in one end is an office, an ice-box of 14 tons capacity, and a pressure tank holding 500 gallons of water; at the other end are the boiler room and kitchen. The boiler room is equipped with a 5-horsepower boiler, circulating water pump, and air and feed pump. The tanks and cans used in transporting fish are carried in two compartments running along the sides of the car between the office and boiler room. They are 30 feet long, 3 feet wide, and 25 inches deep. Under the car, between the trucks, is a reservoir tank holding 600 gallons of water, and from which water is pumped into the pressure tank near the office; it then passes from this tank to the fish cans and tanks, and then back to the reservoir. In the middle of the car, over the compartments referred to, are four berths and several lockers for the use of the crew. The office also contains two berths, a writing desk, and a typewriter. These cars are fully equipped with all modern improvements in the way of brakes, couplers, signal whistles, ete., and have Pullman trucks and 33-inch Allen paper wheels. With the large water capacity provided, they are capable of carrying much greater loads of fish than ever before. EXPOSITIONS. The Tennessee Centennial Exposition, in progress at Nashville at the close of the fiscal year, was terminated October 31, and all mate- rial except the aquaria was returned to Washington. During July and August much difficulty was experienced in keeping up the-display of fishes in the aquarium on account of the intense heat. During June the temperature of the salt water rose rapidly, and when it reached 78° it became necessary to adopt artificial means to save the fish, notwithstanding the fact that the specimens exhibited were all collected in southern waters, at Morehead City, N.C., and Pensacola, Fla. This was accomplished by passing all the water used through 300 feet of pipe coil, packed in crushed ice and salt. This method proved very expensive, as it required over 14 tons of ice per day to reduce the temperature below the danger point, that is, 70°. PLATE VI. (To face page XXXVI.) Report U.S, F.C. 1898. MAIN ENTRANCE TO AQUARIUM, OMAHA. REPORT OF COMMISSIONER OF FISH AND FISHERIES. XXXVII Notwithstanding the unfavorable conditions the aquaria were kept fully supplied with most of the commercial fishes of the Gulf and the South Atlantic Ocean, with many of the ornamental species and all of the fishes of the Mississippi Valley, and with a number of Salmonide propagated by the Commission, such as the brook trout, rainbow trout, steelhead, and quinnat salmon. In September fish-cultural work was taken up, and two consignments of 10,000 salmon eggs shipped from California were hatched. This feature of the exhibit was particularly interesting to the people of that section of the country, as it was the first time that the eggs of any of the Salmonide had been artificially hatched in Tennessee. This was only rendered possible by the sinking of a well near the Government building, which furnished a steady flow of excellent water at 59° throughout the summer. At the close of the exposition the fishes on hand were planted in suitable waters in the vicinity or transferred to some of the stations of the Commission. The aquaria material, including the machinery, was shipped to Omaha. During the absence of the representative from Nashville the exhibit was at different times under the direction of L. G. Harron, W. P. Sauerhoff, and R.J.Conway. Mr. Conway was in charge at the close of the expo- sition and attended to the packing and shipping of the exhibit. A report of the part taken by the U.S. Fish Commission in this exposition will be found on pages 329-339 of the appendices to this report. On July 27 the assistant in charge of the Division of Fish-culture was appointed representative of the United States Fish Commission on the government board of management for the Trans-Mississippi and Inter- national Exposition, to be held in the city of Omaha, Nebr., in accord- ance with act approved June 4, 1897. The board was not organized until September, when the allotment of funds and space was made, the Commission receiving $20,000 and 5,027 square feet of space in the north- west corner of the Government Building. Subsequently all allotments were changed, owing to the passage of a joint resolution by the House and Senate on December 18, the appropriation from the Government exhibit being reduced from $150,000 to $137,500, so that the amount available for the Fish Commission was $18,333. As the live-fish exhibit at previous expositions had proved the most attractive feature, it was decided to devote $10,000 and 4,000 feet of space to the erection of a suitable aquarium. The plans and specifica- tions for this were prepared by Mr. George A. Schneider, who also superintended its construction. The aquarium is a grotto-like structure, 140 feet long by 26 feet wide, arranged in the shape of a | | with arched entrances at the short arms and a rotunda at the turning points. The entrances are semi-circular archways supported on colonnades, embellished with ornamental work, soffit and face, and flanked on each side by wings in a rich pilaster treatment of the renaissance style. An ornamental, semi-circular grille, with the seals of the United States and the State of Nebraska, is inserted in the arch, the top of which terminates in XXXVIIT REPORT OF COMMISSIONER OF FISH AND FISHERIES. imitation shellwork, with a youthful Poseidon taming an aquatic mon- ster, over the keystone. Surmounting the entablature of the wings are two allegorical figures representing fisher-maids catching and planting fish in the waters of the country. The exterior portions of the entrances are finished in imitation ivory and gold. The interior of the grotto is treated in imitation of a roughly blasted rock tunnel, and depending from its roof are numerous stalactites of a pale-greenish hue. The aquaria, of which there are 25, are each 7 feet long, 3 feet high, and 5 feet wide at the top; they extend along the sides of the interior of the grotto, and are decorated inside with rock and aquatic plants, and arranged so that all light entering the grotto first passes through them. Eight of them are used for showing such salt-water fishes as can be obtained off the New England coast near Woods Hole, Mass., and the balance are filled with species indigenous to the Mississippi River and the various fishes propagated by the Commission. -In each of the rotundas are large, oval pools so arranged as to be illuminated from below with electric lights. In the rectangular space formed by the two short arms of the grotto are exhibits of the different phases of the work of the Commission. The methods employed by the Commission in fish-cultural work are practically demonstrated by hatching, in a regulation trough, rainbow and black-spotted trout eggs, shipped by.express from Colorado during the month of June. As itis impracticable to secure semi-buoyant eggs, such as shad, whitefish, and pike perch, and floating eggs like the cod, pollock, and flatfish, the methods are illustrated with artificial eggs made of rosin. In addition to practical illustrations, models of the various forms of apparatus used are exhibited, including a model of the trout station at Leadville, Colo. The process of egg-taking is shown by a lay figure of a spawn-taker with a quinnat salmon in his hands in the act of stripping the eggs. The work of distribution is illustrated by photographs, drawings, and a working model of car No. 3, recently reconstructed by Harlan & Hollingsworth. The results of fish-culture and the scope of the work accomplished by the Commission during the fiscal year 1896-97 are shown by large charts and numbers of photo- graphs and drawings. The scientific functions and work of the Commission are set forth by models and photographs of the exploring vessels Albatross and Fish Hawk, by an assortment of seines, dredges, nets, and by the deep- sea sounding apparatus used in making collections in fresh and salt water. in this section there is also a full collection of oyster shells, illustrating their sizes at different ages, peculiarities common to vari- ous regions, materials used for the attachment of spat, various objects _ to which young oysters adhere, influence of the bottom on the oyster’s growth, and enemies and injuries caused by each. Among the objects of the American fisheries exhibited are the following: Mounted groups of northern fur-seals, Steller’s sea lions, casts of cetaceans, 150 casts of food-fishes colored from living or fresh specimens, and painted casts of edible frogs. PLATE VII. (To face page XXXVIII.) Report U. S. F. C. 1898. GENERAL VIEW OF THE FISH COMMISSION EXHIBIT, OMAHA, _ me 7 a eee = = > Zs > a \ ae ‘ ' °: Dye i | , * / O Sn ‘ - = (¢ . eee. e _ 4 : i , pel ‘ . A ‘ a) i ? % s j , » : - 1 * * mn ; yi Poe ' . rr * ieee ets . a- — — REPORT OF COMMISSIONER OF FISH AND FISHERIES. XXXIX Through the courtesy of Messrs. Tiffany & Company, of New York, a collection of pearls and pearl-bearing mollusks is shown, consisting of specimens of white, pink, brown, copper-colored and fancy-colored pearls, a set of pearl-bearing shells, instruments for opening them, also a water-telescope for finding the mollusks, and illustrations of pearls. In the fisheries section the various forms of nets, traps, weirs, pound nets, seines, pots, dredges, tongs, etc., used in the capture of fresh- water products are fully shown, also characteristic types of fishing craft employed in the American fisheries, among them the swift New England schooner, the Florida smacker, the Chesapeake Bay oyster pungy, the shad boat of the North Carolina sounds, and the San Francisco market steamer. In addition to these ‘are numerous large photographs, por- traying the methods adopted in the important commercial fisheries of the Atlantic, Gulf, and Pacific coasts and the Great Lakes, and a series of crayon pictures illustrating the Alaskan fur-seal fishery. The fish- eries of the United States are presented by States on a large chart. _ At the opening of the exposition the aquarium contained a large variety of fresh-water and salt-water fishes, together with a number of aquatic invertebrates. The fresh-water fishes comprise brook trout, rainbow trout, black-spotted trout, yellow-fin trout, lake trout, steel- head trout, large-mouth and small-mouth black bass, crappie, strawberry bass, sunfishes, and the characteristic native fishes of the Mississippi Valley, including the largest obtainable specimens of sturgeon, catfish, and paddlefish, several of the catfish weighing 40 pounds and over. Aquatic reptiles are represented by living specimens of mud puppies, terrapin, edible frogs, etc. These large specimens, with a number of ornamental species like goldfish, tench, and golden ide, are displayed in oval pools under the rotundas and prove a most attractive feature. In the salt-water tanks about 50 varieties of food, game, and bait fishes of the Atlantic coast are represented by specimens of various ages, including dogfish, skates, sea bass, kingfish, tautog, chogset, sculpin, scup, toadfish, sea robin, pollock, cod, hake, and flounders. Lobsters, crayfish, crabs, and various kinds of mollusks are also exhibited. As it was impracticable for the representative to remain in Omaha after the opening of the exposition, the Commission is represented by Mr. R. J. Conway, who has charge of the aquarium, and by Mr. W. P. Sauerhoff. Mr. L. G. Harron was detailed from Washington to assist in the installation of the aquarium, and rendered effective service during the opening days of the exposition. The Commission is much indebted to the Union Tank Line Company, of New York, for the loan of two tank cars for transporting salt water from Woods Hole, Mass., to Omaha; also to the Michigan Central and the Chicago, Milwaukee and St. Paul railroad companies for free trans- portation, and to the Michigan Central Railroad for the transportation of car No. 4 with salt-water fishes over its line, and to the Missouri Pacific for transporting all the cars of the Commission into the exposi- tion grounds. XL REPORT OF COMMISSIONER OF FISH AND FISHERIES. STATION OPERATIONS. The fish-cultural work of the several stations is given in detail in the abstracts from the reports of the superintendents, and embraces the propagation of 26 species of fish and 1 crustacean. The following stations and auxiliary stations were operated during the year: Green Lake, Maine. Craig Brook, Maine. Grand Lake Stream, Maine. St. Johnsbury, Vermont. Cape Vincent, New York. Gloucester, Massachusetts. Woods Hole, Massachusetts. Steamer Fish Hawk (Albemarle Sound, Edisto River, Delaware River). Bristol, Pennsylvania. Battery Station, Maryland. Bryan Point, Maryland. Central Station, Washington, D. C. Fish Ponds, Washington, D. C. Alpena, Michigan. Duluth, Minnesota. Manchester, Iowa. Quincy, Illinois. Neosho, Missouri. San Marcos, Texas. Leadville, Colorado. Bozeman, Montana. Baird, California. Battle Creek, California. Fort Gaston, California. Clackamas, Oregon. - Upper Clackamas, Oregon. Salmon River, Oregon. Wytheville, Virginia. Erwin, Tennessee. Put-in Bay, Ohio. Northville, Michigan. Rogue River, Oregon. Siuslaw River, Oregon. : Little White Salmon River, Washington. GREEN LAKE STATION, MAINE (E. E. RacE, SUPERINTENDENT). During the summer, various minor improvements and repairs to buildings and ponds were made by the station force, including the painting of the hatching and collecting apparatus; a nursery containing 40 troughs was built in the rear of the hatchery, arranged so that the surplus water can be utilized for the rearing-ponds. An orchard was set out between the superintendent’s cottage and the hatchery. At the beginning of the fiscal year the stock on hand was as follows: Calendar year in which fish were hatched. Species. ee 1897. 1896. 1891. lsndlocked salmOn oa:c.%-j0,-pis-e cee sale cece ee acaeen eee See ane e eee 131, 141 434 471 IBTOOK AMO: 2 amen Seen se tetas cles Aas gee atsdnck hee es pens Ee Reet oe eee VIG 22 Nees cael eee ee Golden trout 52; 225 5sce sac = Senowe Sooo eet eee ee ene aoe eee TSG |..< cece dos| seco. Steelhead twontss 2... ooo. Sh ds. Siok eae coos et ee ie tered ae eee DEBE Raa eee es oe FACHIAM GIG RA UMOMWN Hin c pc sicic,s:ons nw 'sare's oda canmeae co ueenne see mumeeesecacaeeae 163220 |escc cet ccc loncasoasns Owing to an unprecedented rise in temperature early in July, it became necessary to dispose of the brook and golden trout, and they , were planted in the tributaries of Green Lake. The balance of the fish were retained until early fall and distributed as usual to applicants in the New England States. No mortality from disease occurred during the season, but from July 7 to 15 the losses from heat were quite heavy, the temperature during that period reaching 81° in the troughs and 83° in the ponds. In August arrangements were made for collecting eggs of the land- locked salmon, brook trout, and golden trout at Winkempaugh Brook (Branch Pond), Patton Pond, Flood Pond, Green Lake, and its tribu- taries. Steps were also taken to collect eggs of.the lake trout (togue) and landlocked salmon in Cold Stream Pond, near Enfield. The traps OO ete Report U.S. F.C 1898. (To face page XL) PLATE VIII. INTERIOR OF THE GROTTO, LOOKING FROM ONE THE POOLS, OMAHA. a eo avarire Act Ch ip “* n re ee ie » Ses ‘ & | heel i ie T= at id ie we cnt REPORT OF COMMISSIONER OF FISH AND FISHERIES. XLI and pens were putin place during August and September, and the first trout were captured in the latter month. At Cold Stream Pond the lake trout made their appearance on the spawning-grounds October 8, and the run continued until the 19th. The following table shows the number of fish captured at the various field stations and eggs secured: Point of collection. Species. Fish. | Eggs. Winkempaugh Brook. -....---. TES THEN Se RNS YA Mai slater ae as iene a alaiala'e ain mips olala'a's amma 206 207, 000 gndinokend salmon eect asks ssa enuresis cadace 59 182, 000 Patton: PonGdlson <2 mane aneistes BOOM INOUD -joscoslescamwaccacsalecsscsecsccenecoessass 70 105, 000 Wan digeked SRIMONs.atst ess. oe 2a seas celeb see toee « 3 3, 500 Url 12h oni A-eoaca gee sosrie SES ORE OU renee Sala oia em ae tes pernianos elena ania 59 28, 000 HannlockOm SAMMONS. nosis aca cereesecerccheneeer nate Oil seceee wae GOMDeRtrOUh anascn esses eee ctcceracs cneeeca eee setae. 146 83, 500 CO yisycre te 6:1) <2 Se er Brook aro cose Jose cece ton eab ce dcestousecuccusces 21 18, 200 Landlocked salmon. 225-5. ns--.csc5sacc-s-sscursccoes 127 273, 000 Cold Stream Pond ........... LAE trot (TDEME)! csdacecc acectedanscwcemsisicers aecinae 75 150, 000 ANd lOOKeG*BAlNON - s.8a vcs os eb ecsscerecscosseceass 44 100, 000 The number of eggs secured exceeded the collections of past seasons, 558,500 landlocked salmon eggs being obtained from 235 adults, an average of over 2,000 per fish. At the close of the spawning season the fish were all liberated, without loss, in the waters from which they were taken. The results attained at Enfield were particularly grati- fying, considering that operations were undertaken at that point late in the season. It is expected that over 1,000,000 togue eggs will be collected there another season, as the fish are abundant and easily captured. Of the 150,000 eggs secured, 75,000 were left at Enfield in charge of Mr. E. J. Darling, superintendent of the State hatchery, to be hatched and liberated in the waters from which they were derived. The brook-trout and landlocked-salmon eggs collected at Flood Pond, Winkempaugh Brook, and Patton Pond were hauled to the station by wagon over rough country roads immediately after fertilization and suffered a loss during incubation of from 8 to 14 per cent, whereas the loss on the eggs collected from fish captured in Green Laké and penned at Great Brook (about 4 mile from the hatchery) was only 34 per cent. During the late fall and early winter 126,243 landlocked-salmon eggs, 25,000 brook-trout eggs, and 10,000 golden-trout eggs were shipped to various State fish commissions, private applicants, and other stations of the Commission. The balance of the eggs were held at the station to be hatched and liberated as fry and yearlings. The fry commenced hatching on January 4 and by April 30 were all out. In view of the heavy mortality experienced during the previous July it was decided to abandon all efforts to carry the brook and golden trout during the summer; 225,000 of the former and 59,144 of the latter were distributed during May and June. On December 24 a consignment of 1,000,000 salmon eggs was received from Battle Creek, Cal., in excellent condition, only 7,270 having died en route; 50,000 of these were turned over to the State of Maine and the balance were distributed, immediately after the absorption of the sac, in Union River and its tributaries during the month of May. XLII REPORT OF COMMISSIONER OF FISH AND FISHERIES. Of the 50,000 steelhead-trout eggs received from Fort Gaston, Cal., in March, 22,966 fry were planted in Green Lake and other waters in the vicinity during the spring. All the Atlantic salmon on hand at the beginning of the year were held until March 30, when they were liberated in Green Lake, with a loss of only 12. With the exception of 50 specimens, all of the domes- ticated salmon hatched in 1891 were planted in Green Lake during the fall, as the ponds occupied by them were needed for other fishes. A few thousand eggs were collected from the 50 referred to, but they died in less than forty-eight hours after being placed in the troughs. At the close of the year there remained on hand the following: Calendar year in which hatched. Species. 1897. 1896. Landlocked ‘salmon..22.202s006< secccmcece cee acccecdeescceses ace eeweescesccecibecss 336, 936 279 Brook trowt:)s <6 ds 20506 snconncciecnns cise ncdecee secean cscusmaedasmnwesseeesee teen ce 13,83] |p Seee sree PLECINCAG tTLOUL sc .cccuccussesencowerewetieoectacesme mela cince stirs ceemsiee seer sets cee 8, 830 3, 370 CrAIG BROOK STATION, MAINE (CHARLES G. ATKINS, SUPERINTENDENT). The stock on hand July 1, 1897, consisted of 471,294 fish hatched the previous winter, chiefly Atlantic and quinnat salmon, a few landlocked salmon, steelhead, and Scotch sea trout; also 2,464 adults, varying in age from 2 to 6 years. All of the fry hatched the previous spring were held during the sac and early feeding stages in the standard troughs used at the station. They were supplied with water obtained from Craig Brook, its temperature during June ranging from 50° to 67°. Press of other work delayed the transfer of these fish to the ponds until after the middle of July, and the last of them were not removed until a month later. It was feared that this delay acted unfavorably on their growth, as the troughs were somewhat crowded. There were no serious losses from disease, however, as none of the epidemics occurring in past years made their appearance. The mortality in July amounted to 14,000, in August less than 5,000, and in September 2,300. To reduce the stock, 100,143 of the quinnat salmon were liberated early in September, and in October and November they were all disposed of except 5,883, which were retained throughout the winter. The growth of the fish during the summer, though satisfactory, was not equal to that attained in former years, when maggots formed an important part of the food supply. These were not available this year, as the building erected for their production had to be transformed into a hatchery to meet the unusual demands made upon the station by the hatching of quinnat salmon the previous winter. The food material was therefore limited to the carcasses of horses and other condemned animals, beef liver, and butchers’ offal. The distribution of the fish was made by teams to local waters and by messengers to points at a distance from the station. As soon as it was completed the hatchery was filled with eggs collected from the Atlantic salmon confined in Dead. Brook. The 350 female fish produced REPORT OF COMMISSIONER OF FISH AND FISHERIES. XLIII 3,506,642 eggs, which were much larger than those of the previous year, and apparently of fine quality. Notwithstanding their good condition, the actual losses from lack of impregnation and other causes, up to the time when the division was made with the State of Maine, amounted to 304,642. The United States received 2,630,214 as its share, 500,000 of which were assigned to State fish commissions and private applicants, and 2,126,975 fry, or 99.86 per cent of those divided, were hatched in March and April. Besides these, the State of Maine turned back to the Commission 540,199 fry. Plants aggregating 1,975,000 were made in May, as follows: Locality. Number. NiOLOE LV OLA LEV ANCONOLO ss cecme cscs saan ancericasten- ame Iisa oa achiseciecs cabo sce wonesc cs 137, 500 Penobscot River and tributaries above Oldtown..............---.------------------------- 1, 482, 500 Penobscot tributaries near Craig Brook... ... 2.2000 ccccecccccceencoccwnevescceccesessceccs= 355, 070 The balance of the stock was retained for rearing, and at the end of June numbered 636,817. In May, 1898, the usual arrangements were made for collecting and impounding adult salmon for the next year’s brood stock; 472 fish were obtained and impounded at Dead Brook, 400 of which belonged to the United States Fish Commission. The domesticated Atlantic salmon on hand at the beginning of the year consisted of three lots, the first of which were hatched in 1892, the second in 1893, and the third in 1897. Of the third brood 1,029 were liberated in November, 1897, reducing that lot to 454. In Novem- ber 25,287 eggs were secured from the first two lots, but they were defective in quality and none of them survived to the hatching period. As arrangements had been made to carry on landlocked-salmon work at Grand Lake Stream, no efforts were made to collect at Toddy Pond, as heretofore. In March the surplus eggs from Grand Lake Stream, amounting to 62,462, were transferred to Craig Brook, and of the fry - hatched from them 54,476 remain on hand at the close of the year. All of the rainbow trout at the station were liberated in Alamoosook Lake in August, 1897, and nothing was seen of them till the following March, when several were observed spawning in Craig Brook just below the hatchery. Measures were taken to secure eggs, and by the end of April 54,408 had been collected from 199 adult trout. The fish were undoubtedly a part of those liberated in August, and were apparently in excellent condition. The eggs were not first-class in quality, how- ever, and only 35,000 fry were hatched. At the close of the year 28,351 remain, which appear to be doing well. In order to test the practicability of domesticating the steelhead trout, the 191 specimens on hand from the hatch of 1896 were placed in one of the large deep ponds recently constructed and held for future Service as breeders. The fish on hand from the hatching of 1897 were liberated during the fall, except 1,400, which were retained in a small pond until March, when it was found that only 180 of them remained. XLIV REPORT OF COMMISSIONER OF FISH AND FISHERIES. This loss was first attributed to mink, but it appeared later that they ~ were destroyed by eels. In April a consignment of 100,000 eggs was received from Fort Gaston, Cal., arriving in excellent condition. They yielded 95,904 fry, 35,941 of which were released in local waters in June. The remainder were held for rearing. Of the Scotch sea trout resulting from eggs presented to the Com- mission by the journal Shooting and Fishing in 1891, there remains on hand a lot of 10; also two lots derived from eggs produced by these fish. All of the third lot were distributed during the year, and a crop of eggs is expected this fall from the second lot (hatched in 1895), In November, 1897, the 10 referred to above yielded 10,034 eggs, from which 2,970 young were hatched. The majority of the eggs proved defective and the fish hatched have continued to die, so that at the close of the year only 1,198 remain. The stock on hand at the station on June 30, 1898, is as follows: Fish hatched in calendar year— Kind. 1894 or} Adult 1898. 1897. 1896. 1895. eanlion Se aldcnnods Adlantid salmon ta0%. 34 cs hcaciswaeccsmaemnase= G36, 26432 ea c leat rae saparerate 233 400 Atlantic salmon, domesticated ...........-..-.|.-------<- yy OES ee BAe 3D) lc enaneeeer ihandlocked salmon! << <5 <-c2 2 164, 000 82, 000 132, 000 10 10 QB) lesion OO Gee eae ete teaacta sees aeons 677, 000 118, 000 559, 000 10 10 AT | elbiery Point: sc cjsc 262-50 asec 3, 176, 000 925,000 | 2, 251, 000 12 ls 28) |eseete = GON se aten scott ee eeceeeres ca 1, 306, 000 316, 000 990, 000 12 12 PA ee (1h ee SS Rs Se er ean as en aes 1, 503, 000 623, 000 880, 000 14 14 1 eee eet GO eee eben 5 ction asc wee ans 316, 000 86, 000 230, 000 14 14 ay ass oe Os SSAA SRB aOR rb boeICoAmSaeesee 2, 601, 000 1, 093, 000 1, 508, 000 17 17 1898. ans oh lee ce AOS rewe ae tana ne Cectecaees Se 4, 239, 000 1, 909, 000 2, 330, 000 19 19 4 | Kittery Point and Plymouth.... 5,124,000 | 2,156,000 | 2, 968, 000 19 19 5) | eatbery Poms 22 25 ccc ece see 1, 372, 000 694, G00 678, 000 21 21 Ghjeeea- DOF eet eeeeac tes ecearetannces 768, 000 257, 000 511, 000 21 21 Bh asec AO Resse e roe sc aees cee aces 1, 492, 000 820, 000 672, 000 25 25 Oy | Rare GOW oe eee ee cae ons 871, 000 363, 000 508, 000 25 25 10 | Kittery Point and Rockport..--. 1, 883, 000 899, 000 984, 000 25 25 1G RCL ODOR VEE ON teen =s eae <2 ace ars 571, 000 217, 000 354, 000 25 25 TPA lh svoy ed Ee) 0 ees een ee eae sale 1, 717, 000 1, 064, 000 653, 000 27 27 13 Racknort and Kittery Point -..-. 2, 370, 000 504, 000 | 1, 866, 000 27 27 May SILLY, Me Ont) sae erin. fences ob 864, 000 283, 000 581, 000 29 29 15 | Rockport and Kittery Point..--. 5,317,000 | 1,883,000 | 3,434, 000 29 29 Ga levatster OOlsfeen scree ste sivacaencete 3, 881, 000 1, 367, 000 2,514,000 | Feb. 3] Feb. 3 UMS see Gir ees ey Ge rioe OSC Re eee 2, 168, 000 1, 535, 000 633, 000 3 3 1S) |e Momeert Ste SORES foot eas 7,474,000 | 2,182,000} 5, 292, 000 4 4 Telee oe dome ee Foot ees 4,235,000 | 2,344,000 | 1,891, 000 3 3 20) pRuttery, Pointe sseceaececehesecs 74, 000 31, 000 43, 000 7 7 21 | Rockport and Kittery Point-.... 1, 468, 000 652, 000 816, 000 it 7 Do alntteryeboint eee estes anes oe 1, 934, 000 987, 000 947, 000 7 7 oi |oae.e GV OA Ae ae ee eo ee ee 1, 489, 000 402, 000 1, 087, 000 11 11 27 | Rockport and Kittery pointes. 3, 868, 000 986,000 | 2,882, 000 13 14 7 eee GOs eee eee me woe ate ces 1, 504, 000 347, 000 1, 157, 000 14 14 30 | Kittery Point.--.. 1, 920, 000 1, 062, 000 858, 000 18 18 TM Bileaees fi Una Gay em erg gl Ripe a ae 166, 000 74, 000 92, 000 20 23 Bal aeaee Ove eet a ene aceccmeastoodtee 308, 000 42, 000 266, 000 21 20 Gaipmockpontie- este ssee ek sector cee 400, 000 86, 000 314, 000 22 23 fag \PESCRG LOT y ee GING aacerisceeacteferais cies 1, 085, 000 209, 000 876, 000 23 23 8 | Kittery Point and Plymouth .... 2, 030, 000 472,000 | 1,558, 000 23 23 9 Kittery ROMs. sascascenceeee es ‘, 895, 000 299, 000 596, 000 26 26 10 Rockport Sete ncntcee rains aye ones 1, 862, 000 589, 000 1, 273, 000 26 26 ia attery, Pomtess fon. .cceceancc ue = 616, 000 170, 000 446, 000 26 26 13 | Kittery Point and Gloucester. --. 1, 472, 000 253,000 | 1, 219, 000 28 28 4s Battery Pomt. .ocecccccecc -ascnsc 1, 128, 000 132, 000 996, 000 28 28 TO eae CO iets eae eee eer ee ae 532, 000 91, 000 441,000 | Mar. 7; Mar. 7 AGH lcone) GOve See eee meee seems ahie ue seins 327, 000 63, 000 264, 000 16 17 28) |PGIOUCESUBT 2s sce/ensie esc tecad= sce 1, 364, 000 190, 000 1, 174, 000 17 17 Migr Os OROGKPOLb -s<=2nce eco ossaca sso 760, 000 116, 000 644, 000 21 21 LOL Sees: Oks paca cce es once cose aasishe 1, 600, 000 221, 000 1, 379, 000 24 24 1 ae GO) Ses tme e sae eee eeeenminascce's 1, 418, 000 284, 000 1, 134, 000 26 26 Motal cna cessegswrencen acess 160, 711, 000 | 64, 004,000 | 96, 707, 000 The eggs transferred from Kittery to Gloucester were packed in tightly sealed jars and surrounded with crushed ice or snow, in charge of amessenger. Asarule they were of excellent quality,and were hatched as heretofore in the McDonald cod-box. As the water temperature fell it became necessary to use steam to maintain a temperature of between 38° and 40°, which has been found by experiment to be about the same as the temperature of the water on the natural spawning-grounds. Dil REPORT OF COMMISSIONER OF FISH AND FISHERIES. At the close of the cod season arrangements were made with the fishermen and dealers to save egg-lobsters at various points along the Massachusetts coast, and temporary collectors were employed and stationed at Boston and Kittery Point to look after the interests of the Commission in this work. The schooner Grampus was detailed to make collections along the Maine coast from Kittery to Rockland, and on account of the large extent of territory to be covered an additional steam smack was chartered to work in connection with the Grampus. As a result of operations on the coast of Maine, 22,023,000 lobster eggs were collected and delivered at the station. The tirst eggs were taken by the Grampus on April 11, and the collections were continued daily from that time until July15. The lobsters purchased in Gloucester and vicinity, Kittery Point, Marblehead, and Boston were transferred to the station by means of a steam launch. This launch was also utilized in making the plants. The collections made at the various points aggregated 6,445 lobsters, which yielded 72,101,000 eggs. The eggs were all hatched at Gloucester, and produced 65,097,000 fry, which were distributed along the New England coast from Rockland to Boston. Several of the shipments were taken to Maine waters by the Grampus, and a number of shipments were sent by rail in care of messengers to Portland, Maine, from which point they were distributed by the schooner. Heretofore considerable difficulty had been experienced in shipping lobster fry during warm weather on account of losses occasioned by sudden rises in temperature, as ice could not be used in the transportation cans, because it would reduce the density of the water. This year, by a simple device, the difficulty was overcome. A tin cylinder, attached to the cover of the regular transportation can and extending to within 6 inches of the bottom of the can, was kept constantly filled with crushed ice, and in this way the proper temperature of the water was maintained. The following table shows the number of eggs collected from the various fields: : Eggs Locality. collected. Gloucesteriand ‘Vieinity,:.<.<. «= -.ssesmacesn st enesce ce s+ acees ota cee emetebecemenemacsecscoese 6, 479, 000 Marblehead! 22-6215 seetatws actos cetecassstecesecen osccsee ce absence en seeeaee nen soe. 435, 000 Kittery Point and'vieinitiy \.....--422c0t0ceenenceescee een does see teees ame eene seats eee te 6, 368, 000 Maine coast, schooner Grampus «25.2 scs ce ce cocecees nea scees ses coEeee ance Ree eee eee e ee | 22, 023, 000 Boston and. vicinity)! <-0 o-oo. sce des eee. ee sree eee ee sen obs 5 aetna ae ences | 36,796, 000 Dota ec can cbe net em te ase soe caa rae snae Semmes pemeee PEER Since a ciae sae om eee esters ee are 72, 101, 000 Woops Hoe Station, Massacuusetts (E. F. Locke, SUPERINTENDENT). During July and August various repairs were made to the residence and other buildings, including a new fioor for the lower hall of the laboratory and repairs to the pool. The machine shop was removed from the loft over the fire-room to the lower floor of the carpenter shop. The station force collected in July for shipment to the Pacific coast a carload of 2,017 small and 12 adult tautog, with 119 blue crabs. PLATE XII. 1898. (To face page LIl.) Report U.S. F.C. INTERIOR VIEW OF GLOUCESTER HATCHERY, SHOWING COD BOXES IN OPERATION, een . iy bat i a) y ar - iets h if io i - REPORT OF COMMISSIONER OF FISH AND FISHERIES. LIil The bulk of these being lost en route, a second collection was made in November for shipment to the same point, which comprised 1,138 tautog and 150 lobsters. The force was also utilized during the spring in col- lecting a carload of live fishes, including forty-five species, for the Omaha Exposition, and two carloads of salt water were filtered and shipped to Omaha on May 1. Arrangements were made for gathering information in regard to the movements, growth, spawning habits, etc., of the cod by attaching small tags to brood -fish liberated at the close of the season. The collection of brood codfish was made as usual by the schooner Grampus and by purchase from fishing-smacks. The first fish were received on October 8 and the last on November 9; in all 3,507 were secured. The minimum weight of the fish accepted was 6 pounds; 1,920 of them were caught by the Grampus and the remainder obtained from the fishermen. They were carefully transferred from the vessel to live-cars moored in the pool. The loss during October was normal, but about the middle of November the mortality became very heavy, and specimens of the dead fish were sent to Washington for examina- tion. It was found that in a majority of cases the primary cause of death could be traced to hook wounds or other injuries received at the time of capture. From the penned brood-fish 57,054,000 eggs were secured. Arrangements were made for collecting cod eggs at Plymouth, Mass., by Capt. E. E. Hahn. A force of spawn-takers was stationed there in November under direction of F. 8. Conley, the first officer of the Grampus, and the launch Cygnet, with a crew, was assigned for use in transferring the spawn-takers from the shore to the fishing vessels. About December 1 the force was increased to seven spawn-takers, the collection of eggs was commenced, and although the work was fre- quently interrupted by storms during winter, the season as a whole was favorable, resulting in the collection of 90,760,000 eggs. The method of handling and packing eggs did not differ from that followed at Kittery. The eggs were usually sent by express, though in the case of large collections a messenger was sent with them to guard against accident. The majority of the eggs arrived at the sta- tion in excellent condition. The work was continued until February 26, at which time, as a result of the collections made at this point and from the fish penned at the station, 147,794,000 eggs had been collected. Several shipments were also received from Kittery Point, amounting in all to 5,642,000. These were sent by messenger as far as Boston, and then shipped in care of the baggage-master to Woods Hole. The total number of eggs handled at the station amounted to 153,436,000. The eggs were hatched, as usual, in the McDonald cod box, steam being utilized to maintain an equable temperature of water when that in the hatchery fell below 40°. The fry were planted on the spawning- grounds off Gayhead, with the exception of 6,340,000, which were deposited near Provincetown, Mass. LIV REPORT OF COMMISSIONER OF FISH AND FISHERIES. Record of cod-hatching at Woods Hole Station, 1897-98. Loss durin Date of | Date of Date Source of supply. Eggs taken. | 5) oubati oe Fry hatched. |) o¢chin g.\planting. INGV. o15 | dbive-Gargsiee osenseestas oc ~=ses 474, 000 147, 000 269,000 ; Nov. 27 | Nov. 30 1 te Wh) oes cig ne cocappeneeoone 805, 000 108, 000 550, 000 28 30 7a heene NO eee eereeer cae sm eisse sa 237, 000 26, 000 148, 000 28 30 20T ches C0) Ba eae Ona Gane OO Ciooo Ie 947, 000 131, 000 679,000 | Dec. 1) Dec. 3 DoyWecaes Ghee sebaer coeeesroccos 380, 000 42, 000 275, 000 2 3 DOuee ee. 0 creer erase en aeeets 2, 227, 000 442, 000 1, 280, 000 8 9 BO! Pca ft) ee sc oScenesonoosS 3, 649, 000 693, 000 2, 218, 000 13 14 Dec. 1 | Plymouth 948, 000 185, 000 626, 000 14 15 2 | Live-cars 3, 222, 000 506, 000 2, 305, 000 14 15 2 | Plymouth 853, 000 79, 000 737, 000 14 15 4 | Live-cars 3, 511, 000 599, 000 2, 462, 000 16 17 4 | Plymouth 853, 000 100, 000 653, 000 16 17 (ty ae USS a Ae arooASao: te 587, 000 215, 000 335, 000 19 20 6 | Live-cars 2, 075, 000 548, 000 1, 290, 000 19 20 7 | Plymouth 474, 000 121, 000 332, 000 19 20 7 | Live-cars -- 758, 000 189, 000 485, 000 19 20 Sieaeee Othe game rneeecrapoanc suDc= 3, 221, 000 900, 000 2. 084, 000 20 21 8 | Plymouth 806, 000 400, 000 322, 000 20 21 iL ee CCE SSeeae moe ceteiedorae c 1, 232, 000 329, 000 876. 000 23 27 | VG: CAS yates ee oe elie =o = = 4, 122, 000 1, 003, 000 2, 690, 000 23 27 13h Seer Gb) Bosecos ene acecds se sco se 5, 331, 000 933, 000 3, 866, 000 27 29 iy | hat Mss 86r Sooo seserene 2, 535, 000 633, 000 1, 555, 000 ali 29 Lat Vie- CATA cee ates ae eee ia 3, 815, 000 853, 000 2, 445, 000 31 | Jan. 3 15) abating eas eo scosaessecc 568, 000 100, 000 394, 000 31 3 16s) WoIVS-CAPS esas con. <2 neem 1, 422, 000 404, 000 724,000 | Jan. 3 6 Gh MediyinO Dbl sesame 853, 000 111, 000 605, 000 3 6 Read ovs cere mands 22 Sa Sap dets 1, 611, 000 429, 000 1, 045, 000 5 6 Su GhVC-CALS s2- eewcte ae aem enn 4, 667, 000 1, 004, 000 3, 079, 000 df 8 20) ||) Plymouthos--sss22-2=---e~ = 2, 180, 000 437, 000 1, 396, 000 9 10 2a elalwe-Cars ees aces== enone 2, 417, 000 594, 000 1, 564, 000 9 10 20: | Plymouth..-.-..-.-..-------- 568, 000 152, 000 374, 000 9 10 ls'| Sosa WO Boe sa ApaasSaeasenaSs 3, 008, 000 157, 000 2, 674, 000 9 10 22 | Kittery Point.......--.....--. 1, 611, 000 515, 000 969, 000 12 15 BPs || TAk ary eecisoceor sock ao 1, 256, 000 21€, 000 915, 000 12 15 DAN MulVO-OALS cis steos oe Same - ee ae 2,123, 000 447, 000 1, 497, 000 13 15 23 | Plymouth. .....-.--2-.------. 1, 090, 000 79, 000 970, 000 13 15 23 | Kittery Point 1, 422, 000 232, 000 1, 048, 000 13 15 POW secre OO ee a -seeinee 2, 559, 000 798, 000 1, 623, 000 16 18 Ast |) US EECE A SeGomeooroSp oreo sone 2, 440, 000 702, 000 1, 537, 000 18 22 BO) | abi searos esocosoeocos 2, 985, 000 519, 000 2, 249, 000 18 22 BOUL VG=-CALS 2c ent caectanemise cece 1, 374, 000 374, 000 773, 000 22 25 Ug eediyaile Ubhieee eens am anette 1, 231, 000 126, 000 989, 000 22 25 A ha eae pcc CN ey eeu ARS READ A SOOSOSE 616, 000 252, 000 322, 000 22 25 dine, Te eee. Op ee ae eo Sees 4, 264, 000 1, 037, 000 3, 055, 000 22 25 3) EGS Voc -SSSeere pee onsesce 616, 000 155, 000 398, 000 24 25 Bale eM One ete heen eee See 663, 000 136, 000 485, 000 27 31 a Eel On Ge ater arate are 1, 137, 000 236, 000 816, 000 27 31 WAV G-CRES cerleeoadees ose ne eee 996, 000 242, 000 658, 000 27 31 eek yO ota eee 711, 000 90, 000 593, 000 27 31 9 peece Go, s28 See. eee eee 2, 130, 000 253, 000 i, 767, 000 31 | Feb. 3 TO) Ler ee d:| BAB eee cepa ase cagoee 1, 137, 000 242, 000 784, 000 31 3 ON) SEL yan OME se ae = ate om ole = 995, 000 41, 000 886, 000 31 3 1 eS ihe seeckdems se ooseseceae 2, 464, 000 1, 048, 000 1,3M,000 | Feb. 4 7 PAS el ra vectch rds oS Sen ees 900, 000 253, 000 573, 000 4 7 TRY | | Lente See coensasc comer 592, 000 105, 000 419, 000 4 7 NAD AUT O- CALS ho Sain oem ee afore apts 663, 000 169, 000 447, 000 ti 8 1G) || Telnet es ose des oacince eee 2, 037, 000 221, 000 1, 722, 000 7 8 OW ae 0 2s etbaaee ss ae ee cer omate 1, 943. 000 189, 000 1, 613, 000 i 8 17 | Live-cars 758, 000 205, 000 511, 000 12 14 18 | Plymouth 2,178, 000 632, 000 1, 314, 000 12 14 ui Vel eee GOy-eaeseon 7, 250, 000 1, 893, 000 4, 989, 000 12 14 VE). bribe kde) seer eee Sasnoaaboes 711, 000 200, 000 511, 000 12 14 PANS) deaWeienbi se \sepeeeae Josocec 1, 659, 000 99, 000 1, 519, 000 - 15 18 OP Wive-Carsossceseccssoceee ener 332, 000 42, 000 280, 000 15 18 PAW 2 bani tl Nae eore ese nce ae soo 1, 659, 000 105, 000 1, 492, 000 15 18 Dai \onsee GOV ia: cote em eeeiacare ee 758, 000 42, 000 701, 000 15 | 18 24 | Live-cars 711, 000 237, 000 442, 000 19 22 25 | Plymouth 5, 543, 000 1, 032, 000 4, 087, 000 19 22 27 | Live-cars 190, 000 105, 000 69, 000 19 | 22 Hebe (Alene. a GO Vb ore aces nce 190, 000 147, 000 33, 000 25 25 6 | Plymouth... 4, 265, 000 1, 424, 000 2, 558, 000 28 | Mar. 2 i eee do 1, 564, 000 197, 000 1, 332,000 | Mar. 2) 4 Baise se GO 22-252 52 Sesteect sees 616, 000 97, 000 435, 000 2 4 OM 2ese 2 GO Se2sesesene ee eee eee: 1, 943, 000 432, 000 1, 470, 000 2 4 DS eee Chet ee ee ee ae 1, 516, 000 547, 000 929, 000 6 | 8 7h aseee i RIE eye cs 758, 000 131, 000 585, 000 6 8 As Sees GO, ack See eee 1, 611, 000 195, 000 1, 320, 000 6 8 Ya eer OG iesees - see eee 2, 284, 000 538, 000 1, 674, 000 9 11 ia Go's eee 2, 559, 000 934, 000 1, 471, 000 9 11 1 al eee GO ck oth Shs Se eeedoniece 6, 304, 000 1, 073, 000 4, 793, 000 14 15 a ere GO Geeectl. co Se tence eee 5, 634, 000 2,171, 000 3, 099, 000 16 ae Uf 7 eee GO ol Pate ese ee eee 426, 000 16, 000 389, 000 18 19 DBI leew 'cisre CON = Soe es chee een eens 1, 706, 000 570, 000 1, 074, 000 18 21 IDE oosconrsgesnecccesc 153, 436,000 | 34, 305,000 ; 105, 863, 000 ——— REPORT OF COMMISSIONER .OF FISH AND FISHERIES. LV The results secured with cod this year were far better than heretofore, and it is believed the work can be still further extended and increased by enlarging the force at Plymouth and using a larger steamer for transferring the spawn-takers to and from the fishing vessels. Early in February steps were taken to collect the winter flounder or flatfish. For this purpose several fyke nets were set in Woods Hole harbor and Waquoit Bay, and the brood-fish taken were held at the station until ripe, when they were stripped and liberated. The first ripe fish were taken on February 11 in Woods Hole harbor, but owing to the presence of ice in Waquoit Bay the nets could not be set there until the 18th. The appearance of spent fish in the nets immediately after they had been set at the latter point indicated that the fish had commenced spawning much earlier, and that in order to do good work there it will be necessary to commence operations in January, weather permitting. Most of the fish taken were quite small, and the yield per fish was lighter than in past years. In 1897, 205 females produced 84,591,000 eggs, while this year 249 females yielded only 52,799,000, the average yield in 1897 being 456,000 per fish, and this year only 226,000. During the latter part of March efforts were made to secure eggs at East Greenwich, R. I. While only 4,804,000 were obtained here, it is thought that large numbers can be taken another season by stationing a man there to collect and forward the eggs early in Febru- ary. Work closed on April 8, with a total take of 57,603,000, which produced 39,337,000 fry. Following the custom of previous years, arrangements were made with local fishermen to take care of all egg-lobsters collected during the fall and winter, and between December,7 and January 19 about 500,000 eggs were secured. These were placed in jars, and developed fairly well until April 1. After that time the loss became very heavy and only about one-third of them hatched. Active operations commenced about April 1 and continued until June 30. The territory covered embraced all points fished within a radius of 15 miles from the station, and a schooner was employed to collect egg-lobsters at New London, Noank, and Stonington, Conn., and Block Island, R. I., while an agent was stationed at Plymouth, Mass., to collect from the fishermen located between Green River and Ship Pond, a distance of about 20 miles. Later in the season arrangements were made to collect eggs at Scituate, Mass., but only a few were received from that point. It is believed, however, that this section will yield a much larger number next year. Although the work was pushed energetically throughout the season, none of the territory covered yielded as many eggs as heretofore. The following table shows the number received from the different localities in 1897 and 1898: Localities. 1897. 1898. Noank, Steningtonyand Block Islands. 22> .2-beessiwsssessbeatee cseeeeeese se 33, 804,000 | 19, 343, 000 Woods Hole and vicinity, including Vineyard Sound and Buzzards Bay...-. 35, 013,000 | 11, 620, 000 elvan ontheesememae tase ae ee SoU BEES cde seb ALIASES 22. Skewes 5, 335, 000 4, 428, 000 LVI REPORT OF COMMISSIONER OF FISH AND FISHERIES. The greatest difference will be noted as occurring in the vicinity of the station. This is attributed, first, to the well-known fact that the lobster fishery is steadily declining in this section; hence, the number of men engaged in the work becomes fewer each year, as the income derived from it is too small to support them. Another important fac- tor is the legislation recently enacted prohibiting the fishing of pound nets in Buzzards Bay, which furnished the greater part of the bait used by the lobster fishermen operating in this territory. This caused a number of men to abandon the business. The same general decline has been felt in the waters south and west. It is reported that only about half the number of pots were set in the vicinity of Marblehead, Stonington, and Block Island, as compared with the previous year. The only direction in which operations could be extended would be on the north side of Cape Cod; but an additional steam launch would be necessary, Which would materially increase the expense of the work. The following table shows the species handled at the station during the fiscal year, eggs collected, and fry produced. Species. No. of eggs. | No. of fry. 15 ER ee SRR Pe OM Salt eae Ree OL sy) Earn en a ee 153, 436,000 | 105, 863, 000 CAEL BAL Aaa ci, Sens ALL. ye ee mI TEE Se 57, 603,000 | 39,337, 000 SES Ne aE RANE cena DN RRS OEE SAF ROA RLS 4 5 A Seared 35,391,000 | 30,980, 000 ge (pte Nara ap en te PN Aa a SP ad ppl ane oa gal! “246, 430,000 | 176, 180, 000 Episto River, STEAMER Fist Hawk (LIEUT. FRANKLIN SWIFT COMMANDING). As a result of investigations made by the assistant in charge during December, the Fish Hawk was detailed to visit the Edisto River in March for the purpose of determining whether the fisheries are of such character and extent as to permit of fish-cultural work on a large scale. The vessel arrived at the mouth of the river on March 12 and pro- ceeded upstream to a point a mile above the mouth of the Dawho, where good anchorage was obtained. That night 8 spawn-takers were sent out to examine the shad captured by the fishermen, and as a result 77,000 eggs were collected. These were placed in the jars and seemed to be in good condition until the 17th, when they commenced dying rapidly. As the temperature was favorable, averaging 66°, and the embryo was well formed, it was thought that the water was at fault, and it was tested for acids, but none were found. It is barely possible that the loss was due to the use of salt water in the pipes and machinery at Tampa; but this is not probable, as the pipes had been thoroughly rinsed with fresh water before the eggs were placed in the jars, and only a very slight trace of salt could be found when chemicals were used to test the water. The spawn-takers continued attending the nets, but no more eggs were obtained, though the fishermen reported that ripe fish had been caught for a week or ten days prior to the arrival of the vessel. The majority of those caught were hard and would have required at least a week to ripen, and, as the services of the vessel were needed on the Albemarle, work was discontinued on the 18th. REPORT OF COMMISSIONER OF FISH AND FISHERIES. LVII The present method of fishing on this river is such that fish-cultural work on a large scale is not practicable. Only one small seine is used; the balance of the fishermen use set gill nets, which are put out at low water and not overhauled till high-water slack. They remain in water until morning, when they are taken up and the fish removed, hence the only opportunity for spawn-takers to obtain the fish alive would be when they are first overhauled. The haul seine referred to is worked by 5 men and is fished only at low water during the day. Drift nets can not be used in this river on account of snags, shoals, and other natural obstacles. Gill-net fishing extends from a mile above the Savannah and Charleston Railroad crossing at Jacksonboro down to the Dawho River. This part of the river is known locally as the Pon Pon. There are 37-crews of 2 men each fishing in this region, each crew using twonets. They obtain an average of 1,000 fish per crew, though in the vicinity of the Oakhurst plantation, where the old State fish- hatchery is located, the catch is much larger, some crews taking from 1,800 to 3,000 per season. The State operated the hatchery referred to from 1880 to 1584, inclusive, and collected annually from 3,000,000 to 5,000,000 eggs. This hatchery is about centrally located as regards the fishing area, the contour of the river in that vicinity showing it to be especially adapted for spawning-grounds. If drift nets and haul seines were used, there would be little difficulty in collecting from 15,000,000 to 20,000,000 eggs each season. During the stay of the vessel on the river the officers in command were indebted to 8. Fitzsimons, Morton Simons, and T. D. Ravenel for assistance and courtesies extended. ALBEMARLE SOUND, STEAMER FISH Hawk. Owing to a delay of some days at Ocracoke Inlet on account of the extremely low tide, the vessel did not reach Avoca until March 28. Anchorage was made at the entrance to Salmon Creek on account of its proximity to the fishing-grounds and because of the partial shelter which it affords to the ship’s boats. Spawn-takers were immedi- ately sent to the fishing-grounds controlled by Dr. W. Rh. Capehart and Mr. T. D. Holly, and 147,000 eggs were secured from these sources on the first day. It was also intended to collect from the seines on the Roanoke and from those controlled by the Wood Brothers across the bay, but as very few fish were being taken at these points the attempt was abandoned. Eggs continued to come in daily from the arrival of the vessel until April 25, the total take aggregating 12,334,000. Of these, 10,242,000 were secured from Dr. Capehart’s seines. The results attained in this region would undoubtedly have been much better had the weather conditions been more favorable. It was exceed- ingly warm during March, and consequently the number of fish cap- tured then was unusually large, the take at one fishery being four times as great as that of the preceding year for the same period. About the time the vessel arrived it became much cooler, and the mean tempera- ture from March 30 to April 19 was under 60°, This tended not only to LVIJII REPORT OF COMMISSIONER OF FISH AND FISHERIES. keep the spawning fish out in deep water, but it greatly retarded the hatching of the eggs and caused the death of large numbers of fry. As an experiment, artificial heat was applied to the water in the supply tank with the view to maintaining an even temperature of 68° in the jars; but this plan was soon abandoned, as it would have been imprac- ticable to hold the fry in artificially heated water until that in the sound reached the same temperature. The distribution of the fry commenced on April 21, and at the close of operations 5,647,000 had been planted, also 1,811,000 eggs. The remaining 2,194,000 eggs were transferred to Central Station. Shad-hatching operations on steamer Fish Hawk in Albemarle Sound in 1897-98. Mean tempera-| Date of | Number SEUSS Shad. | Eggs taken. ture of |hatching.| hatched. water. Mar, 28. aes Dec. 6, 11 a.m ..... Dec, 11;,2\p,m-.... Dee. 11, 2.20 p.m.. 0 AN Gilt Bebe eonec aa Meo, Ls 2 poms... Dec: 9\9'aim’..:=.. Dee. 11, 2.05 p.m.. 0 Monit beaer etic manics ie meres Dec. 11,2 p.m....- Dec. 4, 10.45 a.m ..| Dec. 11, 2.15 p.m.. 0 new aee meter cena eles Dec. 11,2 p.m..... Dec. 7, 8.45 a.m....| Dec, 11, 2.10 p.m.. 0 From these experiments it would seem that neither spawn nor milt retain their fertility after the third day; but this is not necessarily the case, as the milt used in all of these long-time experiments, with one exception, was from the lot of December 4, which had been repeatedly uncorked and possibly injured by the admixture of a small amount of water, while the spawn was held in small lots of a half pint or less, which were more liable to dry out than a large mass. All of the eggs used in this experiment, except one lot, were placed in a jar marked “miscellaneous,” and examined from time to time, showing a good per- centage of impregnation. Before being placed in the jars they were held separately in kegs for two or three days with running water and reexamined to observe if the development seemed natural, and no dif- ference could be seen between these and eggs of the same age taken at the same time in the usual manner. It is a matter of regret that there were not enough taken at one time to fill a jar, so that they could have been carried separately up to the hatching period. An experiment was also tried with a view to hatching whitefish eggs with closed circulation—that is, using the water over and over. The water was pumped into a 12-gallon keg, whence it descended by gravity to the jar, thence to a large tin vessel, which was partially submerged in running water in order to maintain a low temperature. [From this it was again pumped back to the keg. This experiment was continued for 13 days without damage to the eggs, although, owing to the fact that the temperature of the water was 7° warmer than that taken from overboard, the development was much more rapid. It may also be stated that so much oil was carried over from the pump that it formed a considerable coating on the surface of the water in the receiving vessel, also on the inside of the jar. Theeggs, however, were apparently not injuriously affected by this circumstance. These eggs hatched before any others in the house, and the fry were apparently as healthy. Collections of eggs were made, as heretofore, from the commercial fishermen, but owing to the unfavorable conditions prevailing during November, the total collections amounted to only 112,842,000 whitefish and 27,786,000 cisco or lake herring. From the nets fished in the vicinity of Port Clinton, 40,653,000 whitefish eggs were obtained; from LXXVI REPORT OF COMMISSIONER OF FISH AND FISHERIES. those in the vicinity of Toledo, 21,348,000; North Bass Island, 21,762,000; Middle Bass field, 2,331,000; Kelly Island, 7,866,000; Catawba Island, 720,000; from Put-in Bay, 18,000,000 whitefish eggs and 27,786,000 of the eggs of the cisco; from other points, 162,000 whitefish eggs. Of these eggs, 10,000,000 were transferred to Alpena Station; the balance were hatched and distributed during March and April on the spawning- grounds from which the eggs were collected, the cisco fry being planted in the vicinity of Put-in Bay. During the winter 1,000,000 lake-trout eggs were received from North- ville, which were hatched and planted in the vicinity of the station. It having been determined to resume the propagation of pike perch, steps were taken to secure a force of spawn-takers and arrangements made with the fishermen for attending the pound nets in the vicinity of Put-in Bay, Toledo, and Port Clinton. The warm weather in March raised the temperature of the water to 42.5°, which advanced the spawn- ing season a week. The first eggs were taken on March 31, earlier than ever before in the history of the station. A small lot was brought in by the fishermen in this neighborhood. The regular spawn-takers were not put on until April 4. On April 5 a severe northeast gale set in, accompanied by snow, the temperature falling from 42.5° to 38°. This not only interfered materially with the work, but the eggs taken were poor. The weather continued unfavorable throughout the spawning season, gale following gale in rapid succession, which not only seriously reduced the collections, but affected unfavorably the work in the hatch- ery. The water pumped at the station was loaded with dirt, causing much extra labor and continual handling of the eggs. Dead eggs, which ordinarily fungus in a few days and are drawn off, were coated with dirt so that they were of the same weight with the others, and failed to rise to the top, necessitating not'only constant handling, but the passing of the eggs through fine screens, in order to remove those which were fungussed. As a result of the season’s work, 221,062,500 eggs of poor quality were collected; 87,112,000 from the Toledo field, 111,900,000 from the Port Clinton field, and 22,050,000 from the vicinity of Put-in Bay. In the beginning of the season starch was used to prevent adhesion of the eggs; but complaints were received from every section that: this material was not satisfactory, as was proved by the fact that all of the eggs came to the station more or less adherent. Swamp muck, which had been used with success three years before, was substituted and sent out at once but, owing to delays en route the season was nearly over at Toledo before it could be used. Not more than 2 tablespoon- fuls of the muck solution to 5 gallons of water was needed to prevent adhesion. Experience has also shown that it is advisable to put the muck in the water in the keg in which the eggs are poured after impregnation, rather than to mix it with the eggs in the pan prior to fertilization. If a small amount of water is added to the eggs imme- diately after fertilization and the milt washed out quickly, adhesion does not take place for a minute or two. REPORT OF COMMISSIONER OF FISH AND FISHERIES. LXXVII On April 16, near the close of the season, one of the spawn-takers, Mr. Carl Rotert, was directed to remilt the eggs taken on that date; that is, to add fresh milt one minute after first applying it to the eggs, and to add a third lot a minute later. In all, 450,000 eggs were treated in this way, and after careful examination under the microscope, at the expiration of twenty-four hours, out of the three lots of 150,000 each not an unimpregnated egg could be discovered. They were then put ina jar and kept thus to the close of the season. After the ruptured eggs had worked off (ruptured eggs fungus and separate from the good ones much sooner than the unimpregnated ones) the jar stood in striking contrast to the balance of the eggs in the house, a solid mass of living eggs. For some unaccountable reason they hatched before any of the others, though taken last. Instead of requiring several days to hatch, they all came out together, and the fry were apparently healthy, as seen under the microscope or with the naked eye. It is a matter of regret that this experiment was not tried earlier in the season, as it appeared from the results attained in this instance that previous heavy losses on pike-perch eggs may have been largely due to imperfect fertilization. This matter will receive attention next season, and experiments will be tried in remilting whitefish eggs also. The eggs collected at Toledo were shipped on trays by the steamers running from Cleveland to Toledo three times a week, and although the eggs were held at least two days on the trays, they were apparently not injured by the shipment; 30,000,000 of the pike-perch eggs were trans- ferred to Cape Vincent hatchery, and in order to decide as to the best method for long-distance shipments, a part of them were transferred on trays, and the balance in the ordinary transportation cans filled with water. Of those transferred on trays, only 30 per cent hatched, while of those shipped in water 75 per cent hatched. As eggs were success- fully shipped on trays from Toledo to Sandusky, it appears that the loss must have been due to concussion, caused by the jolting of the cars, the eggs on trays being much more subject to this than those in water. On May 2 it was observed that the eggs seemed unusually buoyant, and that they rose higher in the jars than usual with the same amount of water. Examination under the microscope revealed the existence of numerous colonies of infusoria, nearly every egg having one or more colonies. They were in the main a species of Carchesium, with a few Vorticella, These being lighter than the water, and offering consider- able resistance to the current, floated the eggs. On the 3d they had increased to such an extent that it was necessary to put the eggs into tubs and thoroughly wash them. This process broke the slender threads which connect the individual infusoria to their main stem on the egg, and remedied the evil. Later it was found that by thoroughly feathering the eggs in the jar the same results could be secured. These animals were found in all the jars, there being no difference whether muck or starch had been used. Thorough investigation did not show that the eggs were damaged, directly or indirectly, by these infusoria. LXXVIII REPORT OF COMMISSIONER OF FISH AND FISHERIES. Owing totheunfavorable conditions above enumerated, only 71,110,000 fry were hatched. These were planted in the waters of Lake Erie at the following points: Point of deposit. Number. Point of deposit. Number, Reach deland Teoh... .| os 52- <<] 56 | 55 2] 41 | 36 | 143 | 800,000 | 57,500 | 46 | 50 23 | 29 |.---| 96 | 560,000 | 12,500 | 53 | 54 3 | 26 | 20 | 78] 400,000 | 55,000 | 44| 48 24 | 86 |....| 124 | 805,000 | 17,500 | 52 | 56 4 | 44 |....| 45 | 240,000 | 62,500 | 44 | 48 25 | 71 |---.| 89 | 560,000 | 17,500 | 52 | 56 Te cena (atk Ss Pesce faelerse Meece 67,500 | 48 | 49 26 |157 |----| 157 | 910,000 | 15,000 | 52 | 58 6 | 90 | 30 | 118 | 720,000 | 62,500 | 50] 52 27 |193 |----| 65 385, 000 | 25,000 | 52 | 58 @ \eb8) ceo hed, 760, 000 | 55,000 | 50 | 51 28 |298 |..-.|} 191 |1, 050, 000 | 20,000 | 53 | 58 8 | 40 | 28 | 58 | 360,000 | 65,000 | 50| 51 29 |239 |.-.-| 300 |1, 680,000 | 40,000 | 54 | 58 9| 5 |....| 67 | 360,000 | 62,500 | 48] 49 30 |252 |.-..| 239 |1, 400, 000 | 37,500 | 54 | 58 Ue ses ea tel be 85, 000 | 57,500 | 50} 51 31 |170 |.--.| 252 |1, 435, 000 | 47,500 | 53 | 58 {il Seac) eo Seas | Besson eas 67,500 | 51.1 52 Nov. 1 |266 |.--.| 170 | 945,000 | 30,000 | 54 | 58 UP ees peal abt lbseeckesric 50,000 | 50] 52 2 1174 |..-.| 256 |1, 520, 000 | 40,000 | 54 | 56 Veh SRE AP Sa eicl[ooo nop aone 62,500 | 49} 50 3 1198 |.---| 182 |1, 040,000 | 37,500 | 52 | 56 UE: ee Bec hoe al 247,500 | 70,000 | 48} 50 4 |170 |....| 200 |1, 120,000 | 27,500 | 51 | 54 BB psen| ee) Seva ete eee 55,000 | 47 | 48 5 1176 |.---| 170 | 920,000 | 35,000 | 50 | 54 Te SSe5 soos bases ssoasecas- 65,000 | 45 | 48 6 |159 |..-.| 175 |1, 000, 000 | 35,000 | 50 | 52 Wes ence eae sen Coe ee 70,000 | 44 | 47 7 | 97 | 95 | 160 | 880,000 | 87,500 | 48 | 51 UY peel bes] baers|[oteatdoase 52,500 | 45 | 47 8 |106 {106 | 191 |1,000, 000 | 27,500 | 47 | 50 Tei esse S| bSe5 2) bocce sae 65,000 | 43 | 46 9 {110 /139 | 212 |1, 120,000 | 32,500 | 48 | 53 YO aa Saoocd|Ses5q sacdasscos 60,000 | 43 | 46 10 |197 | 99 | 247 |1, 280,000 | 27,500 | 50 | 55 PA oa nc) Sse Besa 65,000 | 43 | 46 11 '259 |138 | 295 /1, 487,500 | 37,500 | 53 | 56 274 \ See -\lacsctonse -|RS5S0s65¢ 60,000 | 43! 46 12 |143 |162 | 397 |2, 137,500 | 62,500 | 52 | 56 Pa ee ban lp aasepeseooeood 62,500 | 44 46 13 /214 |225 | 297 |1, 560, 000 | 52,500 | 52 | 53 Yi | nee had Ree SaaS 65,000 | 45 | 48 14 | 67 |170 | 439 |2, 220, 000 | 52, 500 | 50 | 53 Oa seer be cleeaer| pene so sos 25,000 | 46 | 49 15 107 |140 | 242 /1,170, 000 | 47,500 | 46 | 50 24) oases sae solEasegaeees 15,000 | 48 | 52 16 | 64 |154 | 250 |1, 290,000 | 37,500 | 48 | 51 7A \Iise.o-\osec}lé Seed moseeetoeap 20,000 | 49 | 51 17 | 72 |167 | 215 |1, 142, 000 | 67,500 | 48 | 50 Mell (eed |aeitic ease Eemegcegees 15,000 | 48 | 50 18 /127 |110 | 242 |1, 317,500 | 37,500 | 50 | 54 ON ere ara ete eile | aati ees oa 17,500 | 46 48 19 | 67 |104 | 234 |1, 275, 000 | 62,500 | 50 | 54 A) eee cle aina |b 5 347 |Segoesosor 12,500 | 48 | 51 20 | 24 |194 | 170 | 892,500 | 82,500 | 53 | 54 SH bos) |= Sel (mee Baer 7,500 | 46, 50 2b 6491093.) 203-11 5190: 000, | 7010008) so0 a (52) acide | Sac.c| amretelemenc| on aces 5.5. 12,500 | 46 | 50 22 |116 |106 | 162 | 935,000 | 72,500 | 50 | 50 Ph noe) ood bone re aatee se — 17,500 | 47 | 50 23 | 33 |172 | 221 /1, 232, 500 | 70,000 | 50.| 52 37S S| Sac Oooo pene 7,500 | 47 | 50 24 |105 | 69 | 207 /|1, 120,000 | 62,500 | 49 | 51 (Naat “So)lbosu Beprigaoacs 5,000 | 47 | 51 25 | 33 | 40 | 170 |1, 040,000 | 65,000 | 46 | 49 eet co) Porn pseeeeeace 10,000 | 48 | 50 26 | 65 | 36 | 78} 400,000 | 57,500 | 45 | 49 (i pace ee al Ae eee 15,000 | 50 | 51 27 | 55 | 47 | 102 | 560,000 | 52,500 | 46 | 49 i Se ee sore iets =e aidieicle = ci 12,500 | 46 | 48 28 | 50 | 71 | 100 | 600,000 | 67,500 | 46 | 49 | —— | —_—_— ee 29 | 71 | 78 | 121 | 680,000 | 65,000 | 48 | 50 Total . '5,719)3,065 8, 784/48, 527,000 |3,395,000|.-../.... REPORT OF COMMISSIONER OF FISH AND FISHERIES. XCVII As soon as the eggs had been fertilized they were hauled in wagons from the fishing-grounds to the hatchery (about two-thirds of a mile), where they were placed in baskets until eyed and ready for shipment. The first consignment was forwarded to Sisson on November 16, and shipments continued from that time until January. Of the total num- ber collected 24,000,000 were turned over to the California Commission, to be hatched on the Sacramento and Eel rivers; 4,000,000 were sent to Baird; 6,000,000 were sent east on car No. 3; 2,000,000 were transferred to Bear Valley Station and 3,000,000 to Clackamas, Oreg. The remaining 6,000,000 yielded 5,885,500 fry, which were liberated in Battle Creek between December 16 and February 28, on which date the station was closed and placed in charge of a watchman. The total loss of eggs during incubation was 3,395,000. In December Mr. Cloudsley Rutter was detached from Battle Creek and ordered to Olema, Bear Valley, Cal., to hatch and liberate the 2,000,000 eggs transferred to that point. The loss during incubation was small, 1,970,000 fry being hatched, but owing to limited facilities for holding them in the hatchery it was found necessary to liberate them a few days after the bursting of the shell, in Olema Creek, Papermill Creek, Hatchery Pond, Hatchery Creek, and a brook near Inverness. In depositing the fry, shoals or riffles were selected as the most suit- able places. When the fry were first planted the creeks were very low, which enabled Mr. Rutter and his assistant to observe their movements closely. During the first nine days they moved neither up nor down stream, but collected in groups in shallow places. At one spot from 4,000 to 5,000 were found in an eddy behind a rock. After the heavy rain of February 1, however, no further traces of them could be seen. On February 26 the station was closed and observations were discon- tinued, owing to lack of funds. The grounds upon which the plants had been made were examined again on April 10 and very few fry were found in the creek, though enough had been planted to give 2 to every square foot of surface from the mouth to the highest point at which deposits were made. Fort GASTON STATION, CALIFORNIA (W. E. DOUGHERTY IN CHARGE). Owing to lack of rains during the summer and fall, very few salmon and no steelheads reached the traps in the spring; consequently no work was done at Fort Gaston. At Redwood large numbers of salinon were taken below the rack, but owing to lack of facilities only about half of them were used. During the year 1,410,000 steelhead eggs, 1,283,450 eggs of the chinook and nerka salmon, and 41,000 rainbow-trout eggs were collected; 710,000 steelhead eggs were shipped to eastern stations; the balance were hatched, and the fry resulting from the steelheads and the salmon were liberated in Redwood Creek. The rainbow-trout fry (35,950) were deposited in Mill, Pine, and Fish Tangatang creeks. As these stations are practically inaccessible, it being necessary to pack on mules all material carried in and out, and as better results can F. R, 98——YVII XCVIII REPORT OF COMMISSIONER OF FISH AND FISHERIES. be secured more economically at other points, they were abandoned at the close of the year. CLACKAMAS STATION, OREGON (W. F. HUBBARD, SUPERINTENDENT). Arrangements were made to operate (in connection with Clackamas Station) substations on the Salmon and Little White Salmon rivers; also a hatchery belonging to the Columbia River Packers’ Propagating Company on the headwaters of Clackamas River; and with Mr. R. D. Hume on Rogue River. The rack across the Clackamas was finished early in July. Hereto- fore it had been constructed on a shallow riffle a short distance above the station, but this season the property-owners controlling the shores objected, and it became necessary to locate it directly opposite the station in much deeper water. During the summer the hatchery was overhauled and placed in thorough repair, new foundations, sills, and flooring being laid; many old troughs, which had been used since the establishment of the station, were replaced by new ones. The hatchery was further improved by putting in new skylights. The water supply, which had been very unsatisfactory in the past, was increased. Early in September, all repairs and preparatory work having been completed, operations were commenced, but no ripe fish were taken until September 15. The fishing below the rack was continued every night, but very few fish were taken and only 386,650 eggs were collected in September. As the prospects for large collections in the vicinity of the station were poor, arrangements were made early in October, with Mr. G. H. Oldenburg, for collecting eggs at a point about 4 miles below the station, at the rate of 40 cents per 1,000,eyed; aud 824,800 were secured from this source between October 20 and December 3, the eggs being delivered in good condition. Fishing operations continued until October 24, when the water in the river rose so high that the men were compelled to stop work. They resumed on November 7, but by this time all the salmon in the vicinity of the rack had spawned. Asa result of the season’s work, 1,672,275 eggs were taken from the Clackamas River. During September 1,066,600 eggs were received from Salmon River, and commenced hatching on the 16th. The fry from the first lot were not as strong as usual, which was attributed to the fact that the water at Clackamas Station, taken from Clear Creek, is between 10° and 15° varmer than that of Salmon River. As soon as the temperature fell there was no difference between the fry hatched from eggs collected on the Salmon and those on the Clackamas. Between October 19th and November 16th, 4,000,000 eggs were transferred from the Little White Salmon in four shipments, and on January 18 another consignment of 3,000,000 arrived from Battle Creek. These were in excellent condition, only 2,200 being lost in transit. Plants of fry were made from time to time, commencing October 7, in Clackamas River and Clear Creek, the last plant being made on April 28. As a result of the eggs collected at = REPORT OF COMMISSIONER OF FISH AND FISHERIES. XCIX the various substations and transferred to Clackamas, 10,029,796 fry and fingerling fish were liberated in tributaries of Clackamas River. A noteworthy experiment was tried during the season with one basket of eggs. A lot of 20,009, collected October 30, were placed in a basket, and on the following day 208 dead ones were taken off. The basket was then covered so as to exclude light, and left undisturbed until the twenty-first day, when the eggs were picked over again and 365 dead ones removed. During the undisturbed period the top layer became covered with sediment so thick that the eggs were not visible beneath, but the lower side, owing to the current of water through the basket, was perfectly clean. A larger percentage than usual of these eggs hatched, and the fry were apparently good. This method, if it proves practicable on a large scale, will effect not only an economy of time and labor, but probably the saving of many eggs, as these are often killed by picking over during the critical stage, between the ages of 9 and 15 days. In November, owing to the overcrowded condition of the hatchery, it became necessary to provide additional room for the fry, which were hatching rapidly. Fifty new troughs, 24 feet long, were constructed and placed out of doors near the flume leading from the spring. This afforded ample room for holding the fry until they had arrived at the proper stage for planting. Two hundred thousand fry were held until April, and when liberated in Clear Creek they were between 2 and 3 inches in length. In December 10,000 Loch Leven trout eggs were received from North- ville, Mich., for the Oregon Fish Commission. These were hatched and planted at the request of Hon. H. D. MeGuire during the months of March and April in Sucker Lake, Crystal Lake, and Clackamas River. UPPER CLACKAMAS. This hatchery was built in the spring of 1895 by the Columbia River Packers’ Propagating Company of Oregon, at the headwaters of the Clackamas River, in the Cascade Mountains, about 50 miles from Clackamas, and operated by them for two years. At the suggestion of Hon. H. D. McGuire, fish commissioner of the State, it was turned over to the United States Fish Commission with the understanding that it would be operated to its full capacity during the fall. The hatchery is very inaccessible, and all supplies needed for the work have to be carried in on the backs of mules or men, as wagons can be used only over the first 20 miles, the last 39 being only a rough moun- tain trail. A trip to the station is difficult, requiring from two to three days, and as the country is entirely uninhabited it is necessary to camp en route. But the site is especially valuable from the fact that it is the spawning-ground of the earliest run of chinook salmon in the Clackamas River, and, except Salmon River, is the only place in the Columbia River Basin where eggs from this run can be secured as early as July. The station was first visited by the superintendent on June 16, and arrangements made to commence work under direction Cc REPORT OF COMMISSIONER OF FISH AND FISHERIES. of Mr. King Spurgeon. The property at the station consists of two sheds, 20 by 80 feet, which are used as hatcheries. These are cheap structures set upon posts, without sides or floors. There is also a log cabin 15 by 16 feet and a shanty 16 by 24 feet, made of cedar bark, for the accommodation of the men and storage of the necessary equip- ment for operating the station. The water supply is taken by gravity from a small spring brook. In order to stop the ascent of the salmon, a contract was made at once to build a rack across the river. This was finished late in June, and another rack was constructed over Oak Grove Creek, a large tributary flowing into the Clackamas River below the station, where many salmon ascend to spawn. The fish commenced collecting below the racks before their completion, indicating that some had already passed up. On July 1 a crew of men was employed, the station was put in order, the troughs and baskets repaired and asphalted, the seining-grounds cleared, and a bridge built over Oak Grove Creek. The first collections were made on July 17, and operations continued daily from that time to the end of the season, the fish being caught with a seine hauled just below the rack. It was found necessary to build a second rack a short distance below the first, to prevent the fish from going down the river while fishing operations were in progress. This lower rack was constructed with a trap in the center, so that the fish might pass up, but could not return. As the season advanced and the egg collections increased it became apparent that the water supply from the small brook would not be sufficient, and, as there was no way of increasing it, troughs were placed on a gravel bar near a riffle in the river, where there was fall enough to supply them with water from the river above; 12 hatching-troughs, 16 feet long, were placed on this riffle, and a rough shed was con- structed over them. These troughs gave very good results, though they were in danger of being carried away by a sudden rise in the river; but this, fortunately, did not occur until the eggs had been removed. It also became necessary to rearrange the troughs in the sheds so that the water could be used over and over again, care being taken to aerate it as thoroughly as possible, and although the results were satisfactory, it is strongly urged that a better supply be secured for the next season. Between July 17 and August 26, there were taken and placed in the hatching-troughs 5,045,000 eggs. Those collected in July commenced hatching about the middle of August, and owing to the crowded condition of the troughs it became necessary to plant many of them a few days after hatching. The last fry hatched on October 15, the average period of incubation being from 34 to 35 days for the earlier lots and 50 days for the last. As soon as trough room permitted, the fry were held until the yolk-sac was nearly absorbed, when they were deposited on the spawning-grounds in Clackamas River. The station was closed when the last plant of fry was made on Decem- ber 14, the property stored, and buildings left in charge of a watchman, PLATE XX. Ga 2) ® on o Q o ° oS = ° = ~ Report U. S. F. C. 1898. LITTLE WHITE SALMON RIVER LOOKING NORTH, SHOWING THE TWO NEW HATCHERIES, OFFICE, AND MESS-HOUSE. REPORT OF COMMISSIONER OF FISH AND FISHERIES. CI SALMON RIVER. Early in the spring of 1897 arrangements were made with Mr. Thomas Brown for collecting quinnat-salmon eggs on the Salmon River on the same terms as heretofore, viz: 40 cents per 1,000 for eyed eggs, the con- struction of the rack, capture of the fish and care of the eggs until they reached that stage to be undertaken by him, and the Commission to furnish the necessary troughs and other hatching apparatus. The rack was placed across the Salmon River in May, at the same point where operations had been conducted the previous season, and another rack was built across the Sandy River later in the season for the purpose of turning the salmon from that stream into the Salmon River. At the beginning of the year, when the racks were completed, numbers of fish appeared below them, and indications pointed to a large collection of eggs; but many fish were captured before the spawning season by fishermen and others living in the vicinity, which materially reduced the available supply. The first eggs were taken on July 22 and the last during the latter part of August. During this period 1,216,600 eggs were secured from the 389 females; of these, 1,066,600 were shipped to Clackamas in four consignments during September, and the balance were hatched and liberated in the river near the rack. ROGUE RIVER. During the early spring an investigation of various sites on the Rogue River was made by the superintendent, with a view to establish- ing an auxiliary station for collecting quinnat-salmon eggs. A number of sites were examined in the vicinity of Gold Hill, and a point was selected about 12 miles above that place, the water to be secured from an irrigation ditch connected with Rogue River; but before the arrange- ments could be completed with the parties owning the land, who lived at Jacksonville, Oreg., Mr. R. D. Hume, of Wedderburn, Oreg., agreed to erect a hatchery on Rogue River and equip it, provided the United States Fish Commission would operateit. This offer was accepted and the site near Gold Hill abandoned. The point selected by Mr. Hume is at the mouth of Elk Creek, about 26 miles from Central Point. Arrange- ments were made with J.J. Pankey to build a rack across the river, capture the fish, and furnish eyed eggs to the Commission at the rate of 40 cents per 1,000. In August a hatching-house, 24 by 50 feet, was built on the banks of the river,above, equipped with 8 hatching-troughs, 35 feet long, 12 inches wide, and 10 inches deep, and with a filtering-tank 12 feet long, 4 feet wide, and 3 feet deep in oneend. The water supply was taken from Elk Creek, its temperature being from 12° to 14° warmer than that of Rogue River. In order to raise the water in the creek to a sufficient height, a dam 10 feet high and 100 feet long was built about 1,800 feet from the hatchery, the water being conveyed in a 2-foot flume. In September Mr. G. H. Tolbert, fish-culturist, was detached from Fort Gaston Station and placed in charge of the work. The building CII REPORT OF COMMISSIONER OF FISH AND FISHERIES. was completed shortly afterwards, and the presence of many salmon below the rack atforded a fair prospect for good collections. A few eggs were taken in September, but the bulk was collected in October. During October and November 2,027,000 eyed eggs were delivered by Mr. Pankey. The resuits were not satisfactory, as it is believed that there was a sufficient number of salmon in the river to have yielded at least 5,000,000 moreif the fishing had been properly managed. One of the principal objections to this site is that there is no deep water below the rack in which fish can collect, and as soon as they become frightened by the seining operations they descend the river for several miles. The hatchery was not large enough to accommodate the num- ber of eggs taken, and it became necessary to provide additional troughs outside the building. Quite a heavy loss occurred during incubation; the shells of the eggs appeared to be so tough that the fry could not burst through. It was noticed that those obtained from the Rogue River salmon were much larger than those collected on the tributaries of the Clackamas, three of them laid side by side measuring 1} inches. A great deal of rain fell during November, raising the water in Elk Creek and carrying away about 30 feet of the top of the dam; fortu- nately no damage resulted. On December 8 Mr. Tolbert was relieved and Mr. J. W. Berrian put in charge. As the weather became colder, ice and slush formed in the flume to such an extent that it was decided to liberate all of the fry and not run the risk of losing them in the troughs. The last plant was made on February 10, when the station was closed and left in charge of a watchman. The total number liberated was 1,910,045; they were deposited on the spawning-grounds in Rogue River, near Trail, Oregon. i LITTLE WHITE SALMON. As the results secured the previous year indicated that large numbers of eggs could be obtained on the Little White Salmon River, arrange- ments were made to operate at that point on an extended scale. Mr. S. W. Downing, foreman of Alpena Station, was detailed to assist the superintendent, and reported for duty on July 20. The old hatchery, which had been floated from its foundations the previous winter by the rising of the Columbia River, was repaired and the hatching-troughs made ready for the reception of eggs. The mess-house was rebuilt and enlarged, and a rack was placed across the river. A new hatchery was also commenced and completed during the month of August. This building is a substantial structure of wood}42 feet by 80 feet, and is so arranged that the roof is supported by the sides of the building, thereby leaving the entire floor space free of posts and giving more room for hatching operations. The floor is terraced uniformly from one end of the building in four sections, with a difference of 8 inches in elevation from one section to the next. On each of these a row of troughs runs lengthwise of the building, the troughs in each maintain- ing an elevation of 8 inches above those in the next, in conformity with the plan of the floor. They are fed with water conducted by a flume to REPORT OF COMMISSIONER OF FISH AND FISHERIES. CIII a supply-trough placed against the end wall. By this arrangement all of the troughs are at a uniform height from the floor, and the manipu- lation of eggs is much easier than where troughs of different heights are set upon a level. The building is lighted by skylights in the roof and by windows in the sides and ends. Very few fish were seen during August, but in September they began to make their way up the river in considerable numbers. The first spawning salmon were noticed on September 12, when fishing was reg- ularly undertaken. Within three days afterwards over 1,000,000 eggs had been collected. Various methods were employed in catching the fish, some being taken with traps and others with seines. One trap was built in the upper side of the rack, but very few fish were captured in it. The seining was done in a pool below the rack and at various points along the lagoon. The greater number of fish, however, were caught in traps built on the riffles some distance below the rack, into which the fish were driven by hauling a seine downstream and forcing them into the trap. As soon as the spawning season commenced a large force was employed and work continued night and day. By Sep- tember 28 all of the hatching-baskets at the station were filled with eggs, 11,286,000 having been collected; and as there were many spawn- ing salmon still in the river, it became necessary to provide additional apparatus. Hatching-baskets were transferred from Clackamas Station, and work was resumed on October 2; by the 6th these baskets had also been filled, bringing the collections up to 12,649,000. The actual num- ber of days on which eggs were taken was 22, making the daily average 575,000. The greatest number taken on one day was on September 22, when 1,155,000 were collected. In order to simplify the handling of large females, they were knocked on the head with a club before any effort was made to strip them. This blow stunned the fish, and it was possible to express the eggs without any struggling or muscular contractions on the part of the fish, thereby saving much time and labor. The eggs were fertilized in the usual way, four men being detailed to take the fish from the corrals, strip them, impregnate, wash, and transfer the eggs to the hatchery. Asarule, the eges were allowed to remain in the pan about an hour before being washed, but with the last million obtained this period was reduced to afew minutes. These eggs were transferred to the hatchery, and proved to be better than any of the earlier collections. The spawning season here lasts only a month, but during that period the river is alive with fish, and it is believed that former collections could be largely exceeded, as at no time was it necessary for the men to fish more than a few hours a day. Fortunately the weather during the hatching season was pleasant; otherwise the fish in the troughs on the outside would have undoubtedly been killed by ice. Several severe snowstorms occurred, but no damage was done. On October 18 Mr. Downing was detached from the station, and Mr. J. A. Tolbert was placed in charge as foreman. As soon as the spawn- CIV REPORT OF COMMISSIONER OF FISH AND FISHERIES. ing season was completed additional troughs were constructed and placed out of doors for the accommodation of the fry. The eggs com- menced hatching in November, and the first plant of fry was made on December 18. Plants continued from this time until January 29, when the last were liberated in Little White Salmon River, which is one of the best natural spawning-grounds of the quinnat salmon. The total number of fry planted was 7,391,000. After all had been disposed of the station was closed, and the watchman was employed for the balance of the year in constructing a road from the station to the county road. SIuSLAW RIVER STATION, OREGON (L. E. BEAN IN CHARGER). At the urgent request of the Representatives of the State of Oregon, and with the understanding that the canners and fishermen on Siuslaw River would cooperate with the U.S. Fish Commission, arrangements were again made to open the hatchery near Mapleton, Oreg., the owner having tendered its use free of cost. In August Mr. L. E. Bean was placed in charge, and arrangements were made for collecting salmon down the river and transferring them in live-boxes to the hatchery, to be held until ready to spawn. A rack was placed across the north fork and another on the main river, 13 miles above the station, at the head of tide water. Crates were also constructed for transferring the fish; they were 18 feet long, 9 feet wide, and 6 feet deep, and so made as to exclude light, sufficient space being left between the planks below the surface of the water to admit of the free circulation of water. A collection of 100 salmon obtained from the seine of Capt. William Kyle were transferred to the boxes, but half of them were lost imme- diately after being placed in the live-boxes, and the balance died in transit, though the utmost care was exercised in handling them. This method was then abandoned and collections were made by means of gill nets and a trap fished below the rack, the trap being made of two old seines. -.A few fish were caught in this way while the water was muddy, but as soon as it became clear they avoided the traps. The majority were taken in gill nets set in the evening and fished from time to time during the night in the deep holes below the rack. Two nets were used, one of which was 30 fathoms long, 7-inch mesh, and the other 20 fathoms long, 9-inch mesh. On the night of October 21, 63 chinooks were taken in the two nets. The majority of those taken in the 9-inch mesh were injured and died in a short time; the others were held until the close of the season with comparatively small loss. At the close of operations there were 117 ripe females and 97 males in the live-boxes. These yielded 544,275 eggs, of which 104,000 died in incubation. They were placed in the hatchery as soon as fertilized, and hatched during the month of January. The 440,275 fry resulting from them were liberated at. suitable points in Spring Creek and the Siuslaw River during the latter part of February and the first of March. Report U. S. F.C. 1898. (To face page CIV.) PLATE XXl. i os | al - m = z= 4 m Ww > iS = (e) Zz 2 <= m x Ww aE e) = = D ae > 4 G ae m zu m w > Zz fs) js S = @ m aD 77 = S = m REPORT OF COMMISSIONER OF FISH AND FISHERIES. DISTRIBUTION TABLES. The following tables show the distribution of fishes by States and Territories, and the distribution in detail by species: CV Résumé, by States and Territories, of the distribution and assignment of jish and eggs. State or Territory. Species. Alabama Arizona PRM ATINAS so a aaicars seta: «(ane On California @olorados-6 == 3224-2 =- 252% Connecticut Delaware District of Columbia \ COTE Ie IS Be GOS eS are clfhied S =e uSeeebearseppondseaas Tlinois JOT EC 6 ee a ee LISS) 6) ee SBS EL Dae ee eeoe Kentucky Wiarvilamde oes ccssc,.-0-4524 Massachusetts.-....-.-...--.. Rambow trombeccccerctere neo ere Rainbow trout-oc-2.:.5.0 050s Black bass, large-mouth..-...... Rock bass Strawberry bass.....----------- Rainbow trouts--5- <7 ---=-<- =e Black bass, large-mouth. --...-. Rock bass Strawberry bass..-..--.--------- Quinnat salmon Steelhead trout..........--...-. Loeh*Leven trout=.....2<.-2->-- Rainbow? trout wecscrcmienn-- see IBTOOKtTOUt..-hi=> ccletwoe as ee ~~ Loch Leven trout Rainbow trout: 22s.ees 222 5s25e" Black-spotted trout........----- Brogtrouh--oe- peek eee aeons Yellow-fin trout Black Dassicccime=sosesaeese ne coe Shad Atlantic salmon Landlocked salmon..----..----.- Rainbow trout Brookitroites ccc eetaca~ eases aK eiteOtteeet pee eee oe oe Black bass, large-mouth..-....-. SHAG seeh ooo. Gkebeeanbceee st Rainbow trout... feeccceces- Black bass, large-mouth Crappiescen --ictees act sie=tt ee =e Black-spotted trout Bropk-trout-.1-sse~cceo+ ss-2 Wake trOwWtcemeae ese soe Ane see e Black bass, large-mouth--.-..--. Crappie. --0.-e-cbeseeens leans ochiwLeyen trout: .~.-----2---- BVOC UROUibe--etelet me eleiiseeie se Lake trout..-.. itawchetiacioaante Black bass, large-mouth Crap plesssc% wiacasoec cease eee Rainbow troubs).' 00:2 42h Black bass, large-mouth Rock bass Strawberry bass =f Rainbow trout......------------ Brook trout aketmout-ec-as-siesc=onaences Black bass, large-mouth Crappien.cte-peset = 2 os se ebe wes Strawberry bass Rainbow/strowb::=-2--5..02-s2eseeseee aes === ==--5 «ce 3,010 Crappie... tee = ot Sec] MARC 160 OM Gere en acnisanceacms ccaces Loch Leven trout....--......... GAOU0! |p o2s-cacc-2oncle >see Rainbow hloWbacso.-|-cssneer ses) ne == aa er 20 Sunfis 69 State or 'Lerritory. Oregon Pennsylvania Rhode Island South Carolina Black bass, large-mouth Black bass, small-mouth Lobster Shad Black bass, large-mouth Crappie South Dakota Tennessee Rock bass Black-spotted trout.--.......... Brook trou t 1, 200, 000 2, 000, 000 Virginia Washington West Virginia Wisconsin Black-spotted trout Black bass, large-mouth Black bass, small-mouth......-. Crappie erciems--e ene eeeneeesee IROCKSIDRSS Sectsanmas acceso oe) Rainbow: trout=: 22-2 -c secs cee ee Black bass, large-mouth Crappie Rock bass Walkeitroutie- semen cepa sc senseece Black bass, large-mouth Shad Black bass, large-mouth Black bass, small-mouth -......_- Crappiorctere se o- eee om ere tee Rock bass........ Ria siatefsianioeeeicte Quinnat salmon................. Black-spotted trout IBYOOK tlOWteico8s 500. sce access Black bass, large-mouth Rock bass Brook trout Wyoming Foreign countries: Italy Lake tront Black bass, Black-spotted trout Brook trout Quinnat salmon large-mouth .....-.. 20, 000 300, 000 18, 800 5, 000 REPORT OF COMMISSIONER OF FISH AND FISHERIES. CVII Résumé of the distribution and assignment of fish and eggs—Continued. = ec | Fry and fin- | Adults and Species. Eggs. gerlings. yearlings. Rock bassieccceesec ace cent sane eoeeeceies s/o sesctncaneaeen 9140 Sine Ned fede 1 CRU ee ore ecscn eos sropsar roca Poericeias m4 100 MainNbO wabLroiltis- sens ao. == - = acne aneiees eabiee|saemwacem canoer 4,100 Blagks pass aree-month= + - 22 5|-22na- Hanes sc clemialae emai 2, 500 Rock bass met seesencceteesesoces|-so ese ceruacisen eaten nese 4, 800 Sindy LER sess ete coe cccsse pease ssabed Sncogsdoccoans 400 Q@uinnatisalmon. 3-2-2 4eec ee 16 91G"50G Retention =e Loch Leven’ trout... .<.-.2..2=<. TE leeks siepsenete Brook tromlioe mac se aecocweeicrearees Shag yas tsesccicm cms ctemiaciae beeen Attlanhie salmon eea-eeleaeceneseees Potomac River, near Bathing Beach, D.C ----.-- oe esa se eb ease esse ee SOVO0NU ae eee Patomac River, off. Fish Makes-DiG ite o. 2 se ce ee eee see oe abenns cece celbeeeeeeeoeee 3, 036, 000 Anacostia River, near Twining City, D..C...-..2.....--.25-2020-|e020c0ceeee= TISOO00 Hom catibee peters AMAcosbia River, near Benning WD) So seee ca. - =: coe eee e Sees Seatac eee 894 000i cre oe eer Chesapeake Bay, Battery Haul, IMGERe aeset ess Local oho ee aeee $2'343"000)| 19,829: 000:|2022. eases Chesapeake Bay, off Battery Station, Md 13*552, (000: | 4,489, 000°) a. cesceeeene Chesapeake Bay, Havre de Grace, Md..........---.- BAGLL O00 oocm nice te Chesapeake Bay, Back Channel, Md... 00-2 et lec c cee ceue BSS O00 ess voce eeee Chesapeake Bay, Western Shoals, Md........--..-.--.-------.. GEREN Oil eee neeseesc= Chesapeake Bay, Oakington Channel, Md..-....-.-.............- 300,000 | 1,419, 000 Chesapeake Bay, Eastern Channel, Md.....................---- GROG , eeaclcmoe ns ce seeme laser eeens ce 625, 000 TnckahooiCresk, Queen, Anne, Mads. 2...- 00. sske aces acaes camer. pene oo caecee 625, 000 Bywan Creek uSian reek cae ae Selaee oe Sara 800, 000 Wali reek Mil (Creek Md jccccsacescvancsson senccenessoncoelee 1, 000, 000 RolomacuniVveroryan Eoin, Md 2 eane ccaeeescneeeeee ce eeee ee 11, 781, 000 Potomac River, off Chapman Bar, Md 4, 001, 000 Potomac cniveriom swan Creek Md. 2025-8. (6. se ee 1, 717, 000 Potomac River, off Bar Landing, Ma 1, 796, 000 Potomac River, off Moxley Point, Md 3, 287, 000 Ponmac niver Olobroad Creek, Mai. scscse. co maceee cet eeon ene 2, 102, 000 Potomac River, off Piscataway Creek, Md... -..-.---.....s020s.|eecese o25ee 1, 712, 000 Parker NeNIeeOnUs; WW ALGNAMMNLASBwe oceccce. 2 cook cece et eee 270, 000 Suipaimitzeond) Middleboro, Mass: 5....s-csesessecul nese ceceee 270, 000 HaleOMOrpek AlN. OL ss ccpepemsctesoer secs soceue enc as ooeees 600, 000 Manasquan River, Farmingdale, N. J 800, 000 Metedeconk River, Lakewood, N. J .......-----..--.--+- 800, 000 sOMSARIVEr WIRILOA WIN: Sis secs eee sac on eec ce seebeaee 800, 000 MeliwarewRiver Milford, (Nil ss-ce acs sncsucaceseens sae cater coe 3, 150, 000 Delaware River, Lambertville, N..J.....-.-..2-.00c8--c0cccecnce 4, 500, 000 Delaware River) buLlineton; Nis c-ccs- cas: s.00n eee eaeeeaeene 460, 000 Delaware: RivercP ort JOLVIsuN, Wencsecancciene nose DoeeR come eee 300, 000 Hardson Riven New DEER, Water co aenc sacs cine snene cece eneee 2, 500, 000 Hudson River, New York State Fish Commission, N. Y.....-..|.-----:----- 3, 000, 000 Adbemarle sound, Haenton, No C.ccece ce tose cate oe ee eee eee 111,000 | 3,319, 000 Adbemarie sound, Mackey Merry, N.C 2-202 2c.sces-c-0- >see 1, 700, 000 713, 000 Perquimans River, eertiord; NiC os 2b. 1250 see Neen sae oe eee esanes 900, 000 NErsa gion Ur Old SDOLOEN.Gsanane aks bcc iacccne cnn omen Teen Seem cee cee 666, 000 Parivar ban murg. No Ou scaca sabes oe coe cee cats cce cece or oe ee ee mee encnee 400, 000 Sixth st Leoke PROG, Ne Cisse owe sein yon ee ciae ee heen Reo ae ee al ee Be cee eae 534, 000 Northeast Branch of Cape Fear River, Wallace, N.C. ........-.|.----------- 400, 000 Susquehannaimiver, Peach Botton, Pa: o.oo. ~scseasees Sesoeece tose et ec case 900, 000 Susquehanna River, Mites Mddy, Pa. onc. 5-anieceetnnncaciedseec|=eeene ses cc. 450, 000 Welawareilver Driplol weary os eesenee coos rene nee oars conceals oeerweoees 6, 000, 000 Helaware River, Delaware Ww ater Gap) Pa .2-=--.--s2asencereces|ncotess sce ac 900, 000 Pep Deo River see be; S8O2 sence e sec eie ae obise aoe ee eee toe oe 375, 000 Santee River, crossing Atlantic Coast Line R.R.,S.C ......-..|------------ 388, 000 Santee Canal, crossing Atlantic Coast Line R.R.,S.C ..........|------------ 387, 000 Hdisto River, Colleton County; S.C-o-2.2-a5. eae aaeeneemeeeeleeee es nscaae 309, 000 A‘shepoo: River, Colleton iCounty,S:'\Cs2------4-- ese. eh eee ee Peres = eae 271, 000 Combahes River; ColletoniCounty, SC_-.--<--2-.-4-aeneseeeeee|peee a= =e 270, 000 King Capsico River, Mount Holly; Viaiecc oc. cssc-ce-5 econ eee see eer cies a 300, 000 Wansemond River, SaftolkeiViaiise.< = ceases cs oe nse ae ee ee ei ee oe 715, 000 Potomac shiver, Of WW hitevHiouse, Vials. cescce seencc= cet ome laeemeeeeecae 781, 000 Potomac River, off Mount) Vernon, Viaieases-2ccca-o~ suse see noma meetin ees cee 3, 168, 000 Mowmac River, Occogtan (Bay Viai.sco. acess esa eee Cee | eee ee 8, 552, 000 Potomac River, of, Craneyisland, Var ..ssesces----4 os 20-0 eee eee eee eer 3, 243, 000 Potomac River, off mouth of Pohick Creek, Va---.--..-----.-----|.--«=------- 2, 546, 000 Potomac River, of Huntine:Creek: Vass acs 0-22 cane scm- tbe ee peeeeeeeeee 1, 011, 000 Potomac iver, off Colinwood Via .bssnc sess ocean nonsense eeene| See eee eee 918, 000 Potomac River, off Ferry Landing, Va.........----- a acia sede ee eee eee eres 451, 000 ol B71) ape en Aer on OE i ESE B eA Diet xe ears ame! cagh oe 75, 871, 000 | 149,155,000 3, 036, 000 REPORT OF COMMISSIONER OF FISH AND FISHERIES. Details of distribution—Continued. CIX Species and disposition. Eggs. Fry and fingerlings. Adults and yearlings. Quinnat salmon: California Fish Commission, Sisson hatchery, California Fish Commission, Eel River Katee Olema Creek, Olema, Cal Papermill Creek, Olema, Cal Papermill Creek, Tocaloma, Cal Bear Valley Creek, Olema, Cal Sinoll Creek, Inverness, Cal Redwood Creek, Redwood Station, Cal. ...........2..-...------- Ulinor Creek, near Redwood Station, Cal Supply Creek, near Fort Gaston, Cal McCloud River, Baird, Cal Battle Creek, Battle Creek Station, Cal Long Pond, Bucksport, Me Penobscot River, Orrington, Me Penobscot River tributary, Prospect, Me Brewer Pond, Bucksport, Me Penobscot River, Millford, Me Penobscot River, Bradley, Me Sweet Pond, Orrington, Me * Penobscot River, Eddington, Me Penobscot River, Brewer, Me Penobscot River, North Milford, Me Alamoosook Lake, Orland, Me Toddy Pond, Surry, Me Hancock Pond, Bucksport, Me Heart Pond, Orland, Me Toddy Pond, Orland, Me Craig Pond, Orland, Me Maine Fish Commission, Monmouth, Me Charles E. Oak, Caribou, Me Union River, Ellsworth, Me New England Sportsmen’s Association, Boston, Mass Lake Ontario, Tippet Point, N. Y St. Lawrence River, Cape Vincent, N. Y Salmon River, Pulaski, N. Y Lake Ontario, off Grenadier Island, N. Y Battery Park Aquarium, New York City, N. Y Clackamas River and Clear Creek, Stone, Oreg.-............---- Clackamas River, Stone, Oreg Clackamas River, Garfield, Oreg Salmon River, Salmon, Oreg Rogue River, Trail, Oreg Swing Creek, Mapleton, Oreg Siuslaw River, Mapleton, Oreg Sweet Creek, Mapleton, Oreg Wilson River, Wilson, Oreg Little White Salmon River, Chenowith, Wash Prof. D. Vinciguerra, Rome, Italy 8. Jaffe, Sandfort, Germany M. Funohoshi, Niigatakeu, Japan Director Zoologique d’ Acclimatation, Paris, France Cal ry, Cal Atlantic salmon: Connecficut Fish Commission, Windsor Locks, Conn Alamoosook Lake, Orland, Me Toddy Pond, Orland, Me Toddy Pond, Surry, Me Craig Pond, Orland, Me Penobscot River, Bangor, Me Penobscot River, North Milford, Me Penobscot River, Passadumkeag, Me Heart Pond, Orland, Me Green Lake, Otis, Me Penobscot River, Milford, Me Penobscot River, Costigan, Me Penobscot River, Lincoln Center, Me Penobscot River, Mattawamkeag, Me Penobscot River, Winn, Me Long Pond, Bucksport, Me St. Croix River, Vanceboro, Me Williams Pond, Bucksport, Me Pleasant River, Brownville, Me New England Sportsmen’s Association, Boston, Mass State Fish Commission, Laconia, N. H Heinven Davidson, Old Horge, Ne Vescssneneass cece secs cee Battery Park Aquarium, New York City, N. Y St. Lawrence River, Cape Vincent, N. Y State Fish Commission, Allentown, Pa 22, 255, 000 8, 000, 000 15, 000 850, 000 250, 000 570, 000 250, 000 50, 000 1, 060, 000 7, 933, 770 2, 076, 026 4, 390, 000 145, 396 1, 910, 045 85, 000 280, 000 75, 275 19, 994 Pie Dhiea 7, 391, 886 56; COUR seri ek Me BO; OU! | smeelaed ot TOON DOU hee 100, 000: [fas oe 30, 605, 000 | 45, 543, 558 OOS GOU:s |e cetene soe eee CUS ee APE my fog Ei 46, 023 Relient Pky eens ee 78, 844 ape eRe 196, 736 42, 462 Peo aed Ws bate A guaee 11, 640 a LR RRL SEED ae 2, 495 5 coon ale aa 2, 495 er meet: 220, 000 14, 918 bd Souler ann aaah Sand 5, 250 Ree Nee ye aes otis 7 16, 208 Seeley ae ate LOOK O00! Hee seers = ere Wala otalolondicre LGO2 0000 Res Reese Tee aes 220, 000 | sciscscsacke Re gibs Bae 999) BOG ce ssterees Soe 170:000:\s*skeeieees 40 0BIUeL o eens. 1872500 |. sca vu Suda Neste seals 540; 000s eta zone: Cae, spec ames BTEC RS, a ay 100 LOOFEUG: oath sad eas edo HOONOGOY S504 Delta ecaee os WATE wa Sori BVI ies Aik 200 Dita Py alt yii ky Me ete ie 100, COON EUR ee eh oes Bl 400,000 | 2, 072, 139 220, 635 Lee Cx Details of distribution—Coutinued. Species and disposition. Eggs. |," ty and REPORT OF COMMISSIONER OF FISH AND FISHERIES. Adults and | fingerlings.| yearlings. Landlocked salmon: Connecticut Fish Commission, Windsor Locks, Conn Duck Lake, Winn, Me Sebec Lake, Dover, Me Pearl Mill Stream, Brewer Junction, Me Greoniliake pO edinam, We) See eee te seeets a ale eee sel oles eee Donnell Pond, Franklin Road, Me Field Pond, Brewer Junction, Me King and Bartlett lakes, Farmington, Me Lake George, Skowhegan, Me Lake George, Thorndike, Me Bemis Creek, Bemis, Me Alligator Lake, Great Pond, Me Tunk Pond, Franklin Road, Me Embden Lake, Oakland, Me Brewer Pond, Brewer Junction, Me -- Green Lake, Otis, Me Toddy Pond, Orland, Me Varnum Pond, Farmington, Me Alford Lake, Rockland, Me Half-mile Pond, Great Pond, Me Lead Mountain Pond, Ellsworth Falls, Me Hayden Lake, Skowhegan, Me Moose Pond,Hartland, Me Old Meadow Stream, Franklin Road, Me Swan Lake, Belfast, Me Richardson Lake, Rumford Falls, Me.....------------------- ye Commodore Club, Hartland, Me Wild Goose Club, Wilson’s Mills, Me Maine Fish Commission, Enfield, Me Podunk Pond, Brookfield, Mass Pratt Pond, Upton, Mass State Fish Commission, Winchester, Mass State Fish Commission, Detroit, Mich State Fish Commission, Laconia, N. H East Lake, Wakefield, N. H Renacnc klia ken oncord.| Nw Hue sas eee reer aee renee = =a eee A. M. Bigelow, Branchville, N. J J. D. Moreley, Lake Pleasant, N. Y Tuxedo Club, Tuxedo Park, N. Y Catskill Creek, Catskill, N. Y Lake George, Caldwell, N. Y Lake Champlain, Port Henry, N. Y Battery Park Aquarium, New York City, N. Y Eaglemere Lake, Eaglemere, Pa State Fish Commission, Westerly, R. I Easton Pond, Newport, R. 1 State Fish Commission, Roxbury, Vt. - Caspian Lake, Greensboro, Vt Lake Morey, Fairlee, Vt Lake Willoughby, West Burke, Vt Derby Pond, Newport, Vt Salem Pond, Newport, Vt State Fish Commission, Bayfield, Wis Prof. D. Vinciguerra, Rome, Italy Dr. R. Vandenhenden, Belgium Steelhead trout: Redwood Creek, Bair’s Ranch, Cal Commodore Club, Hartland, Me Alamoosook Lake, Orland, Me Tributaries of Great Brook, Otis, Me Abraham and Molasses ponds, Lastbrook, Me Toddy Pond, Surry, Me Craig Pond, Orland, Me Heart Pond, Orland, Me New England Sportsmen’s Association, Boston, Mass Boardman River, ‘Uraverse City, Mich Hale Creek, Rose City, Mich Silver Creek, East Tawas, Mich Baldwin Creek, Baldwin, Mich Pere Marquette River, Baldwin, Mich Bear Creek, Thompsonville, Mich Cannon Creek, Williamsburg, Mich Little Manistee River, Manistee Crossing, Mich Washington River, Isle Royale, Mich South Fork of Pere Marquette River, Baldwin, Mich Middle Fork of Pere Marquette River, Wingleston, Mich-....-. Cold Creek, East Tawas, Mich Pickwick Spring Lake, Lamoille, Minn Rolling Stone Creek, Winona, Minn Big and Little Trout brooks, Lamoille, Minn 10, 000 10, 000 10, 000 |. Weeceececeten 10, 000 10, 000 171, 243 7, 005 REPORT OF COMMISSIONER OF FISH AND Details of distribution—Continued. FISHERIES. CXI Species and disposition. Eggs. Fry and fingerlings. Adults and yearlings. Steelhead trout—Continued. Evans Lake, Duluth, Minn.... Lax Lake, Beaver Bay, Minn Temperance River, Temperance River, Minn..........--....--. Devil’s Track River,'Cook County, Minn Stewart River, Lake County, Minn..-..............-...--...-.-- en CHER hy.ens MLN, WONT mise reste nae sm me store aicie wafers = eielela see PUCKEL Pe MVel yD Whibhs WENN ns ncceiemsecuescocse-csscesseees se REN torelLyer, Onl ubh, AMUN eoctsaclecincscicinseeaciseeiey ascinietne cee State Fish Commission, St. Paul, Minn................--...-.- Mysticulake: MysticuLake, Monte... 2-2 2eseesencern-see~ ns WallowiCreekitakembony. Monte 7m. cc. seiceecemee a anaes seeece PAP PlUCanGs an MONbAN Messe ses eemaccicicnas ew sama\ine se sccce ese WochkevovRiven wD overt Ne eae ial ae ster seiina see see aes sis Christine makes Starke Hisss cssccccces ce cincs ce os anceoeeeela er Pleasant bond weWtanchesteriaNin Ee sess sc,. cscs tec cncens cance ss Big and Little Flat brooks, Branchville, N.J......-.....------ St, Lawrence River, Cape Vincent, N. Y Battery Park Aquarium, New York City, N. Y......-....-----: Wallonshiny dake WWiesimorey Vibsecms.= 2 se clcmcscies soe ee eee MAK SU NLOTE YH aILICO IV Usescs's secs cosas cwcinacce secre cscerstinet INDE RG NaH, Ra iyy Siphon, Withee Sonboe Gece eSn seb ones neneoanbiae Lake Ghaneplain, Islewbar Motte; IN. Wiles cote sasmicccincen seekers Crystal Lake, Barton, Vt-.-.....---- Lake Champlain, Burlington, Vt Sleeper River, St. Johnsbury, Vt IBLWOPRIVeEr eS TUlemWUS mse ce were scisnsecicice.iciicoscceicoee seeee cine | waite OSNADLNC Ky GELM ANY ce semicsleciriseseeelsaeseise taeaeneeece Total Loch Leven trout: Capt As WOLECrS SISKON, Cale. . csccsic soicitccicm = sae cesercseeen sss Upper Twin Lakes, Lake County, Colo..........--.-- Becees cee Spring Pond, Lanier Heights, D. C St. Mary Lake, South Bend, Ind................. Cleveland Creek, Muskegon, Mich Applicants in New York Stranahan Bros., Hiram Station, Ohio........-----...-....-...- SACkeriaaAkew OSWELOn OTOL amc o cise eciciees cis ce oem eens ee Clackamasriiver, Stone, Oleg oi. siqjcacias coe ode encueaatece cee MaddseOnd ss bortland OLOpy cancels -2 nee soae. necece ee eeee oe Rainbow trout: Lookout Lake, Gadsden, Ala Spring Lake, Springville, Ala Applicants in Alabama Silver Creek, Holbrook, Ariz Live Oak Creek, Flagstatf, Ariz North Fork of White River, West Fork, Ark North Fork of White River, Lilley, Ark WTOP Day OU. UOT GAL DUE PAW Kees oe soe carne cainmecico= aeae ene Saline River Benton. Atk . a VAT OM Ses oo Stranahan Brothers, Hiram Station, Ohio.........-..........-- DNOOOM Ss ao a ciaa starts} Sek Oe Bema RemOres Ke VLGdtOrdn OLep lass sener selec sanemcisie sce eteionece2 ac |eamcinmeacee cll same ree eecacl 2, 300 jethere: (Oise Geiays| Un huehs (Oley) Bee deamon ieee ceca emanee ac Boca Spon SCosoSe| basso colcser 2, 000 TFmviingir Orgea ie. (Opie birt (OTS ee onsen nomnise soo So aBOAc rosa /SCOlSeOsercs Ancram anoesc 2, 000 JN pa bearing) a Jee aI ebns 585 Sebo s = so sab Ra ideppe door scesoro||ecoorosooncs|locnorasscaas 1, 000 Pine, Spruce, and Laker runs, near Snowshoe, Pa .......-..--.|.----------- ByOO0N | Eat Areaae se Cockampany Brook, Wood River Junction, R. I...............|------.----- TOS 000M pee eweenesoe Nioods Wake Rapid i City, S: Dake ceases sac as c.cime cme seems eleteeates este siiemretala shnyeiat= 3, 000 AMpLCaAntsl SOUND akKOtae eis nsscse% ste sesaccen eset lame seitseme 1050003322 a jcceees Guigheeonds Dany.) Vileanta cules ss ser sseumereescasenssscnssceltvauamasces 9: O70" te cece se Painpankselonds St cOONSDUTY:) Vibiacesssas-ctccase = cece eee ne<|sccee comcciee 10: 0009 |22o se eeee Caspian lakemGreensporol Vitec csiecn=Sclcecceca nace ceeeecs <|eenidanceae A9. 910) toSt ceea eee Ioana Ch ema Mirae Sao nneenpocde dacsaose eee SSE O ASS n| ISSAC a Scneic LOONC0O} os sees SpriassBroo ke Mormisvillen Vit-cssssceeeesaceesseeateeceess sass cellenceaweceens | 10: COON Se eee WAKGyMpenelLasharons Vitec ce voce has ucceenecsse Shoe sas ee en cuillecceseence as OFOTON|_E =e sece eee Sleoper hiverjet: JOnnsbury, Vtacess2sce~cccs—25cemescecsssen0|-o--s0een==' 86; 000) 22 s2cee. >< ANDICAntsIN VErMONGreedss onde sansa nseeeescceasacctecwabecal cowsice emcee TSRCO0s | Pees eee Hons aN Vial Lyndonville, Ws. -2--0fecenaac o0sccc snes 10, 000 State Fish Commission, Colebrook, N. H...............-----.--- 10, 000 Caldwell and Little Spokane creeks, Spokane, Wash .-....-..-.|------------ ao ON Gwar aLCOM mV AS sss oes sce hse ctsecacacece mene cs |osatecccecse A DUCAN Lah OMA WWaStlsetenccmae testes sees ces sce aene Sane sella sania Hane Nok spokane: Wash cesta set sscetn ease ececscsers ecscenee 25, 000 North Branch of Oconto River, Lakewood, Wis..-....----------|------------ Diack Oak wake state Winey WiSecsasesesteicrictecsccncccos secewsleances sen -me IGVELULIVer WVOsHUG Wilsseseccs coe ee as eee san eee bek aches abaclloeenscece se A PPUCAUCSANE WASCONSIN Seance aa cseke cece neon cook cern aceewns|seaneer eeees Hontosbakew sheridan VOss-. wht onlssheeeatopbeetasesesaces tecceneee ses HAs CONOUCr SLLOSIA A UAtRIA scenes caemae sees s cseek es noneeeee 10, 000 Wm. Burgess & Co., Malvern Wells, England 10, 000 |. Swiss Goverment, Switzerland 5..-<..-s-c-sccswescesncescccece 25, 000 Ro taliess cess sence ae sean sce seo bare se ha sasbbons saezaanGee” 319, 300 1, 863, 798 161, 391 Lake trout: = — —-|- State Fish Commission, Windsor Locks, Conn..........--.---- S00; 0000 tecnica --> 120° 000M sees sseMecue Lake Superior, Fisherman’s Home, Mich........---...-.-------|-----+------ 120:000's); ote eer Lake Superior, off Wright Island, Mich......-...-...--.------|---.-------- 20000 cc. eee eee SUE EES ops POET Chg NO I REM eT EQN MN Me a ee lal eel USS eee ea se ake Superior, Chippewa Harbor, Mich ..:-....-...--..........-|---.-------- P20RQ00 Me see eee fake Superioron bish Tsiend, Mich = 2-2-2. - seems pee ep ae | oe eee 120, 000s 2a-t2 ata Hake SU peLlor, ObIn Harbor Mie hse. abe = sano ain eee ee Be ween 120; ODD) |Site abe Haake SU perier, LOdas Lar QOPeVLIGD xaos eae ae eine ae ee lee ee 24.0;.000! ise aanteeee = ake Superior Onoda On Wie Nee = aceasta ee eee ee ea eee mee BOO NO00H oe steeeee Crooked ake wake Stanion Mic hese 22- sera aio aes Hee sean ol ee eee ee 2a O00 cee eermeeee Hamline bake: BaldiwineMach <=. sat.cscee 5s shes ac ecicm ote eee ence a ates 5 O00 fa amore Rowmnsend ake. sal dwg Meh scenes eet ea erase retake eee tns mien eee 3, 000° |ete ats years Niencheliaice isa Cswiin-@Mronins sna acces cence aetna sees te 6-500 ase feet Cashren Lake, Baldwin, Mich RIO UO Beene Sei Sin dita belie y Shamil prey duleheneh i Gh tee seme ean Sees aAemo pps.) lS Sedona er 4000000522. ce5 eee Black Bear lake Carlton Nunn 2. oso Ge soe cace Sac bceeaenelecceemceee cre 25, O00 UE ashi oeewe ace SE POROr Chica Ce ONbay MNUUN.

abessa-s ase A. 0002 oct cee State Fish Commission, Roxbury, Vt--------.----------------- POO MOQQN Siacs:eraetars «neler stetteyaten recs State Fish Commission, Colebrook, N. H 100: 000M ees acehesee ee ee ee Lake Michigan, Sheboygan, Wis -..----------------------------|--+++++---+--- 350, 000 |..-.--...--. ake superior Bark PO, Was somes. =s seen aalem ne cle fee eee ee eer 240, 000 ake Superior, Sanduislandy WaSiasse = 2-5 ane cose ne cami yale emanate 240, 000 ake Superior, Raspberryiveay, WiS- 2.25.59 =---sssse-scieo.: 100 Round Lake, Hanover, Mich ........- 400 CXX REPORT OF COMMISSIONER OF FISH AND FISHERIES. Details of distribution— Continued. | Adults Adults Species and disposition. and Species and disposition. and yearlings.| yearlings. Black bass, large-mouth—Continued. Black bass, large-mouth—Continued. Cass River, Marlette, Mich..-.-..-.--. 100 Yellow Creek, Cave Mills, Tenn.-..-- 100 Base Lake, Dexter, Mich .-.-.-...----.-. 150 Big Pigeon River, Newport, Tenn. -.. 100 Applicants at Ypsilanti, Mich .-.--.- 150 Hill's EES McMinnville, Tenn -.--. 100 Clear Lake, Waseca, Minn .......--.- 300 Elk River, Fayetteville, Tenn.--..--. 100 Silver Lake, Battle Lake, Minn .-.-.. 100 Little Pigeon River, Knoxville, Tenn. 200 Lake Tetonka, Waterville, Minn ---.-. 300 Cane Creek, Fayetteville, Tenn ------ 100 Caribou Lake, Duluth, Minn.....-.-- 50 Corley Creek, Mae, Tenn..-.----.----- 100 Twin Lakes, Kansas City, Mo ....-.--- 50 Mill -Pond,:Altna. Renna. s2.s2ss eee se 100 Branch of Wilson Creek, Springfield, Spring Brook, Doyal, Tenn....---..-. 70 Wee one ~SoeatadassosouSE Sano bed wate 800 Chickamauga Lake, Chattanooga, Sac and James rivers, Springfield, TONMN Jas cicamesebaewacse cree see eee ee 100 IMO} i snidsieeaecee eee eee eiietsiaicare ele 300 Green Lake, Chattanooga, Tenn. .---- 100 Silver Lake, Cedar Gap, Mo .....-..-.. 100 Short Creek and Pigeon Roost Creek, Reservoir, Moberly, Mo...-....-.....- 200 Cookeville; Ment eres saan nani 200 Five Mile Creek, Joplin, Mo, .--.-.--. 100 Clear Fork River, Rugby Road, Valle Lake, Ste. Genevieve, Mo......- 500 Denim so 422 sce eee ee ears 100 Dry Fork Creek, Carthage, Mo...--.- 200- Big Spring Creek, Church Grove, White River, Forsyth, Mo.........--- 185 Ment coasts sous pe mene et aaee een eens 100 Applicants in Missouri.........-.---.. 700 Little Sequachee River, Sequachee, Applicants in Nebraska....-......--. 130 Penn 282. sess cence es caee senamee 100 Lake Hepatcong, Mount Arlington, Applicants in Tennessee-......--.--- 396 ING Deo 25e- Bet eet ees ats eoeta te tao 200 Sweetwater Creek, Miami, Tex...--.- 500 C.A.Shriver, State fishcommissioner, Timber Lakes, Clarendon, Tex -.----- 100 MELSEy Ciuy,pNei enema cepeasas= 2, 000 Paloduro Creek, Amarillo, Tex-...--- 200 Applicants in New Jersey --.------.-. 150 Comal Springand River, Ne‘y Braun- Paloduro Canyon Creek, Salt Lake, Fels, "LEX aacecsausicaccawmeeeore bones 450 IN, AUG oooh oe oS bore seosseeelseSsr 200 Groesbeck Creek, Quannah, Tex ---.- 50 Applicants in New Mexico..........- 300 ee: Creek, Miami, Lex sooo. cee~cecce 300 Greenwood Lake, Orange Co., N.Y..- 809 Ranner Springs, Buftalo, Tex.....-.-.- 100 Summit Ave.Lake, Greensboro, N.C.. 150 Lampasas River, Lampasas, Tex. ---- 400 Chockoyotte Creek, Weldon, N.C...-. 100 Catfish Lake, Tyler, ‘Tex .-....-..-..-. 200 Poplar Lake, Reidsville, N.C ....---.- 150 Chapman Lake, Fort Worth, Tex ---- 150 Rocky Creek, Statesville, N.C.--...-. 100 || Oakland Lake, Denton, Tex.-.-.------ 200 Applicants at Asheville, N.C .--...-. 100) \)| “WuckerWake; Myler, Mex ss-c--ese=--— 200 Square Butte Creek, Mandan, N. Dak. 250 Lake Park Lake, Tyler, Tex ---...---.- 200 Devil Lake, Devil Lake, N. Dak -.....- 260 Sulphur Branch, Rockland, Tex..---- 400 Spirit Wood Lake,Jamestown, N. Dak 800 Reservoir, Liora, Vex [22s .2s-c--- sane 150 Park Lake. Mayville, N. Dak.......... 100 Houston and Texas Central R. R. Lake Metigoshe, Bottineau, N. Dak.... 180 Pond, Bremond, Lex. sass se. - eee 367 Willow Lake, Rolla, N. Dak.-..-.----- 75 Walton Lake, Granger, Tex..-..------ 75 Lake Irvine, Church Ferry, N. Dak... 185 Concho River, San Angelo, Tex .----- 250 Rise Lake, Minot, N. Dak.....--.----- 100 Santa Clare Creek, Marion, Tex ..-... 200 Minnehaha Lake, Rolla, N. Dak ..-.- 100 Menger Creek, Boerne, Tex .-.------- 100 Mineral Springs, Rolla, N. Dak.-.------ 50 Fossil Creek, Fort Worth, Tex...---- 150 Sheyenne River, Valley City, N. Dak.. 300 Hurst Lake, Fort Worth, Tex..-.------ 250 Long Lake, Bismarck, N. Dak .......- 100 Russell Creek, Miami, Tex..-..------ 200 Church Spring, Inkster, N. Dak... -..- 50 Spring Creek, San Angelo, Tex..----.- 200 Stump Lake, Lakota, INDakiae=cses25 260 Lake Como, Fort Worth, Tex-.---.--- 300 Applicants at Davenport. N. Dak... .-. 200 Trinity River, Fort Wortb, Tex....-.- 550 Clitf Lake, Springfield, Ohio......--.-. 100 Clear Creek, Fort Worth, Tex...-..--- 100 Lake Idlewild, Kenton, Ohio ......-.. 100 Turkey Creek, Cline, Tex..-.-...---.-- 100 Tuscarawas River, Zoar, Ohio ..-..--. 150 Sabinal River, Sabinal, Tex...---...-- 200 Rosemoor Lake, Oxford, Ohio ..--.... 50 Chaptico Lake, Marshall, Tex.-.-..-.-- 150 Stillwater Creek, Troy, Ohio.......-... 100 Sue Belle Lake, Marshall, Tex....-.- 150 Crystal Lake, Ravenna, )hio ........ 100 Elmendorf Lake, San Antonio, Tex. - 150 Olantangy River, Mt. Gilead, )hio-.-.. 150 Spivey Lake, Kerens, Tex.....-.....- 200 Lake Epworth, Bethesda, Ohio ...-..- 50 Fin and Feather Club’s Lake, Dallas, Hocking River, Athens, Ohio........- 100 IR OKs ao se ocala ae ennai eete aa tee 150 Clear Fork Creek, Bellville, Ohio. .... 100 || San Felipe Creek, Del Rio, Tex....-..- 100 Congress Lake, Congress Lake, Ohio. - 150 || San Antonio River, Floresville, Tex-. 300 Wyoga Lake, Cuyahoga Falls, Ohio.. 100 || Lake Louise, Brenham, Tex..---...-. 100 FAN plCANtS IDiONIOo ses ictee anes ase 986 Leona and Nueces rivers, Uvalde, Spring Branch, North Enid, Okla. -..- 100 Tex 8 oc. cebok = dso aoe cee 200 Cheadle Creek, Guthrie, Okla........- i00 Bow Spring Lake, West, Tex.-..-..--- 175 Mosquito Creek, Higgins, Okla...-..- 100 Lake McDonald, Austin, Tex ......-- 600 Canadian River, Shawnee, Okla ..---- 100 Richland Creek, Brownwood, Tex. --. 200 Spring Lake, Woodward, Okla ..-.-.- 100 Tidoroni Creek, Alice, Tex..-....---- 150 Applicants in Oklahoma..-..--..-..- 2, 000 Mall Pond Dallas; exes. ease see aa 100 Mork Pond) Kingston; Role. ---- = -\- 500 San Antonio River, San Antonio, Tex- 225 Charles W. Willard, State fish com- Houston and Texas Central R. R. Co. missioner, Westerly, R.I..-...--..-- 500 Pond) Allen, Tex3-Ssssncos Sse ess 166 Maschang Pond, Westerly, R.I..-..-- 300 Houston and Texas Centrai R. R. Co. Sheldon Reserve Pond, Sheldon, S. C.. 100 Pond, Richland. Pexes-eene5-25222 167 Castle Hill Reserve Pond, Yemassee, San Miguel Creek, Pearsall, Tex..----- 75 SiO nes cc unc wax ceca eeemeae aeenee 100 Reservoir, Banquette, Tex.--.--....-. 150 Applicants in South Carolina-.---.--- 300 Guadaloupe River, Kerrville, Tex -.-.. 150 W autauga River, Johnson City, Tenn 100 Hines Springs, Butfalo, Tex -....---.-.- 100 French Broad River, Del Rio, Tenn. . 100 Liano River; Liano, Tex/2--------*-2- 150 Spring Lake, Templeton, Tenn ...--. 50 Cleveland Lake, Sugarland, Tex.-.---- 75 Sulphur Fork Creek, Cedar Hill, Comanche Creek, Marathon, Tex .--.- 100 AVE So Seo sncmoco ch esouuoMocosood Sc6 450 Barton Creek, Clarendon, Tex .....--- 350 REPORT OF COMMISSIONER OF FISH AND FISHERIES. CXXI rd Details of distribution—Continued. | Adults || | Adults Species and disposition. | and Species and disposition. | and ‘yearlings. yearlings. Black bass, large-mouth—Continued. | Crappie—Continued. Medina River, Medina, Tex. ---.-.-..- | 150 Lake Chanute, Olathe, Kans.........- 25 YVerra Blanco Creek, Amarillo, Tex ...) 100 Applicants in Kansas .-.......--.---- 70 Amarillo Creek, Amarillo, Tex ......- 150 Fennessey Lake, Culvertson Station, Spring Creek, Amarillo, Tex......-.-. 100 Rey sates sacle he waste ots eae ce cee 100 Alamositas Creek, Channing, Tex. 150 Applicants in Kentucky ...--.------. 450 Trinity River Lakes, Palestine, Tex. . 300 Amity Lake, Duluth, Minn ........-- 300 Cheyenne Creek, Channing, Tex ..-.-.. 100 Applicant at Kansas’ City, Mo eencae 25 Rita Blanco Creek, Channing, Tex. --. 150 Poplar Lake, Reidsville, NAC MEa oe 100 Clear Creek, Hempstead, TOX cela ses 150 Square Butte Creek, Mand: in, N. Dak 45 Cedar Lake, Palestine, Tex ........--. 150 Willow Lake, Rolla, N. Dak .--..---- 25 Butfalo Springs Creek, Texline, Tex .. 150 Lake Irvine, ‘Church F erry, N. Dak.. 40 Dripping Springs Creek, Channing, || Applicant at Day enport, N. Dak ..... 50 Ox .< ees chee oeictee ee lse aie eee 150 | Sheldon Reserve Pond, Sheldon, S$. C-! 100 Guadaloupe River, Comfort, Tex ....- 300 Applicant at Bennettsville, 8. C--.--- 150 Majores Creek, Channing, Wes: cts 8 Ue 150 | Dutch River, Columbus, Tenn -..-.-- - 100 Truxillo Creek, Channing, Tex....-... 150 || Applicants in Tennessee....--..----- 72 Mill Pond, blano exit stc.22s- - oe icin een tale 17, 035, 000 Casco Bay, between Hopeand Crotch Atlantic Ocean off— Talands Mest. oe ssceec ast eee 1, 200, 000 Vineyard light-ship, Mass.....- 3, 654, 000 Johns Bay, near Johns Island, Me --| 1,500, 000 Gay Head, inane ase we. 20, 360, 060 Rockland Bay, near Seal Ledge, Me.} 500, 000 Vineyard Sound, off Cuttyhunk Maine coast waters, York Beach --.| 1, 200, 000 Lit G MASS seers oa ceed sca. 3, 566, 000 Casco Bay, off Bailey Island, Me....| 1,200, 000 Buzzards Bay, near Robinson Hole, Prospect Harbor, Me: - 23-22 seine ae- 200, 000 WEY): lees 4 oS pecmer aes er cee 5, 631, 000 Jonesport Harbor, Jonesport,Me-..| 200, 000 Cape Cod Bay, off Race Point Cutler Harbor, Cutler, Me.......-.-. 200, 000 Lite ya ET eee oer sore| | 8, 782, 000 Casco Bay, Small Point Harbor, Me-| 3, 000, 000 Ipswich Bay, Rockport, Mass ....-- | 5, 149, 000 Massachusetts Bay— Vineyard Sound, mouth of Woods Gloucester, Mass....--...----.. 12, 356, 000 Hole Harbor, Mass ft eschietes recuse 33,000 | Marblehead, Mass ..----....... 950, 000 Cape Cod Bay, ‘Provincetown, Mass | 2,558,000 || Beverly; Miass2- a cce -2 6 10, 500 315 600 6 21, 500 645 Mindicwbank=2o.ccsscca-ceene 213 380, 600 9, 381 11, 100 129 914, 000 21, 592 Jenreys Ledge). -<< = =..--<521 224 440, 700 | 11, 296 33, 800 391 | 1,069,700 | 26, 812 Ipswich Bay) as<. sce .c5 1-2 <== 2 7, 100 PANG) |S ee mene ene lot vogeee 1,000 30 South Channel <2... +----- 405 2, 678, 600 | 63, 868 120, 300 1, 327 5, 624, 600 | 119, 139 Nantucket Shoals .........--- 310 5,114, 600 | 64, 486 2, 500 21 | 200, 000 7, 768 Off Highland Light ........-. 135 398, 200 9, 550 7, 200 32 772,500 | 16, 062 heChathanmiece sas) << caceeese 120 531, 200 | 10, 517 11, 000 129 1,122,100 | 23, 220 PHOre: Soneral thee sees ssss 2: 1, 918 5, 173, 000 |106, 684 142, 400 1, 620 5,514, 150 | 110, 149 Motalen% = unt these o 1, 000 20 23,856, 1, 751 TIED Pi See eet annie sini seins 1, 800 EA eeseocmed|sescucse|focodesscalle noose lpsonsansagdiocacoss- COM AUGUS scien dence esc ccse. S 6,011,726) 241,099) 1,504,300) 45, 360) 3,406,440; 86,709} 362,802) 11,766 (CPG) See Senecio 937, 808 53, 703 185,400) 8, 652 2, 640 165 4, 800 300 ini psmen eee acon 118, 323 AGE] pee eee Be anol! 5. SS ames AS Seco ee ee Cgwiateeascessccnsscsa5. 32, 500 11, 162 69, 805] 17,525 9,'600|| °2)'58)|5-.2 222528) 2a eee Mrout Sounds -..-----..-- 691 1 BESS e ences PeRcGene pecasacecal bacabose sects Send laeiaiiccc- ROL SB see etnies viciectee ma: 3, 862, 200 ASSIS): Blase ls cae Anae ee ce |heee cee 622. Sag. aoe eee DOTHAN se nese ateee meine 64, 234, 257) 1, 316, 017| 5, 280, 446) 210, 456) 4, 993, 100} 170, 605) 5, 882, 662) 136, 077 arts shactyene REPORT OF COMMISSIONER OF FISH AND FISHERIES. CLIX Table showing the quantity and value of products taken in the fisheries of the South Atlantic States in 1897—Continued. Total. Total. Species. Species. Pounds. Value. Pounds. Value. Alewives, fresh ...-...--. 5, 759, 114 SEOMOON lt SHADES tala eae eaters asa afes 30, 000 $300 Alewives, salted ......... lu, 101, 236 78, 424 || Sheepshead ......-....--. 722, 570 17, 861 Pat C Ke DASE eco Se Type el ae ee 854(88))|) 1 ceeesen OMT Se scm sees. cenceccmens ss emeek eens] hemens cores UC EET el eae Vay (8 ee 25, 938 IS ORNS) 5 = tee cn sais too acim oe oeeewesseneticee 1,621 | 130,548 254 12, 939 439 17, 039 SPNArAus OLCAPuULG. ..<-.ccenaeeeeere| saeco rmss | 54,350 |.......... CRAB) ppeesaace 19, 255 Biloropropertwiern-+.-0---- epee eee eee eee ely sete) ES 5 ea AQT S50 n | cseee eee 125, 644 CES 7) LOW) ee ene e re co ceatoce (Si se eee jiides: LOD seen cencane ADENDO aces 3c tee 249, 300 20 21 ee | aa RIS ET ee Hes Wu es, woe 518, 301 : | Louisiana. Texas. Total. Designation. a No. Value. No. Value. No. Value. IMIBSSOIS' ss ccc aes acucnaneeeaetnecs ee cacok 61 $32, 101 45 | $36, 565 425 | $464, 343 PONDS SOs cachet e cates eee eaak ee ere eee BOD BOK Ae soe ee DUBSOl tease tce ccs 5, O52:69")222.--eeee OntGect caskeokcs ccc eee eee eee eee e. See eee 9,'345 Jace de ame ADwd10. je eee 252, 733 Boats ......- Sarena sesdb Sbaysoosos-de5e5- 3,025 | 197, 604 686 77, 911 6, 025 436, 041 ‘Apparatus OL Capbnre. + ...2- senna eens eee n ain en ms 31,660 leeeeeeenee Bo(46 oc oem 137, 216 SORE LO PERU cen nse ry see eal ane eemee eeerereeee= 178, 903) |saeeee eee Bb, 1057 ee eee 579, 578 CaRhiegmital.;?ssccetacsaaee sepa ee opera Reeeeer ss 69,000 ||.49: egoeeee 30,000 ipods Stee. 714, 150 tal) $.4sc 62 ccs che: ee ee | 613; BIB eee 237,496 |...u-e2-2 2, 584, 061 bins. REPORT OF COMMISSIONER OF FISH AND FISHERIES. CLXI Table showing by States the products of the fisheries of the Gulf States in 1897. Florida. Alabama. Mississippi. Species. : — Pounds. Value. Pounds. Value. Pounds. Value. PADIMOL-TSH 2s sehneseeeaeeaeme cet 18, 600 POLOU reac aswiatall cates cade |eetee eieteomnen lara ast tee ANTI GIGTS Neg eG pcos cemenriauneaacd 59, 186 1, 696 6, 000 SlISs|teveceveesee eee ase sees IpaniACUCS cones. ccantee eases saree, 31, 000 S240), | seas Soe Selle nis oes bias arcerenniccr Ie iS a ITO DANS a= 0a sclsavsise+ sees sstcae|dceaea-csctesl|eas sions sate 41, 000 2, 870 27, 000 $1, 350 BING anys t neo tec cooes snaccs eee 264, 971 6, 057 204, 500 4, 094 33, 300 1, 105 Bream and sunfish 7, 909 238 79, 509 2, 783 24, 800 508 IDWS OAT ee aos GAR eos eRe Geer nme enesdecd| boceceeoed CocoSropeccolbonesenbcn 21, 500 215 MORIN eee aac sta see ceceeer cee 5, 000 100 188, 000 2, 872 31, 200 720 Channel bass or redfish........... 236, 368 3, 597 213, 000 7,425 199, 000 8, 303 Orpvalleian ose access acoeeonwlweee 38, 140 494 12, 000 180) |. o- eek e noe aK 1, 458, 833 12, 891 138, 120 3, 689 1, 759, 233 20, 787 ROTSUSOL Dae cee Wee toa ete Seen ero saictee setae ae aote eotetet seas ce mena o [etme ae 21, 200 1, 720 PUIG Se: Sarse JO. cy sac.- Shae wea aHe 22, 395 581 237, 385 6, 860 894, 396 30, 177 AUGT EES 0 Fi ee eee ne eee 41, 680 4,149 8, 880 507 66, 692 7, 501 IOORGNB he 5550s ease e noes Vee oe Nee allne wack otal pcuueboecseleemeeoeeine 500 30 Al oator hides {225s-2256<\s denen leeceoesae aoe 22096 2 avtece-sctcculecensesiccal esse econ 34, 546 Ottiersking=..- oo: dassesescine sense | oacas om cian Se ose metaadl cm dats ote pamel| Mece meter aeeeinemeeeree 14, 481 Total® seen, ote bse - soe cas aes 17, 401, 788 713, 587 7,174, £50 286, 610 | 65, 660, 623 | 2, 271, 726 FISHERIES OF SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA. Recently a market has been found in Kansas, Texas, Missouri, and other States west of the Mississippi for fresh fish and spiny lobsters from southern California. Important shipments have been made, chiefly from San Pedro and San Diego, the principal species shipped being barracuda, bonito, mackerel, sea bass, red rockfish and spiny lobsters. Good prices were received, and it is probable that a per- manent market for southern California fresh fish will be found. The spiny lobster proved especially desirable; it was shipped chiefly to Kansas City, where it is known as the Bermuda lobster. The scarcity of suitable fishing boats proved a considerable drawback in filling orders for fish from eastern points. In March and April, 1898, Mr. Cloudsley Rutter made inquiries respecting the fisheries of San Diego. Several dealers kept no records, and it is probable that the quantity of fish taken was greater than that accounted for in the following table. More than 800,000 pounds were handled, of which 283,658 pounds were shipped by rail to eastern points. REPORT OF COMMISSIONER OF FISH AND FISHERIES. CLXIII Statement of the pounds of fish and lobsters handled by San Diego dealers in 1897. Species. January.|February| March. April. May. June. July. Barracud G.\.i255464 hetececeiaee Soteeee ote 450 17, 675 34, 565 23, 345 28, 925 24, 590 Bonito ‘‘mackerel”’.....-..--. 801 167 594 2, 943 945 594 927 mellow -tail\.52- 25 s'c-cciemeae ee 960 1, 300 1, 260 2,770 4, 490 5, 060 4, 290 PAD AGOLE!: ....5oc2 ease ees he 120 PANN AR ect eee ace Coe oe eee emar aes SPE Beas iBaliseye; mackerel, tas sei merle weiss wma me 27 115 160 15 15 BSIHELt fe Sso2 Sau) ca otase ke 138 105 40 i Ce ees aan tap ne Tea (eetes selene ABS aoe sacen sesso cceesewceee ee 996 1, 479 1, 414 1, 242 745 2, 995 4,898 GR ALS) eae eee 40 150 LGM rekicinctocta| eee eee DON eels sense ron Monterey halibut......-..-.-. 7, 503 7,187 8, 657 9, 954 1, 894 2, 353 3, 050 LEGO) ASC eae ees See 2, 879 717 185) |S ec eee = 81 Yellow-fin... : 7 13 | 30 Tat | ge bee ba PIPARDUONMGs Sonae aca acim Saco sate de anes eeae secs |e tea 380 495 me ioee aioe oe Saas eats SCAR LR Beet eee cee cena eee meee reales seeack caleses actos cawees assoc asmc~ aac 103 223 Fat-head redfish CG ae SS Be nome Ao pec oesc bol ase se ce Ac WWwibitevish ys. -<..2-22eee see et O18 cee laser dl se Soleeieee ale na eck eee |lone enews ON MASD cece cscceciaeccsstess|aencersces! LPB. ans sec5s ESD ec Aaee omelets satanic eee LMT ede coe conseemececcd | Te OT GE Ree ee ee eres PE Seno sony pesca bes s-lsote re ctor Mbher Hshieesecsee socee case = 5, 616 38, 428 2, 517 672 | 2,909 Motalifreshs..<-<2-i-) 13,718 | 2194663) "475398 | 2 ces ece cock 73, 000 2,149 Cusk, fresh ......---- 4, 000 56 58, 615 Cy SRR Sarna tk aoornae 238, 700 2, 631 Cusk, salted -.--..... 3, 912 58 21, 795 32, 500 590 Haddock, fresh --.-.-- 445,900 | 3,615 327, 79! 548, 365 6, 212 Haddock, salted....-.- 75,180 | 1,009 163, 54 34, 200 520 Hake fresh io: .2.-i<< 82, 500 648 653, 120 1, 291, 148 10, 176 Hake, salted .......-- 175, 135 2, 147 $19, 177 328, 000 3, 394 Halibut, fresh -. 3 28,500 | 1,852 45, 718 27, 900 TAPES: Herring, fresh .....-- 25, 996, 740 | 43,526 | 10, 198, 220 3,342,000 | 15, 660 I SEring Awlied (asset }snousncaseeblonae esse 70, 000 827, 400 9,499 Mackerel fresh, Se ee ee peerieelenm ane | maa se 14, 000 700 300 24 Swordtish: fresh <22--225-0---- 24, 000 1013) [Scosche cen ee eees eo |-2 (cases Eanes hohe ters: S225. .22e) pe 28 eee 1, 478, 250 98, 106 81, 069 B;\605 |). on ete ooe bee ere 2 ee ee er 10, 548, 239 | 238,248 | 1,719, 294 32, 662 29, 700 714 REPORT OF COMMISSIONER OF FISH AND FISHERIES. CLXVII ‘ Yield of certain fisheries of Maine during the year ending June 30, 1897—Continued. Cumberland. York. ‘Total. Species. —= Pounds. Value. Pounds. | Value. Pounds. Value. PANO WIVES, ALON; o x% aie mciocteiciotine coe 168, 000 $1, 120 41,520 $322 | 1,249, 085 $11, 088 BLOONS: {rOShicncn woe cen ae es woes 600 24 240 11 840 35 Coteirpsn(soso5-ee ose e ee eee secas 1, 728, 884 28, 043 725, 800 13, 731 4, 086, 129 67, 875 (CGONABITOR os52.cscese ccueeee eens 44,701 885 8, 200 418 | 3, 700, 396 84,161 (CUSKINOSD) = pas snecccwc nde nndesce 459, 851 5, 868 97,500 1, 065 990, 566 12, 059 ACSA SAITOU == ns cco5s.cwaoee ueeoee 13, 000 221 | swavewsetcal|eerecesses 88, 607 1, 698 Haddock, fresh 2, 627, 846 41,177 879, 900 14,888 | 5,488, 351 80, 476 Haddock, salted IOS ava seciee lieco oe ee eee 311, 926 4,271 PLEO ni TOS Moe con ole seh oes Saeseee 11, 644 1, 199, 700 9, 401 6, 304, 908 45, 581 TIRKOVARILEO seen aeince scene assane 140 2, 000 120 1, 492, 712 15, 414 Halibut, fresh 9, 953 9, 049 663 272, 382 18, 200 Herrinp, tres. ==. -24--22052sc05- 5 296, 880 2, 021 423, 000 3, 665 | 43, 226, 020 134, 675 HGrvin ge SALON so 502 > oa acnacsc =o seen s-e. 2 cscccceces ss 577, 405 Oe tl ae ee ed Pe as | 1, 080, 655 50, 024 Menhaden) fresh .--scecssesselec5 3, 000 19 66, 000 490 69, 060 509 Menhaden, salted..............-.- 30, 000 BOO RAS aaa ee ase cones 80, 000 800 IPSllook treshis= = >52---s0n2c0s 40: 417, 350 2, 626 112, 900 1,038 1,126, 096 7, 459 IROMOCK GAltGd 55250 cece dee cmes ome 12, 500 94 24, 100 177 626, 052 7, 409 PHAGMNOSM wo: conic coes = ce.cs oe 2 Ss 39, 950 659 3, 550 68 | 1,516, 880 24, 894 lita ANA OU tetra .ccce es eet cusses 300 00 Eee Beer ermse. 20, 300 914 Mimic PARSON. ooecceecsccite ce |e se cess soca sienancna | veaew ak cee settee oss eee 16, 350 1, 308 PIMC OOMM TEs e ces inek sence sue lesaneae ores | aaaeecticn 1, 400 20 15, 700 744 SMOrOnshtresh ods. so. sciecae ss ac 806, 230 33, 000 154, 696 8, 371 984, 926 42, 384 IDO SUOTS ve ceccscs cccaccticesecceccs 975, 370 65,025 | 1,122,124 64,290 | 10, 200, 880 683, 082 | EN hee ee ee ee es Sa ALOT he an aan se peer Aare 10, 531, 675 247,177 5, 602, 954 132, 259 | 85, 891, 402 | 1, 366, 318 Yield of certain fisheries of New Hampshire during the year ending June 30, 1897. [Persons employed, 111; capital invested, $25,600.] | Species. Pounds. Value. Species. Pounds. Value Alewives, fresh ............ 238, 900 $2,947 || Mackerel, salted........... 11, 700 $831 (OG es Se) ee 487, 650 8,206 || Menhaden, fresh .......-.. 20, 000 150 NCOMMRANLEMe occmcon,cs2e ems 2 1, 100 DoE OlockstTesht-s- sass cass 52 156, 500 971 [IR AEDSH. Cao e cee = 5 ui% 63, 000 728°|) Pollock; salted ’...2=<:2:22<- 1, 000 30 Haddock, fresh............. 302, 000 5,739) | Shia tees eee ssece: sees 4, 000 120 IAG PORN s(o5-00 222.0550 22 314, 000 2} 250) Siriped basss2-eeaaclc- 260-220-225 1, 000 a0) iP Swordfish snc-ecssanes ase o2 6, 250 600 Matibnt treslt:-52 2.2.2.2. 4,550 364) || LODSLtOES! << sccececcccss cee 90, 300 5, 493 ermine, (res os -.- 22255252284 1, 998, 625 35, 635 Yield by counties of certain fisheries of Massachusetts during the year ending June 30, 1897. [Persons employed, 9,926; capital invested, $4,572,806. | Essex. Nantucket. Norfolk. Species. Pounds. Value. Pounds. Value. Pounds. Value. PAO WAV OS LLCS. o- siciss nin ctamtessaieca 624, 400 $5, 886 12, 000 $2003) 5 asso oes eae eo ie LENGE) ee es eee 5, 100 160 392, 000 TF) SOO ate reps oe a fae eee eens (HOVTSS Ci NC AS As eens a a ee 23,132,496 | 391, 835 20, 000 HOO Ss once ccese clea eee eee Gods BAltGds seems scicsc- sn cee sence es! 32, 596, 965 721, 410 450, 000 pty Cts Je) eee eee ts (Sa AS (Cris hp hy) ee 2, 015, 870 23, 785 COMSUA CT AGT ee ae eee ee ee 315, 250 6, 950 Haddock: freah 2. .css0ss.s.5-600% 23, 362,611 | 352, 826 piewires ht le cpr. 2 mela oe. 7, 306, 844 46, 076 Hakkesalted (225 sic. an =2 dene cin nes 13, 000 121 IDET TOS Die amasne sees - sss cine 8, 743, 226 | 566, 794 |.. Halibut; salted) -.--i<000ccccsso0. 1, 178, 795 46, 701 (PMG fae ee eee as ate aciee wees as 108, 200 5, 510 PELOMTINOHTEBS nino acess sais Sinaia wie. 5, 448, 260 33, 261 Herning salted, 322= =<. -cccieeas cas 67, 000 929 Miatgkerel fresh —. 0. a-2osch= se aciee 1, 677,794 | 110,108 Mackerel salted «5.2% s-ccen ccc 6,511,300 | 337,135 WMonhad ent Sens sicins suis 2 ase conn ac 139, 000 930 Pollock, tresh 1, 962, 334 11, 409 Pollock, salted 10, 200 201 ent tiewan cee cinch nonce cees 700 47 Swordfish 279, 000 9, 949 OH SEBES Meee ko ecu ccc canals ee oe: 416, 986 38, 046 100 to) Se eae 115, 915, 331 |2, 710, 069 1, 068, 800 31, 810 94, 060 7, 525 CLXVIII REPORT OF COMMISSIONER OF FISH AND FISHERIES. Yield of certain fisheries of Massachusetts during the year ending June'30, 1897—Cont’d. Barnstable. Bristol. Dukes. Species. aaa Pounds. Value. Pounds. Value. Pounds. Value. AVBWAVES MING Mec avce seer <'sleteiac 828, 369 $9, 860 681, 500 $7, 549 579, 310 $5, 979 Alewives, salted..........-...---- 918, 825 13, 697 394, 000 (ON Aa ERE acichialic se stn Sac PINGS Be cee nce tes fee cle ceases ss eeseme 213, 600 4,236 | 3,772,051 | $69,429 | 34, 180, 684 556, 245 God) salted cic. se6--<0- 550600522 -5 19, 200 700 146, 172 3,043 | 35,781, 563 800, 269 (CTGIITOSD ano ajsiomas cele sec aco ocleece= ees rls > mama 200, 500 2,345 2, 561, 970 29, 921 COM Gili U3 s8 ESS oebere ls) pasts coco psonmeancr 1, 000 13 316, 250 6, 963 Maddock treshse a=.c-0-h canner nos 142, 800 2, 685 8, 061, 700 149, 842 | 33, 055, 911 531, 418 Haddock, ealted)-<2<-. = <5.--.-- 6-5 |saecetncereael| onesie 6, 000 9 50, 120 538 Make streshiessi.-cseaceck secee-s2 12, 400 7 2, 256, 900 15, 540 | 10, 942, 344 68, 996 ake salteg ee eer mem oo aw oie in | aim =i ain state 9, 485 109 75, 485 760 Pralibwttres hic <.s. ee |= eee HAIG. Secrest ce ckeceleete c= fa aclleoure states 103, 266 1, 921 26, 470 529) | Cosmas seater ee PO tale see nn SE ee rns a re, LIS) 266 ||) 926i"! 89154700) 26; 609-1 2c nee elas eneee Wisconsin: IBTOWMiseer esse coeccas 25,564 | 1,278 892,373 | 4,895 |1, 422,136 | 19,099 | 300, 844 9, 339 WD OObsscecr sess 2, 156 107 | 4,372,766 | 27,496 | 155,419 |) 1,942 21, 972 760 Kenoshaee a2 3c Seco cus eal See ew eeas|ee eee 515,139 | 8,585 20, 247 608+) ssece ack Sones 3 1 eos Ae cag ciacl Sasoecaaua\sonsceSs 102, 000 O90s| Soa pe eae alc cet reaclae ee = seme eee eee IMamitOW0C).| See PARHtADMLatLomanaceneh caeenneeeelaseatotssnss|eacnce sac 1,238,760 | 10,388 170, 600 1,716 EG Wace teicte = orayare\srainiz pre leia wtelviwie ayera|| neroteysieyaravace (eisi|is watore’s:eistaie 500, 000 5, 000 87, 000 370 (ChE Ch san conacncee cuncoeonaT 2, 189 58 | 5,001, 396 60, 643 MES Prirh 7, 600 i ethhs ane eh] oostaeo OO SU a Doeoe 20, 406 507 579, 106 6, 508 178, 030 2, 020 IO leeeeeisee cisineiem(= iclisinieinisimls eis 11, 548 570 3, 280, 269 38, 859 925, 331 11, 332 Oita aie ctxcawiee a ccccineminnicmsicicrs <> 75, 020 4, 038 422, 981 5, 804 477, 908 4,779 EWGMN oslo Soca wena dacialcainw'siaeic 1, 096 : 33 _ 698, 199 ‘ 6, 982 99, 531 995 TNA Gsnpacwoanamacssoeeose 110, 259 5, 206 | 11,720,711 | 133,684 | 2, 603, 677 28, 812 Michigan: Teli ae eaeunr sep IMONTOO m2 amie < semis esc cimcsiomcis 4, 772 141 78, 636 820 99, 265 992 (Guangitotaleee ace. secereesae 188,083 | 5, 728 | 19, 638,289 | 207,111 | 3,205,392) 35, 741 Wall-eyed pike. Blue pike. Saugers. Sturgeon. States and counties. Fas Dan eet ean EEE SEGA Pounds. | Value. | Pounds. | Value. | Pounds. | Value. |} Pounds. | Value. -New York: ; TE a RIS Se ar eee 6, 600 $200 QoROOOT Bers 0 | atecisetenta| stereos 80,000 | $2,075 Chautauqua seein- cece - 12,000 20) B01 O08) OSLO ree emcee eineinelntel- 52,644 | 1,721 PL Ota as aemapiaarew ome 18, 600 rei 920 _ 396, 006 W000) | Saeaeecems -ec----| 132, 644 3, 796 Pennsylvania: Wa re Brie tact senin- ee cick sees ees 27,032 | 1,417 |2, 668,778 | 56, 927 |..-..----.|.--.---- 35, 414 1, 075 Ohio: aa | ee JAS OUI so popaonboodlesdeoobosd Gecnhood RO QUO eset O LN tomate eimtal| etm reteetate 30, 800 1, 078 ace eee aeiecis ote mice cine |ieisclatnrs cate l elena simisia 246,000 | 4,870 |..... Aigistetell oe sees 8, 290 249 (Chi 3) iyo SARE Sep ceesooce 30,821 | 1,433 | 857,660 | 16,635 | 237, 266 | $3, 335 5, 192 176 AU OTOM MN ere slais sistas soca mmpeicn 22, 045 1, 073 323, 776 6, 444 244,888 | 4,747 19, 594 784 AG leyuateciencicie wc © ino willed 271, 943 | 11, 356 82, 417 1, 653 |2, 365, 180 | 36, 882 11, 060 531 EA aeeeiesiee cestecis cece 295, 472 ONL Tales coammie se eemure 1, 218, 417 | 15, 332 8, 540 42 BIE Se eS ee css nciss ge 5 eee Ree 740,036 | 9, 186 210° 13 A eR eCSeIoS 1, 065, 083 | 37, 944 |1, 786, 753 33, 963 4, 805, 787 | 69, 482 83, 686 2, 873 Michigan: wi a v IMONVORiE = shee aenen ce ccc 364, 768 LGD lerreialeicieiminra|syeeutcerak, 122, 433 1, 582 7, 628 rs 469 Grand total.......-.- 1, 475, 483 | 52, 444 |4, 851, 537 | 98, 550 |4, 928, 220 | 71,064 | 259,372| 8,213 Trout. Whitefish. Total. States and counties. <== - Pounds. Value. Pounds. Value. Pounds. Value. New York ML Oe eeitetete a aiels ae ar nie aiseiciceie sais ee cicic smeaece||Wentawieder 18, 000 $1, 000 384, 600 $7, 775 Chantanqua.s its progress downward would aiways pass through water of a density corresponding to its own increasing specific gravity, and would thus be constautly buoyed up by a nicely adjusted force, the result of which would be to further delay it. It is probably safe to conclude, then, that under natural conditions the egg of the mackerel is always suspended in water of a density very nearly equal to or greater than its own, and that it does not normally settle to the bottom and rest there in a mass of filth, and sub- jected to conditions of imperfect oxygenation, etc., which is the case in the forms of artificial hatching apparatus, namely, the Chester and McDonald systems of tidal boxes which have hitherto been chiefly employed. Another consideration to be noted is that the parallel increase in density of the water and the specific gravity of the egg will result in the maintenance of a nice balance of osmotic pressure which may possibly be a requisite to a healthful development. Three other conditions of change relate to light, oxygenation, and temperature, all of which decrease toward the bottom. 3. RESULTS OF EXPERIMENTS. When the results of biological investigations of the conditions of development were sufficiently advanced to have led to the conclusion just briefly outlined, several important lines of experimentation seemed to be indicated. Direct observation of the changes in the living egg and of the conditions affecting the distribution of the egg in nature having suggested the importance of an increasing water density, a series of experiments designed to test the influence of this condition was first planned. Indeed, owing to the paucity of material and the limited time in which to work, this series was the only one which was conducted in anything like a systematic manner, and even here the results of individual experiments, which could not be repeated and verified, are too meager to be conclusive. A description of one or two of these experiments, with their results, will suffice to indicate the general character and bearing of all. F, R. 98——2 18 REPORT OF COMMISSIONER OF FISH AND FISHERIES. Lot D consisted of 109,000 eggs, yielded by two females taken in the trap net of Mr. Sennett, June 26. Sperm and ova mixed at 5.15 p. m. All of the eggs were fertilized and in the 4-cell stage when examined on board the ship shortly after 7 p.m. All were placed in a McDonald cod-box, in which they floated buoyantly in water of a density of 1.0221. The eggs were allowed to remain without change all through the next day and until the morning of June 28, when, at the age of 40 hours, they were approaching the period of development when, accord- ing to previous observations, they might be expected to pass into sus- pension. Up to this time the mortality had been very small, and was chiefly the result of eggs having adhered to the somewhat rough wooden sides or the corners of the McDonald boxes, when they were left high and dry by the receding water and killed. At 11 a.m, on June 28, at which time the blastopore had just closed, three lots of eggs, estimated to contain 25,000 each, were removed from the McDonald box and subjected to the following conditions: One lot, designated as sublot DA, was placed in a second McDonald box under conditions precisely similar to the first, and was retained as a check on the other sublots. A second sublot, designated as DB, was placed in an apparatus designed to imitate the Chester tidal boxes and jar, arranged by cutting the bottom out of a 2-quart Mason butter jar, tying cheesecloth over both ends, and placing this upright in a pail provided with a siphon hose, The eggs were placed within the glass eylinder in water which had been gradually increased in density, and the apparatus then supplied with water, the density of which had been raised by adding a solution of rock salt to 1.0252, this having been previously determined to be the density in which the eggs would just float at this period of their devel- opment. About 500 gallons of this density of water, sufficient to fill one of the large deck boxes, was made up to supply the apparatus. After the height and rate of the tidal flow had been adjusted to that customarily adopted for the McDonald boxes, the apparatus was left to itself, except that it was necessary to replace the water in the supply tank and aerate it about every 12 hours. The third sublot, designated DC, was also passed gradually into the water of 1.0252 density, and then placed in a box provided with cheese- cloth bottom, which was floated in the supply box of high-density water on deck. The history of these three sublots briefly told is as follows: During the next 24 hours, those comprising DA had gradually settled, becom- ing distributed all through the water and on the bottom, although the density had increased to 1.0226. The eggs were alive and the oil- sphere had begun to be absorbed. In sublot DB the eggs all floated in a compact layer at the surface of the water. They were slightly more advanced in C velopment than DA and the oil-drop was smaller, Of sublot DO many of the eggs had been killed by rupture of the mem- brane or other injury caused by striking or sticking to the sides of the box while washing to and fro in the tank. MACKEREL INVESTIGATIONS IN 1897. 19 During the fourth and fifth days of development, most of the eggs of sublot DA lay on the cheesecloth at the bottom of the box and the embryos gradually grew weaker until they finally succumbed. ” mn re ia ae mi aD? petiteie ) Oe To OS f LldbAde Gey Teas ; F a tandiat ae Diiigtrin taht aan | ole rin} éte® , Werte Manoa eee Lic AOVIAILAL Ord jp 290s 7 a enol i AD. iit mabhaenr. nine ting doa AHN ica Feu Psipating “ete! anew ere ral (aay Bi adi enea dif : Alla a OR ON yyisl GHeg Tile Shy wie A | sittin ere = ones Hut Po | sad). geeeeiiels Wir BOON aay Abed 2h Di) ols Fek aid) : ery Orie hao’ Gory hiya F uy >i feria lt a Mase a mbrgilt win! qa aals Pisa wifidy moi! d eur, e , 7 INO TES ON THE EXTENT AND CONDITION OF THE ALEWIFE FISHERIES OF THE UNITED STATES IN 1896. BY HUGH M. SMITH. 31 oe ee i] He aie ‘i; pita Ae __ 5 4) ae : soe) 7 7 my Pare i F wr te an i 4 Obs 6S Het eu igh lines Sea aia ee ie u v's ' aad -—e a i | ee SS) ann YS ; ’ : : 7 2 a: eo ec NG A PA og lr es ~ | A / Atve, vu! BAHT are PNT a 40 noir en hi | Bh AE aT eA arth ALEW ae i sil vy 5 * i Py = SAP T ERE BED UAE - i i: ‘ i ; \ yy 7 1 ¥ q ' 4 } J WG i be i t TT I i » J X 2s . j - ei 3 el a Fret a, hs 7 ' li g_\ ae Wee an ah al dds, ren AY ae DP eh ee NOTES ON THE EXTENT AND CONDITION OF THE ALEWIFE FISHERIES OF THE UNITED STATES IN 1896, By HuGuH M. SMITH. THE ALEWIVES OR RIVER HERRINGS. Alewives are the most abundant food-fishes inhabiting the rivers of the eastern coast of the United States, and, next to the shad, are commercially the most valuable fishes of those waters. Although their range is similar to that of the shad—namely, from Maine to Florida— they are somewhat more generally distributed; they enter all the rivers frequented by shad and also annually visit in large numbers many other streams. The two species of alewives are very similar in appearance and habits, and may easily be mistaken for each other on casual observa- tion. ‘They are usually distinguished by fishermen and dealers and receive different names, but the identification of individual specimens by fishermen is often faulty, as they depend more on the time of the run and the denseness of the schools than upon any reliable structural or color characteristics. The branch herring (Pomolobus pseudoharengus) is found from North Carolina northward along the entire coast; if it exists at all in the rivers of South Carolina and Georgia it is very rare, and extensive collections of fishes in the St. Johns River, in Florida, have failed to disclose its presence. It is extremely abundant in Albemarle Sound, Chesapeake Bay, Delaware Bay, New York Bay, and their tributaries, and in the rivers, ponds, and bays of New England. It appears earlier than the other alewife, usually preceding the first run of shad, and ascends to the headwaters of streams to spawn. The glut herring (Pomolobus cstivalis) is common in the St. Johns River, Florida, and is found thence northward along the entire coast of the United States, being most abundant in Albemarle Sound and Chesapeake Bay. It usually appears, suddenly, about the middle of the shad season, coming in enormous schools. It does not, as a rule, ascend the streams far above tide water, and spawning takes place at a shorter distance from the sea than in the case of the branch herring. The branch herring may be readily distinguished from the glut herring by the pale lining (peritoneum) of the abdominal cavity, this structure being black in the glut herring. Other features by which the two fishes may be identified are the deeper body, more elevated fins, and larger eye of P. pseudoharengus. F. R. 98 3 33 34 REPORT OF COMMISSIONER OF FISH AND FISHERIES. The size of alewives taken for the market is quite uniform. The average weight is two-fifths or one-third of a pound, the two species being similar in this respect. Examples weighing as much as half a pound are rare. As food-fishes, the alewives are generally regarded as superior to the sea herring, being larger and of better flavor, but they are decidedly inferior to the shad in food value. There is very little difference in the edible qualities of the two species, although the branch herring has the reputation of being somewhat better. Many reach the market in a fresh condition, but perhaps the largest quantities are salted or smoked, smoking being a favorite method of preparation in New Eng- land. For use as bait in the line fisheries for cod, haddock, and other ground fish, alewives are considered highly satisfactory, and large numbers are thus utilized in Maine and Massachusetts. The abund- ance and cheapness of these fish make them of almost incalculable importance in the coast sections, and in 1896 nearly 150,000,000 were sold by fishermen of 14 States for food and bait, besides which large quantities were given away at the fishing shores. The average price received by the fishermen was one-third of a cent per fish. These fishes are known by a large number of names along different parts of the coast. In the New England States the name alewife is in general use, while in the Middle and South Atlantic States “ herring” is the name most frequently heard. The branch herring is known as spring herring, branch alewife, gaspereau, wall-eyed herring, hardhead, alewife, ellwife, and ellwhop. Among the names for the glut herring are blueback, May herring, school herring, summer herring, blackbelly, English herring, kyack, cat-thrasher, and sawbelly. THE* ALEWIFE FISHERIES CONSIDERED BY STATES. Alewives are caught in much larger numbers than any other fishes entering the fresh waters of the United States, and among all the fishes of American waters are surpassed in this respect only by two species, the sea herring (Clupea harengus) and the menhaden (Brevoortia tyrannus). They are taken for commercial purposes in every seaboard State from Maine to Florida, except Georgia, in which an alewife fishery was formerly carried on. Maryland, North Carolina, and Virginia are the leading alewife States, although important fisheries also exist in Maine, Rhode Island, Connecticut, Massachusetts, New York, and New Jersey. The fishing is prosecuted with pound nets, trap nets, weirs, seines, gill nets, fykes, and dip nets; the largest catch is with pound nets and seines. In most States special apparatus is employed, but far the larger part of the yield is obtained with apparatus set primarily for other fishes. In-1896, according to the investigations of the United States Fish Commission,* over 2,500 persons were engaged in the alewife fisheries, besides many thousand people who operated apparatus in which ale- wives constituted an important part of the catch. Over 800 people used *See Report U. S, Fish Commission 1897, pp. CXxXV—CXXX. ALEWIFE FISHERIES OF UNITED STATES IN 1896. 3D seines, 930 set gill nets, and nearly 500 fished weirs and pound nets. In the preparation of the catch by smoking and salting 154 persons wereengaged. In Maryland there were 616 alewife fishermen, and in Massachusetts 388, while in Maine, Delaware, New Jersey, and North Carolina there were more than 200. The following table exhibits in detail the distribution of the fishermen: Table showing by States the number of persons employed in the alewife fisheries of the United States in 1896. Fisheries in which engaged. Pound- a } Shores-|, States. net, < a : Total. trap- | Seine. Pe BY cg Dip: Total.*| ™en- etal net. | net. net. weir. CONN SCH CUE acs ec cease cesest wadiesaecse es lSeterereetetd | 110 By peoroce Seasaee JLB is cacts ses 113 MBIA WAT 2 seme ln, = wicts mes eeinielaistsaie | 2 126 92 PE eace a PAR Soares 218 IVAN Bitte s eee ance eeicited nn Ua sens akercters 143 LOW Meee ase 88 237 10 247 IWRC eS SS ae ee Sees peeeoe oe 114 18 | 478 Gillen ose GIG nas scae5 616 IMPRSACHUSEtLN Ss ertscs. «5 soe sees shies cr oe 5 223 | Di Ssseaae 121 342 46 388 IY dele nial Nhs Sacer ea aoqee coe AoSoee 10 ® \oescoee||Sennscd/teoseck UO |lecssasec 10 INOW SOrsey == 2-2 2.525 o22 Eek baaatmces|asoae see 193 BEG Se tetera meer 2268) ease ske 226 ING WMO ie So Saag orc hens sess SEE 4 71 Pre cteoe | mcr rte 99) cee Gee 99 INGrUENC ALONG sae neces ns es ese ones 145 10 LOMA Reo alee cas 165 60 225 TRG Ghy han he RO Bape a IEE See o Gees ae ee iss| | ey tee 8 See eee A223. 3- 5834 12 INGO RIE! Céssasssen cseaconsceosecor ee | 28 824 |loccneocinone ceo|leeescoc 60 18 78 WINFREY cng soe sb pasee a eos 7 soodecouer aes 20 | 13 rae) | asesnal Someace FESS) So necc 288 Mionbalie esas eeret-€ sas- ee te a See 47 ry 811 930 8 209 | 2, 386 134 | 2,520 * Exclusive of duplication of those in more than one fishery. The boats, apparatus, and other property which may be credited to the alewife fishery had a value of $111,000 in 1896. This sum repre- sents 1,232 boats, 542 pound nets, trap nets, and weirs, 223 seines, 1,469 gill nets, 70 fyke nets, and 215 dip nets, together with nearly $27,000 worth of shore and accessory property. As may be seen from the following table, the largest investment was in Maryland, where $26,000 were devoted to this fishery, and where more boats, traps, and gill nets were used than in any other State. Massachusetts, Maine, and North Carolina rank next to Maryland in the value of the property connected with the alewife fisheries. Table showing by States the boats, apparatus, and property employed in the alewife fisheries of the United States in 1896. { ‘Pound nets, tra : Boats. nets, and Soe | Seines. States. = i ees No. | Value.| No. | Value.| No. Length.) Value. 4 Feet. SU ONNECHICMi ten antes ane acta cia taie amines el oisialae 31 SGGoN EEE Sere se eae sc 30 | 9,987 | $2,475 LUGE ae SE eee Se a 101 | 3,290 Gy $150 34 | 7,933 1,314 WIETHI. 6S ae SSR Sseee SE Eee a ae See eee 223 | 3,495 152 | 8, 240 5 1, 932 257 skis ican heme es noe meet eae aia nin aioe 355 8, 683 172 | 10, 160 4| 1,920 256 MiassachUsplthacnatce se sesetcososesc ssaacs 88 | 2,974 1 150 45 | 17,739 3, 075 New Hampshire 12 155 12 480 2 360 50 New Jersey 2 z TE Nase 3 etocioc 57 | 30, 642 3, 025 TAS [ CEN BA od Cl pei le gb = 71 | 1,488 4 260 26 6, 630 1, 380 Jeeps aT OC OP Wi 0) A TEs is eae eae a 84 | 2,025 130 | 6,505 2 2e775 410 LG) OTANI CI EW RRB Seaa SSE Se BEOSOe Sp meme 6 | GG peers Poconccd se aesqar|eanspacdtacsscss HRHONEP RS aN ue Poon seman Ook hace ee nee 3 610 18 990 16 | 9,600 840 BRON MR Seis = Sep ts cnn seas tomes keset eel ee 151 2,189 48 1, 435 2 2, 100 225 PISS ase ee cee bee aeons 1, 232 | 28, 207 542 | 28, 370 223 | 91, 618 13, 307 36 REPORT OF COMMISSIONER OF FISH AND FISHERIES. Table showing by States the boats, apparatus, and property employed in the alewife fisheries of the United States in 1896—Continued., Gill nets. Fyke nets. | Dip nets. | Value of| Total Rietacs —« = E shore and} value of No. |Length.| Value. | No.| Value. | No.| Value. betty glia Feet. WONNECUIOUU aaamaa+awani>'a amen ass 3 125 S20 eines cl om epee eee eich ate $470 $3, 648 BLO OETO acon sees caine teeta 141 | 41,055 | 1,346 | 60 SIS) || see See Ss 1, 795 8, 075 IATA oe blab ia ene e kp ais cre's on ple eiain e |lacte ee i flato ere eels atte eee al net ee cee 94 $222 5, 369 17, 583 PRB OU LANIOL iret sta actin iin sieloiane se 860 |141,482 | 5,561 | 10 be ee ee ee 1, 215 26, 000 Massachusetts ............-..... 10} 2,250 AON | rctate | eerie ae 121 193 12, 958 19, 470 INGE aN PSHING 2 a0. .her acon hae Uuceenlemece meal me cethe o| mailed ann ce'eine| cam a)|aeteeemms 355 1, 040 INOW UeESOY = -caocere=-- 2-0 183 | 34, 470 Tame emacs wie lamas lea eaters 800 6, 773 TNO Nd gas 8 AP eee Aa aneporc 20 | 12,780 660 |.- sate atelallloeeral ws wines 300 4, 088 North Caroling...........2-.0-=. 70 | 2,100 (CES Recreate ire ase aacre 3, 350 12, 355 PEDNSVIVANIA 22. ci ces ne wes wel 6 | 5,460 PC et Sees) Eee ea tan oer eee 1, 441 Sy aete PT a A 8 Se al ae Saal baacin sos eid foe csacecl |< Sg] Isom so 1, 050 3, 490 WANOINIAie cioensnenn ea tele e taeae 7691, 808-1) SpTBa ic scescc elu arm o| sue com a 300 7, 283 (Motalovecs kGcueewacneveswe 1,469 |331, 525 | 12,680 | 70 305 /215 415 27, 962 111, 246 The alewives taken and sold in 1896 numbered nearly 148,000,000, weighing 62,000,000 pounds and valued at $459,600. The catch in the foregoing apparatus set especially for these fish was much less than in the appliances operated primarily for shad. Thus the alewife fisheries proper yielded upward of 32,900,000 fish, while in the shad fisheries there were over 108,000,000 alewives taken and in other fisheries about 6,490,000. The participation of the different States in the yield of these fish is shown in the table. Table showing by States the catch of alewives in 1896. In alewife fisheries. | In shad fisheries. States. - —— Soe i No. Pounds. Value No. Pounds. | Value. MONNSOWUOUE «cas cccccnsinc we wccande 2, 084, 406 742, 762 $9, 918 178, 392 69, 357 $580 IDBIAWARC cuichankveesdunc. «anne eens 1, 484, 850 573, 940 5, 058 622, 540 249, 016 2, 698 MILOTIOG carina ules coe cnaionisitos aia oc lwereakukoawellenemutet+ cules |moamoomerne 40, 000 16, 000 400 IMaiin@ ee veshicane ements ac ee caren 4,871,958 | 2, 674, 505 20, 196 404, 781 227, 101 2, 439 IN ESTATES 0 Me RSIS ROP reese 1, 740, 278 11, 381 | 39, 752,610 | 15, 901, 044 | 114, 489 Massachusetts 3, 970, 274 85060)... 22)¢5./2c |e ee eee ae eee NOMEN DB UIEO. onan cmc n aaa 479, 500 269, 734 BTOD \ccb.aceic ca mais | Srecieciecs a eel Ooo INGWHIerHO Ys ssa scp ease ese ccsene= 3,410,640 | 1,915, 572 8,170 | 2,200, 350 943, 727 5, 987 IB RMOL Kio. seid swonsie cee te Wook: 895, 070 358, 028 4,892 | 1,422, 000 568, 800 6, 333 Worth Carolinas. 2. éccecccscedocccs 1, 098, 200 439, 280 3,062 | 34, 791,598 | 13,916,640 | 112, 883 PENNS ULV ARI = @ 0: | net, an ; C weir. Dennys River.-.----..---- Wines seer fh [eoaose|procas| bosses 8 12 epee 12 Maohinag WINer- oo. scessecc|e aes: doe eee OT eee eerste tele sete 34 39). 39 IPENODSCOtMRLVED «=> S25 524/26. 4- AG Reeyetec ec 7310 asec Beecc eecece lest 1 (3 sera 73 Medomak River-. 22-2 2---|2-2-- Ova aes |e ee aiseeeee seem cinco 4 4 | 2 6 St. George Iain yl eer Beare Neer OOo secet es. LG Saescclessaes|eeass ii 23 | 3 26 Bemaquid River =-25s25see\2o-5 Ch seytedg ee) Paco AIABRS ON Ise reed Hiner ce 3 3 | 2 5 Damariscotta River -..--.---|..--- Gorse .-4--- = BA Bese ome eral earner 4 43 | 3 4§ iennohec RVers. -2>--6---|25-. 2 COME Sas ctee ae |B Re eee lg ee eee oleae 1 1 |e 1 Casco Baye nemo 5-2as25-h<--]5 St GOR See anoes 2 MU | aceac||soseae||Soss5= 12); 2223 12 Shores of Maine. ...-....--|--...- Ce omens Se gEeee Bec sa4 Seseee meceee 27 PA fe eee 27 Newmarket River....-.--. New Hampshire 24 beioweioel pemacn|lbacsco laocece DQ \ekowawee 2 ERO TEDEUIVOL se ceisjs nese ke | eee ae QO bee aes: 8 Ba ie sa cel| pecan tieeicto Sule tee eee 8 Merrimac: River. .---~----- Massachusetts..|.--...-. AON Secem|lsmoe a=) ses Ai a eset 46 EsnImtom DRIVEL soos cca. = -.|e = = 2 HOt ee coals cree BY | Pence allsascacloeeses 87 22 109 Ponds, small rivers, and |..... OO ete eee: 5 87 | ilsectaee 121 206 pat | 230 creeks. Ponds and small rivers.-.--| Rhode Island --. 28 S2 ease Se aceon |eeceae 60 18 | 78 Connecticut River .....--- Connecticut .-...|.-..---- 110 Ba serwtatal oie eta LAB earesenoene 113 Shores of Long Island ..- | New York...--- 4 BB) enn onl ccomenliooneme 36) |[Pergasen 36 Hed SOLE REVAL 2 2.5 2m ashe =25 2 WO ees cee ee oe Sul) eOulscce asl sees ASSGE aeae 63 Shores of New Jersey..--. New Jersey.-...|°-..---.| 193 GH Gide ed ae | ees 226) eres 226 Delaware River.....---... ParandDeliee sacl eemesterr 8 BAG ane natee oe QOS ae 92 Delaware Bay. .--..--------- IDSlaWanelaas sey see dp era ee Re ease 18% | Slee 18 dsvdianyRiver--2.2-2--s25~4|case Ob scaces oc Pail e234, 7 2 |..---- L20r Se eseee 120 Chesapeake Bay and tribu- taries: Bay(SHOLES oc cose — «>> =0m- Marylana....... PP eeeose Pl Neaaeelleccaar S090| eee 309 Susquehanna River.....|....- GO eeactencleccodere 10 10" || Secsue looses DO sseeeser 20 AG SRV OR sits nly eae ss = 55) = 1 ote : 18, 000 7, 200 134 WanticokelRiver..2<...440ceen aseceseceens o- eran 112, 600 45, 040 474 NVACOMIGOMRIVED occc cbse cee aces ei dasinn Lf 40, 140 16, 056 182 POCOMOKCURLVOL-a-.525-see cet non ee sae aame 7, 180 2, 872 62 LEON TD alta 2c hs) ae ee A aS Oe Sa 60, 500 24, 200 159 IPOtOMAC RIVER sd.22 22 22 che Ua Sebo e eeeaese Ma. and Va...--. 2, 713, 000 1, 085, 200 4, 989 Rappahannock River .............-.------- Virginia ......-- 33, 000 13, 200 143 York River and tributaries...........----.-|--..- G0. 22 eeceas 236, 690 94, 676 1, 534 James River and tributaries.........-..-.-.|.---- DOnwacecense 217, 380 86, 952 1, 036 SHERRI) ISG oooccocoacdoossoeaces 9000s Maryland......-. 1, 221, 000 488, 400 2, 226 Total Cees Bae pe ea gga er SL eG s hse aoe 7, 257, 766 2, 908, 106 18, 570 Albemarle Sound and tributaries.......-.--- North Carolina. 1, 090, 000 436, 000 2,994 Neuse River and tributaries.........-.------|----- Ow elaaenstoe 8, 200 3, 280 68 GrandktotalesSss ssaeee seniees = eaidc Se ee clo emaeeae ese cen ee 32, 960, 999 15, 480, 069 131, 609 COMPARATIVE STATISTICS OF THE CATCH. In the following table the quantity and value of the alewlfe catch are exhibited for three seasons separated by intervals of eight years. Some of the States show a larger yield in 1896 than in either 1888 or 1880, and the total output in 1896 is considerably in excess of that for the previous years. In the New England and Middle Atlantic States the inerease since 1880 was constant and marked, but in the South Atlantic region there was a smaller catch in 1896 than in the earlier years. Especially noteworthy changes were the increase in Maryland from ALEWIFE FISHERIES OF UNITED STATES IN 1896. 43 9,000,000 pounds in 1880 to over 17,600,000 pounds in 1896, and in Vir. ginia from 6,900,000 pounds in 1880 to 12,197,000 pounds in 1896, and the decrease in North Carolina from 15,500,000 pounds in 1880 and 20,000,000 pounds in 1888 to 14,355,000 pounds in 1896. Notwithstanding a general increase in 1896 amounting to 16,382,000 pounds over 1880 and 5,908,000 pounds over 1888, the value of catch was less than in either of the earlier years. The average price of ale- wives per pound in 1896 was 0.7 cent, while in 1888 it was nearly 0.9 cent and in 1880 1.1 cents. Comparative statement of the catch of alewives in 1880, 1888, and 1896. 1880. 1888. | 1896. States. = eae Pounds. Value. Pounds. Value. Pounds. Value. New England: Minion te Some ies 1,804,202 | $35,823 | 3,079,994 | $30,103} 3,388,326 | 25,336 Neweblampshire-.----2+-s----- 425, 000 8, 500 146, 750 3, 080 293, 671 3, 045 Massachusetts .......-..------- 3, 751, 059 35, 802 | 6, 291, 937 83, 530 | 5,356, 489 45, 124 Ode plslan dee seen ccc csi 2, 978, 000 14, 460 1, 739, 300 21, 165 2, 076, 960 27, 884 Gonnceoticut ) 225-23: cascoc- ee === 770, 000 8, 700 125, 200 1,253 | 1,001,188 12, 031 Mota liseace nace adem secieewesee 9, 728, 261 | 103,285 | 11,383,181 | 189,181 | 12, 116, 634 113, 420 Middle Atlantic: 4 ea ING WM OL BS Meenas ce cefecise ed cain 250, 000 3, 750 223, 000 2,670 | 1,011, 416 12, 603 INewzdlerseygnenece senso eeeeae 1, 200, 000 17,335 | 2,717,520 26,924 | 3,228, 074 15, 565 JeGminsy AVA eee boonoeae on scoo|bpasa soSooo)ocsseseccs 811, 657 8, 365 638, 500 4,372 WM Glawareces sic ccc Doauisenisie ne 2, 396, 700 30, 475 941, 986 10, 925 822, 956 7, 756 WihiaybyeG lee oeeaosocamepsesnoce 9, 128, 959 139, 667 | 12, 835, 524 110, 291 | 17, 667, 315 126, 050 WAR SINL Asse ce ecmacse ate wacen 6, 925, 413 76,300 | 6,757, 105 40, 369 | 12, 197, 607 63, 024 TNA scons Se oe ey ee 19, 901,072 | 267,527 | 24,286,792 | 199, 544 | 35,565,868 | 229, 370 South Atlantic: North Carolina.......... HORE 15, 520, 000 142, 784 | 20, 463, 340 161, 673 | 14, 355, 920 115, 945 HoOduh Carolinaesc. sn : | ait a =. ‘009 ‘ _ ttre : 7 a . : . a LPMINMND HA 2 UT Re eee INTRODUCTION. WASHINGTON, D.C., June 29, 1898. On May 6, 1897, the United States Fish Commission received a com- munication from Hon. Adolph Meyer, M. C., inclosing the following concurrent resolution of the legislature of Louisiana: Be it resolved by the house of representatives of the State of Louisiana, and the senate concurring, That the United States Fish Commission be requested to investigate in the oyster-spawning season and report to this general assembly before its next session the exact season of the oyster spawning in this State and all other facts respecting the same, and whether or not the present existing laws are not injurious to the oyster industry of this State. S. P. HENRY, Speaker of the House of Representatives. R. H. SNYDER, Tieutenant-Governor and President of the Senate. Murpuy J. Foster, Governor of the State of Louisiana. JOHN T. MICHEL, Secretary of State. Pursuant to this request, and in view of the importance of the Louisi- ana oyster industry, it was decided to undertake an investigation of the subject, and Dr. H. F. Moore, of this Commission, was directed to visit Louisiana in August and September, 1897, for the purpose of making some preliminary inquiries, and the steamer Fish Hawk, Lieut. Franklin Swift, U.S. N., commanding, was dispatched to the State in February, 1898, to conduct a more extensive examination of certain oyster-grounds. The accompanying report, based on the investigations thus made, has been prepared by Dr. Moore, who accompanied the ves- sel and was charged with the consideration of the biological aspects of the work. It was the intention of Lieutenant Swift to write the report on the reconnaissance made by the Fish Hawk, but before he could do so he was detached from the Commission and assigned to naval duty. GEORGE M. BOWERS, U. S. Commissioner of Fish and Fisheries. 47 meee ‘ sO in’ “52 ey ‘ - ' ’ ' _ ), O72 WeT ra? - ' REPORT ON THE OYSTER-BEDS OF LOUISIANA, By H. F. Moors, Assistant, United States Fish Commission. Within recent years several investigations of Gulf coast oyster- grounds have been made by the United States Fish Commission, but none of these related to the waters of Louisiana. Upon the receipt of the request from the general assembly for information concerning the oyster-beds of that State, the writer was ordered to Louisiana for the purpose of determining certain facts relating to the question of close seasons, and to make an examination preliminary to a more careful and extended investigation by the steamer Fish Hawk later in the season. A period of about fifteen days in August and September was spent in the oyster regions of St. Bernard, Plaquemines, and Terrebonne parishes, and as a result it was decided to confine the contemplated survey to the St. Bernard region as offering better facilities for the character of work which it was desired to undertake. The Fish Hawk was not avail- able until February 1, from which time until February 24, when she left in order to begin her regular work of shad-hatching, the field work was prosecuted vigorously aud continuously, except when interrupted by stormy weather. Owing to the shallowness of the water the Fish Hawk could not be used for active duty in the survey, and she was therefore anchored as close as possible to the oyster-beds and used as a base of operation for the launches, at first off the northern entrance to Grand Pass, and afterwards, during the greater part of the work, off the mouth of Three-mile Bayou. The work was often performed at a distance from the ship, and much time was unavoidably lost in running to and from the scene of the day’s operations. Should a complete oyster survey of the region be attempted in the future, it could be much facilitated by employing several light-draft vessels, which could be worked into the marshes and used as quarters for the field parties on the launches. It was originally intended to make a thorough and complete survey of the oyster-beds of St. Bernard Parish similar to that which was made by the Fish Hawk in Apalachicola Bay, but this plan was aban- doned when it was found that the time at the disposal of the party was to be solimited. Many of the stations established by the Coast Survey have been obliterated or washed away by the storms, and it would have required more time than was available for the entire work to erect and cut in the signals necessary to a proper survey. Contrary ta F. R. 98——4 49 50 REPORT OF COMMISSIONER OF FISH AND FISHERIES. expectations, it was found that the topography in general had not undergone many important changes since the survey upon which the Coast Survey charts were based, and the several points could be iden- tified and located with sufficient accuracy to suit the purposes of a reconnaissance. The plan finally adopted was to run lines of timed soundings from point to point, so as to cover the intervening waters by series of intersecting zigzags. As the lines were rarely over 2 miles in length, the position of any given sounding could be approximately determined by its time, the time of beginning and ending the line being noted, arfd the speed of the launch being nearly uniform on each series of soundings. Most of the important beds were also located by compass bearings from charted points. The charted areas of the beds, as well as their posi- tions, are but approximate; but it is believed that the aggregate is measurably near the truth, although individual beds might prove some- what greater or less in extent than appeared from the hurried exami- nation which it was possible to make. The soundings were made by means of the sounding pole devised and used by Lieutenant Swift in the survey of Apalachicola Bay, and described in his report upon the oyster-beds of that vicinity. Owing to lack of time no effort was made to determine with exactness the number of oysters to the square yard, as is done in a regular survey, and the terms “dense,” ‘‘scatter- ing,” and “very scattering” are relative in their application to this field only. Dense and scattering beds are such as can be worked with profit by means of tongs. ‘ Very scattering” beds are shown on the chart with some ambiguity—in a few places, especially in the lagoons, denoting a growth, which it hardly pays to work, sparsely distributed over the entire bottom; in other places, as in the northern part of West Karako Bay, representing small beds more or less dense, distributed at irregu- lar intervals, and in the text described as “scattered in patches,” or in somewhat similar terms. Such beds can be worked with profit. The investigation in St. Bernard Parish was under the direction of Lieut. Franklin Swift, U. S. N., commanding the Fish Hawk. The hydrographic field work and the location of the oyster-beds was carried on by Mate J. A. Smith, U.S. N., and by Mr. Eugene Veith, of the steamer Fish Hawk. After the Fish Hawk concluded the reconnaissance in St. Bernard Parish, the writer was instructed to make an examination of the oyster- grounds of Louisiana west of that region. In pursuance of the latter purpose, he left the ship at Bay St. Louis upon its departure for the north on February 25, and proceeded to several places in Plaquemines Parish, where boats were hired, and all the principal natural beds and planting-grounds were examined. At Grand Isle, on Barataria Bay, a. lugger was secured and an examination made of all the oyster-grounds in the vicinity, after which a cRuise was made to the westward, under the guidance of men familiar with the region, as far as Morgan City, all of the oyster regions, with the exception of the upper waters of Terre- OYSTER-BEDS OF LOUISIANA. 51 bonne Bay, bemg visited en route. No attempt was made to chart or locate even approximately the individual beds examined on this brief tour, but their general character, present condition, and future pros- pects are reported upon in the following pages. The writer acknowledges his indebtedness to Col. F. C. Zacharie, Hon. E. McCullom, Hon. Adolph Meyer, and Hon. 8S. P. Henry for valuable assistance and information, and to Mr. F. F. Hansell for the use of his yacht in visiting the St. Bernard beds in August, 1897, THE NATURAL OYSTER-BEDS OF ST. BERNARD PARISH. General description of the region.—The area embraced within the limits of the reconnaissance made by the Fish Hawk, and shown upon the chart accompanying this report, does not include all of the oyster-grounds within the parish of St. Bernard. Field work was pushed into the inte- rior waters lying southwest of Indian Mound Bay and Southwest Pass, and known to the oystermen as Treasure Bayou, Mussel Bayou, Flat Bay, etc., but the lack of a chart of this region approaching even approximate correctness has made it seem inadvisable to attempt to plot the oyster-beds found there, though they are described in general terms in the text. South of Drum Bay, in which lie the southernmost of the charted beds, are extensive areas of good oysters stretching to the parish line at Mozambique Point, but these were not examined, owing to lack of time. We were informed that notwithstanding their extent and the good quality of the oysters they were not extensively worked, on account of their inaccessibility as compared with other beds ot St. Bernard Parish, and for this reason it was considered that, for the purposes of the investigation, it was not advisable to devote to their examination time which could be more profitably spent in the study of those beds which were in active use and which therefore pre- sented problems of more immediate vnportance. In this connection incidental mention may be made of the gregariousness and the general lack of enterprise of the oystermen of this district, who, in the latter part of the season, often spend upward of two weeks in loading their boats in Three-mile Bay, rather than leave their fellows and familiar ground to sail 20 or 30 miles to the southward, where they claim they could secure their fares in three or four days. The district covered by the field work extends from Mississippi Sound on the north as far as Morgan Harbor on the south, and from Chandeleur Sound to the zone where the water becomes of such slight salinity as to be fatal to oyster life. Within the limits of the reconnais- sance this zone accords approximately with the meridian passing through Lake Borgne light-house, in Mississippi Sound the oysters extending a mile or two west of that limit, while in the marshes they are all east of the line. The area covered by the reconnaissance was about 200 square miles, comprising a large part of the ‘Louisiana Marsh.” The land is low, rarely rising more than 18 inches above the level of ordinary high water, but in a few cases shell-banks have been thrown up by 52 REPORT OF COMMISSIONER OF FISH AND FISHERIES. wave-action, thus producing the maximum land elevations, in no case, perhaps, more than 3 or 4 feet above tide. During storms the entire land area may be flooded, and in the disastrous hurricane of 1893 it was covered by from 8 to 12 feet of water. The soil is a stiff mud or blue clay, covered with a sparse growth of coarse grasses and scattered tufts of Salicornia. Along the bayous there are clumps of mangrove bushes, but with the exception of several crab trees on Mudgrass Island, there is probably not in the whole dreary expanse a plant reaching a height of 10 feet, nor is there a single human habitation. The land constitutes a low-lying archipelago of irregular islands separated from one another by shallow bays, muddy lagoons, and _tor- tuous bayous, the area of the water being somewhat greater than that of the land. The bayous are of two classes, rather broad, short, deep passes, like Nine-mile Bayou, Three-mile Bayou, and Deep Pass, which serve as the main avenues of tidal flow to and from the interior bays, and long, narrow water-courses which characteristically run lengthwise of the islands, as is seen in the cases of Door Point Bayou, Dead Man Bayou, etc. The bayous of the first class have generally a depth of from 18 to 42 feet, those of the second class from 5 to 12 feet, and all are more or less obstructed by bars across their mouths. The bottoms of the bayous are almost invariably composed of soft mud. The bays, with the exception of several of those opening into Chan- deleur Sound, communicate with the outer waters by narrow mouths. Their floors are comparatively level and, with one or two exceptions, are composed principally of soft mud, with scattered patches of hard mud and sand, usually so small in area as to be negligible in plotting the soundings. The depth of water is generally from 3 to 6 feet, although in some of the bays, particularly those to the eastward, there are channels through which a considerably greater depth can be carried. The lagoons are very shallow, small-mouthed, blind bays, like Blind Pass and Grecque Bayou, with soft bottoms largely exposed as mud flats at low water. Blind Pass, Nine-mile Bayou, and False-mouth Bay.—Blind Pass marks the western extension of the oyster in the marshes on the south side of Mississippi Sound. It is a shallow lagoon communicating on the north with Mississippi Sound, on the east, by a narrow but deep cut, with Nine-mile Bayou, while to the southward a tortuous bayou establishes communication with False-mouth Bay. It consists largely of a mud-flat, exposed at low water, with oysters of rather inferior quality sparingly scattered over the bottom. Nine-mile Bayou is about 24 miles long to its main entrance into False-mouth Bay and has a width of from 100 to 300 yards. At its mouth there is a depth of about 18 feet, which rapidly shoals outwardly to 63 or 7 feet. In the bayou the depth ranges from 17 to 39 feet, the average being about 24 feet. The bottom is soft, excepting that portion lying opposite the small island at the southern end, where hard mud was found. There are no oysters in this bayou. OYSTER-BEDS OF LOUISIANA. 53 False-mouth Bay covers about 11.5 square miles. It connects with Mississippi Sound by means of Nine-mile Bayou, and to the eastward opens by a wide mouth into the passage between Raccoon and Mud- grass islands. The bottom is composed of hard mud of a somewhat clayey character, resembling that on the surrounding islands. The depth is almost uniform, in the northeastern part being from 5 to 33 feet and elsewhere from 4 to 5 feet. The density in the middle of Feb- ruary varied from 1.0048 to 1.0066 in the several parts of the bay, the temperature at the same time ranging between 16.5° C, (61.7° F.) and 19° C, (66.29 F.). The water is less saline than elsewhere in the marsh, owing to its proximity to the main sources of fresh water, the Pearl River and the discharge from Lake Pontchartrain. There are very few oysters in False-mouth Bay, and those disecvered by the reconnaissance were found fringing the three islands shown on the chart, as a scattering growth of single oysters of fine shape, round, deep, and about 6 inches long. The amoynt of young growth was small, a few oysters about 2 to 24 inches long being found attached to the old ones, to clam shells, and lying singly on the mud. A very small amount of spat was attached to the clam shells which fringe the north- east shore of the southernmost island. All of these oysters, both large and small, were extremely fat, but their flavor was insipid owing to the low salinity of the water. The oystermen state that the oysters are always fatter here than on the beds to the eastward, and that they are kept ‘‘cleaned up” by the boats which aim to carry the best oysters to the New Orleans markets. It is the custom of the oystermen to paddle around the shores when the water is clear and smooth and pick up with nippers the oysters which can be clearly seen. In December, 1897, a small bed was found in the northern part of the bay, but a number of boats went to work upon it and within a few days it was reduced toa state of practical extinction and we were unable to find any remnant of it. An examination of the bottom by means of the dredge and tangles showed it to be remarkably clean and free from débris of all kinds. A few crabs of small size, several species of lamellibranchs, and numerous worms were the only living forms found on the hard bottom. HKnemies are probably extremely rare, although it is possible that the drumfish might cause damage upon beds of planted oysters. The conch was not found at all, although it is not uncommon in the neighboring waters of Three-mile and Nine-mile bays. The boring-clam (Martesia) is com- mon, but it is less abundant than in the more saline waters, and in any case it would not prove detrimental to the oyster. It seems probable that the scarcity of oysters in False mouth Bay is due in a large part to the lack of suitable places of attachment for the spat, and if this be so there is but little doubt that productive beds might be established by planting shells, together with a sufficient number of brood oysters to furnish fry. We found here the largest area of firm bottom discovered anywhere within the limits of the recon- 54 REPORT OF COMMISSIONER OF FISH AND FISHERIES, naissance. In most other parts of the district the hard bottom is dis- tributed in small patches, lying like islands in the midst of soft mud, but in False-mouth Bay the shells and seed could be deposited almost anywhere without danger of becoming engulfed. The amount of oyster food is larger than almost anywhere else in the district, the average number of diatoms in each liter of water 1 foot above the bottom being about 22,000, The extreme fatness of the oysters is also ample evidence of the abundance of food, although, of course, the amount available for each individual would become less if planting were extensively undertaken. The chief drawback to planting lies in the low salinity, which, as before stated, detracts from the flavor of the oyster, and if not corrected during the spawning season would also militate against the production of young. Without doubt, however, there is an increase in the density during the late spring and summer, when fry abound. Material to serve as cultch or collectors for the attachment of the young oysters might be obtained from the island in the extreme southern part of the bay, where the shore is covered by a mass of clam shells more or less finely broken up. The smaller particles of shells are too small for use, as the action of the storm waves in the shoal waters of the bay would tend to carry them away; but many of the shells are entire, and these, together with the larger fragments, should make excellent culteh. Nine-mile Bay.—This body of water lies east of Pirate Point and west and northwest of Raccoon Island. It is continuous with Three- mile Bay to the eastward, and in its northwest corner it communicates with Nine-mile Bayou by a channel in which the depth varies from 10 to 21 feet. North of Nine-mile Bay and in communication with it lies South Bayou, a lagoon-like body of water, very shoal and with no oyster-beds. The depth of water in the bay is between 4 and 5 feet, and the bottom is composed principally of soft mud. The density on February 14 was about 1.0060, and the temperature at the same time was about 17° C, (62.6° F.). The oysters are obtained principally in the eastern part, between Raccoon Island and the opening to South Bayou, being gen- erally single, much scattered, and of rather good shapes. These beds, like those in Three-mile Bay, are much worked, and late in the season are composed principally of cullings. There is a small bed of scat- tered oysters just off the southeast point of Pirate Point, which appears to have been established, or at least largely sustained, by artificial means as a result of bedding oysters for “fattening” purposes, the culled young growth and shells being carefully returned to the water to serve as seed and cultch, the product of which becomes available for market in subsequent seasons. This place is claimed by oystermen to possess remarkable properties as a fattening- ground, but as the oysters are brought from the denser waters to the eastward and exhibit their improvement within 24 hours from the time of bedding it is probable that the process is one of bloating rather than of fattening. OYSTER-BEDS OF LOUISIANA. 55 small bed of oysters is found in the southeastern branch of Nine- mile Bayou, about the middle of the second reach from Nine-mile Bay, on the west side of the channel. It is from 30 to 50 yards long, and extends to about the middle of the bayou. It contains some single oysters of good shape and quality and many dead shells. Three-mile Bay.—Three-mile Bay is the most important oyster region in St. Bernard Parish, not because its beds are more extensive than those of other parts of the Louisiana Marsh, but because of its accessi- bility from New Orleans and the cities on Mississippi Sound. Nearly all of the boats enter the marsh at Three mile Bayou, whatever may be their ultimate destination, and it is to this place also that oyster- freighters resort to secure their fares from the luggers and other craft engaged in the active work of oystering. Three-mile Bay lies between Three-mile Bayou (by which it commu- nicates with Mississippi Sound) on the north and Raccoon Island on the south, its eastern and western limits being Nigger Point and Shell Point, respectively. It covers an area of about 7.3 square miles. In Three- mile Bayou the depth of water reaches a maximum of about 40 feet, the channel gradually shoaling as it enters the bay, over the greater part of which the depth ranges from 4 to 6 feet. In some places a depth of 3 feet or less is to be found, but in general such shoal spots are less common than in West Karako Bay. The average density of water during February was about 1.0065, and the temperature was about 17° C. (62.69 F.). The bottom is composed of mud of varying degrees of softness. There are a few small areas of hard bottom, but these are principally upon old oyster-reefs, and are now used by the oystermen as beds on which to deposit their catch pending the completion of their cargoes. The softest bottom is found in the southern part of the bay near Rac- coon Island, where the mud is entirely too soft to utilize for planting, but places in the center of the bay might be used, although on account of the danger of suffocation in the mud the oysters could not be planted very thickly. The amount of oyster food contained in the water is large, and, especially in the northern part of the bay near the inlet, the currents are comparatively strong. Originally, we were informed, the natural oyster-beds in this bay were dense and extensive, but as a result of the persistent ‘‘ working” to which they have been subjected during the past few years the dense, well-defined reefs have entirely disappeared, and have been replaced by a scattering growth of more general distribution. The clusters are kept broken up by the process of culling, with the result that the separated oysters show considerable improvement in shape, condition, and flavor over their original state. They are usually either single or in clusters of from two to four; they are rather elongate, moderately fat, of fair flavor, and comparatively free from extraneous growths, such as mussels and alge. On the very soft mud near Raccoon Island, in the southern part of the bay, the oysters are extremely long and in clusters overgrown with mussels. 56 REPORT OF COMMISSIONER OF FISH AND FISHERIES. Early in the season and until about January or February there is a rather large proportion of marketable oysters, but later these become caught up, leaving practically nothing except dead shells, spat, and young growth. This was essentially the condition of the beds at the time of our examination, and after the middle of February it took about three times as long to catch a barrel of oysters as it did early in the season, and in the latter part of the month most of the fleet which had been oystering there were forced to move farther into the interior. By the time the next season opens many of the young oysters which have been culled off will have reached a suitable size for market, and the providence of one year thus insures the plenitude of the next. Were it not for the moderate care with which the oysters are culled and the young ones and the dead shells returned to the beds whence they were taken, it is impossible that these beds should have so long sustained the demands made upon them. Were it the custom here, as it is in certain other parts of the State, to carry off the young for seed, the phenomenon of the annual recuperation of beds previously exhausted of their marketable stock would not be witnessed. Not all of the boats cull their catch as carefully as they should. Those which carry their oysters to New Orleans and other markets for sale as “shell stock,” from motives of self-interest exercise due care, for imperfectly cleaned and separated oysters bring a lower price than those which are well culled and free from extraneous growths of bar- nacles, mussels, and young oysters. The chief difficulty is with those boats which catch oysters for the canneries, located principally without the State, where the presence of small oysters is not objectionable. It is reported that dredges have worked in Three-mile Bay, but the conditions are such that it is probable that this practice was never extensive. West Karako Bay.—West Karako Bay embraces about 9 square miles, included between Crooked Island and the land masses embracing Johnson Bay and its connections, and between the Raccoon Islands and Shell Island. Its greatest extent is east and west. The bottom resembles that of Three-mile Bay, being composed principally of soft mud with patches of hard mud at wide intervals. The depth over most of the bay ranges from 4 to 6 feet, but there is a maximum depth of 84 feet in the channel running from Dead Man Island to the cut north of Shell Island, and there are also a number of shoal spots upon whieh the depth is less than 3 feet, these shoals usually being covered with oysters. The average density of the water is about 1.0065. The oyster-beds in this bay are more extensive than in Three-mile Bay, and there are also several well-defined reefs which can be charac- terized as dense. One of these lies south of Dead Man Island and two others lie west of Shell Island, about opposite its northern and south- ern points, respectively. The oysters on these reefs are of moderate size and in clusters of from 6 to 20. North, northeast, and east of Dead OYSTER-BEDS OF LOUISIANA. 5T Man Island, as far as the mouth of Picnic Bayon, are patches of scat- tered oysters in clusters. No attempt is made to indicate either their size or location on the chart, although they are shown in toto over the area mentioned. There are other beds of scattering growth, the limits of which are better defined, and these are plotted with some approximation to correctness. All of these oysters are of the same general character, being in clusters of from 6 to 20, rather thin-shelled and elongate, approaching in general the raccoon type, and in some parts of the bay they appear to be more or less imbedded in the mud. They are to some extent clothed with brown alga, especially in that part of the bay lying east of Dead Man Island, and many of the clus- ters bear a few mussels and barnacles. The amount of young growth is large. At the time of the examination most of these oysters were but moderately fat, and some of them were quite poor. They show many of the features exhibited by virgin beds, and their quality would doubtless be improved by more extensive working, provided that proper culling methods were practiced. West Karako Bay is resorted to by a number of boats, especially by those engaged in taking oysters for the canneries, and late in the season, after the beds of Three-mile Bay become depleted of their more desirable oysters, some of the oystermen engaged in the “shell trade” also work there. Johnson Bay and Johnson Bayou.u—Johnson Bayou is about 2 miles long, communicating at its southern end with an intricate series of bays and lagoons lying north of West Karako Bay. At the entrance from Mississippi Sound the Gepth of water is about 6 feet, but inside it deepens to 12 or 14 feet toward the west bank. The bottom is composed of very soft mud. It contains a very scattered. growth of oysters throughout its length. Johnson Bay is the easternmost and largest of the several bodies of water communicating with the bayou. It contains about 1.3 square miles. The bottom is principally soft mud, and the density was about 1.0062 during the first week in February. There is a scattering growth of good oysters all around the shores, and a few also occur in the middle, where there is also an old, exhausted reef, the crest of which is dry at low water. It is about 150 yards long and 100 yards wide, and it constitutes the most extensive area of hard bottom in the bay. It could be utilized to advantage for planting. At the time when this bay was examined there were seven schooners oystering there, the captain of one of which stated that the oysters were much scarcer than formerly and that it took him from 10 to 17 days to get a load of 120 barrels. The oysters are gathered by small boats, of which each schooner has several, which go into the small bayous and alongshore, where they pick them up in the shoal water. In the southern part of the irregular bays west of Johnson Bay there is a bed of scattered oysters on the soft mud in a depth of from 1 to 3 feet. They are generally in clusters of from 3 to 15, mostly of medium size, with a good growth of young oysters and some spat, 58 REPORT OF COMMISSIONER OF FISH AND FISHERIES. and more or less overgrown with mussels. It is stated that there is a seattering growth all over the irregular lagoons to the northward. The density on the bed examined was 1.0066. East Karako Bay, Northwest Jack Williams Bay, and Pienic Bay.— East Karako Bay lies between Shell Island and Deep Pass, the former separating it from West Karako Bay and the latter placing it in com- munication with the waters of Chandeleur Sound. It embraces about 7.4 square miles, its greatest extent being in a north-and-south direc- tion. Inthe northern half of the bay the depth varies from 24 to 4 feet, the bottom being composed principally of soft mud, often mixed with sand. Along the southern side of the island in the northern part, there is considerable hard mud and sand interspersed with soft mud, and also a few patches, more or less limited in extent, in other places. In the southern half of the bay the water averages somewhat greater in depth, being from 4 to 7 feet. A channel runs from the northern point of Shell Island toward the mouth of Deep Pass, the water reaching a maximum depth of 16 feet near the point projecting into the southern end of the bay, and there is also some deep water near the upper entrance to Deep Pass. In this part of the bay the bottom is composed of soft mud almost exclusively. The amount of oyster food is very great. In East Karako Bay there are about eight oyster reefs which are either awash or exposed on their crests at low water. On and near these crests the bottom is invariably hard, being composed of a mac- adam of sand and ground-up clam and oyster shells closely compacted, with entire shells lying upon the surface. As a rule these ridges are long and narrow in their exposed portions. Near the crests of the reefs there is usually a scattering growth of young oysters about 2 to 24 inches long, together with afew large ones, and considerable quantities of spat are attached to the dead shells, which, from the combined action of the sun and waves, are usually bright and clean and admirably suited to serve as cultch. The young-growth oysters are usually single or in small clusters, and are well-shaped and flinty-shelled. Away from the crests of the reefs the bottom becomes eradually softer, finally merging with the surrounding mud, and as the ‘bottom changes there is also seen a modification in the characters of the oysters. They occur in larger clusters, usually containing from 6 to 10 adult individuals; the shells lose their flintlike appearance and become dark brown and more or less overgrown by a dark-brown sea- weed, which appears to be especially abundant in the southern part of the bay. These oysters are invariably flat, thin-shelled, and the largest of them are usually not more than 5 inches long. Excepting a bed off the long point on the eastern side, all of the oysters in Kast Karako Bay are inferior in fatness and flavor and are rarely taken by the oyster- men. They mark the extreme condition toward which those in West Karako Bay indicate a tendency, and no doubt represent the primitive state of most of the oyster-beds of this region. If these beds were OYSTER-BEDS OF LOUISIANA. 59 worked, there would doubtless result an improvement in the quality of the oysters, due to the breaking up of the clusters and the thinning out and better distribution of the individuals. It would be distinctly advantageous if many of these oysters could be gathered as seed and planted elsewhere, under restrictions advocated in the recommenda. tions attached to this report, thus producing not only an improvement in the character of the plants, but also in ue environment of those left upon the natural beds. There are several places in the bay where the growth is quite dense, and over considerable areas there is an average of from 6 to 8 clusters of from 3 to 8 adult oysters each per square yard. Surrounding these, and more or less connecting one dense area with another, there are scattered clusters lying on the soft mud. The comparatively few oysters taken from the beds in this region are used exclusively for steaming, and the alga, which often grows in luxuriant tufts on the shells, detracts from the value of the oysters for this purpose, as it is extremely difficult to prevent its filaments from becoming mingled with the ‘“ meats.” Northwest Jack Williams Bay is a northern extension of Kast Karako Bay, and it bears the same general characteristics as are found in the northern part of the latter. Its density is about 1.0110, the depth of water is from 24 to 34 feet, and the bottom is largely composed of soft mud. Two beds of oysters were found—one in the center of the bay, where there are scattered clusters on the soft mud, and another around a Shell island in the eastern part, the latter resembling the exposed reefs described above. There is also a scattered growth along the southwest shore. Picnic Bay extends westward from the bay just described, and at the strait connecting the two is a small bed of oysters which extends for some distance into the southern part of Drum Bayou. There are also a few oysters scattered all over the bay, the mud there being very soft, with a number of dead shells imbedded beneath the surface. They are long, narrow, and sharp-edged, and grow in clusters, bearing mussels, barnacles, and tunicates. The shells frequently contain dark vesicles filled with black mud. The density in this bay was several degrees lower than in the neighboring water, being but 1.0070. The depth rarely exceeds 24 feet. Drum Bayou and Turkey Bayou.u—Drum Bayou is a long, narrow channel leading from Mississippi Sound southward to Pienie and North- west Jack Williams bays, and giving off a branch westward to Turkey Bay. The depth of water ranges from 5 to 10 feet, with about 3 feet on the bar across the mouth. The density is about 1.0105 and the bot- tom is mostly soft mud. There are some large single oysters in the channel, together with many dead shells and some young growth, and at low water occasional large clusters of raccoon oysters are exposed along the banks. The oysters in the channel are rather long and nar- row, but at the time of examination were in fair condition and of good flavor. The creek leading into Turkey Bayou possesses the same gen- 60 REPORT OF COMMISSIONER OF FISH AND FISHERIES. eral features as the main stream, but has a depth of from 1 to 3 feet. It contains oysters of fair quality, both single and in clusters of from 3 to 10, some of them being very large. In Turkey Bay, the large lagoon discharging through Turkey Bayou, the depth of water varies from 2 to 6 feet, the bottom being generally soft and muddy and the density about 1.0076. There are three areas of scattered oysters, one lying in the channel between the eastern shore and a small island, another being about a quarter of a mile from the entrance to Turkey Bayou, and the third beginning opposite the chan- nel opening to the westward and extending southward for about three- eighths of a mile. The latter bed is the largest of the three, and near the mouth of the creek there are some oysters, of good size and quality. This creek also contains a scattered growth of oysters, which becomes dense in the branch running to the northward, where the oysters are large and fine. Grand Pass, Bayou Grecque, and Shrimp Bay.—Grand Pass (Oyster Bay) has an area of about 1.8 square miles. It opens on the north into Mississippi Sound and on the southeast toward Chandeleur Sound. The depth is generally between 25 and 5 feet, but deeper water occurs on the west side of the small island in the northern part of the bay, where soundings of from 12 to 16 feet were found. Excepting in the vicinity of the oyster-reefs and in places along the shore, the bottom is composed of deep soft mud. The density during the first week in February averaged about 1.0100 and the temperature was about 10.5° ©. (50.9° F.). There are eight oyster-reefs in the eastern part of this bay, several of them being partially exposed at low water. ) Miners him un en a ene Coe as Ubi a) ye eo +7 aon re shoe Wa ® ah 4 th ‘ : . . . | ' | : | . i | | . : oy ce ' f sy > : Report U.S.FC a — APPROXIMATE LOCATION of the o~. | OYSTER BEDS i 5 i OF ST.BERNARD PARISH ; erie es LOUISIANA. f i = eae ee | | Lieut. Franklin Swift U.S.N,, Cominanding. Feb, 1898. | | at Scale SSS... eee 10 y ty i } Noto. Tre Sourutings are shown in black unit give Pept in feet. / 2 — ay) a > SmeeN Srexy, a Pa ee Densities are shown. tm blue fi | Dense yrowehs of vyste awn. cas PRB | = Rota) Ook oe Wioked in get, 32. ASR ee ; ne Li >< A —— Hi a eRe aA ae % 8 * i “s i / g n | = ak % : »/ > * / > i / Ss | wa THE SHAD FISHERIES ATLANTIC COAST OF THE UNITED STATES. CHARLES H. STEVENSON. SYNOPSIS. Page. Introduction............. SB aiate(auinatalataaleiacsressaas 103 Migrations of shad .....-...---..------------ 106 Range of shad in the rivers......---.-.------ 110 Extent of the fisheries in 1896) 232 ccesse ease: 114 Comparisons with previous years.-----.----- 123 The shad fisheries of Florida ........-------- 127 PU OUNBPNVOLeceon cents ae ecm es nok eaten 128 Shed brReyss] Jey Moiese boc sapcosheasas OasOoncAee 132 The shad fisheries of Georgia......-..------- 133 SH Minis Goo bo en SeRED ocr aaseee Saree aes 134 PAN TAMAN ABRAV OR es cucu cise walsicinc 167 Pamlicos Lar Trivers. 2e.c< cscs c.cosesmcerns 168 Croatan and Roanoke sounds ......-------- 169 FATHOMAPIC SOHN . nrc ccccocce scnsccine suc 170 GAMO OCTIVOPO Aa. cic sicjcclesie oralncolam cine '2'c 173 HO WanPRIVOL sone ameces ccc sccee ce cctsebcse 175 The shad fisheries of Virginia ...-........... 176 Chesapeake Bay in Virginia ...........---- 178 WED DPOB ie Sage scOnarr pau see OE CBS aomeets 180 MPAINIGS EAVEI 22a oo Aces sais caiee cas cma see 181 a. Chickahominy River.-- => -<-cse.cn-=- 184 DeeAnpomlattox Riven. s.s5esss2.seseee5- 185 BY OF KA GLV Ole oo ns abana ae aacie tie e sivas nia mee 185 a. Pamunkey AUER OT era aces eos ee tne ae 187 be Mattaponl Riveronscs-stesee. 2 -ene see 188 Rappahannock River :.-..-..--.-<-.->----- 189 The shad fisheries of Maryland........-.---- 192 Chesapeake Bay in Maryland ...........--- 194 IPOLOMIACuRIVer teen cike sadcnae ea cee mene: Patuxent River Susquehanna River)... 2.5---.---i.c0-5---0 204 IROCOMOKENnIVEMt acces cccesbeepeeneomee 206 Wal COMMIGOMIVCL Hos lece ewes cacacescceeSec 208 Nanticoke GnVer sacl chasccchaccscbersncees 209 a. Marshyhope Creek.....--..-.-.------- 211 JOSIE SPATS Bee ie cnee emeinoornanbereseioc sort a. ‘Vransquaking River ...--..----------- 212 DesBIaclk-water RiVOLl scscess cer msioskineesias 212 102 Page. The shad fisheries of Maryland—Continued. Choptank River! -...2 3--52-seenseeseeeeeeee 2 ad Luckahoe Creeks <-.-2--s0-cee eae The shad fisheries of Pennsylvania E Nusquehanna River. <2). 22 --o52--5---= zi Delaware River: o2--- fos--26e2- sees eee eee The shad fisheries of New Jersey.----------- Delaware Bay and River...-~.....---.--+.- 230 a. Cohansey Creeks. 2.200.205 scee somenee 239 b; Salem River <2. 5s os=ee 257 Housatonic River... -- ss. .2s6. cess eee 257 The shad fisheries of Rhode Island -...-.-..-.-. 258 Ocean shore of Rhode Island ...---.---.---- 259 Narragansett Bay and tributaries. --..---.-. 259 The shad fisheries of Massachusetts --.----- 260 Taombono iver: asso csee soho eens een eee 60 Buzzards Bay and Vineyard Sound ...----. 261 Cape Cod and Massachusetts bays..--.---- 261 Merrimac (RIVGL a2 522--000 sees ceeee ee eee 262 The shad fisheries of Maine.-..--..---------- 263 SacoRiverioss-ssses0 2 s- so ccine-ewoeeeeeeeee 264 Casco Baye -ceo. 5252 ose secu ssscemceeeeeeee 264 Kennebec River and tributaries. ...--..----- 265 a. Androscoggin River ......----------=- 267 bs Mastern Rivers.-.- aes oes =o 5, 998, 143 |696, 147 1, 703, 099 |309, 156 eee 942 |245, 869 |3, 139, 830 | 361, 632 Fyke nets. Bow nets. Miscellaneous. Total. State. SS No. | Value. No. Value.| No. | Value. No. Value. OTIC Aiea siciadiccmaacle ore wes e|s aatcle me a|cetseis ec ponies eres (Sms oetas omeiitoee Weiner 460, 214 $62, 589 [SEDI S ne Sasgeecooedc secs Soneissod!ssnqce.4- 2,265 | $1,125 50 $18 1438, 974 49, 289 DOMtMCArOliNh socsce ose wee |kanneeee laamone ne 24,816 | 6,089 714 220 146, 627 33, 436 NOL CALOHUD merece necee selloecaeecelaceeeees 55, 710 | 12,284 | 2,000 380 | 2,096, 804 417, 243 VALHINIR SS cho = ms acem aces eved|n sno ams|'aae see) oceese ee teleeceeese 3, 463 277 | 3, 203, 503 307, 055 Maryland) ctoes2-+ seceee es 13, 832 | $1, 361 27,612 | 3,940) 2,003 259 | 1,541, 050 166, 551 MOWAT Oye eee cai obec tinsel siesta Stel Menethsecee 2, 300 AAD oes ees) Sere 468, 344 69, 260 Penns ylvanis.-5 0.5 cecs=/>) seem ciee|2s le terion =o 226 o5 Sat saeces|-cince aes Ooo meee en elme sce |- a6 acces 1, 735 9, 935 SEIZE AT 8 67) See eee ee Eee (ae eres ee ee a ea 3 $7 | 1,718 8, 020 Gampahcoriniver= feet tera ns ate eh ite oe ce| eat Sele cn oc ae Coe eee eelsce sac lave acsee 50 740 PARNER UOS VOD ses ees eine cet ete noa moma le oc once 6 110) BAeees Sees eae ae 1, 088 GES) Paya Shs) eee Ais ot te ae ee ee) 83 asl hae oe na ere 350 5, 740 @ooperiRiver :..--- ser es sa. See cee asa See Sellsnceseed 24 etal SAE pee 100 298 PANLCOCRLVED v2 coe a tae eee eee Sak |bace del occeden 55 T1130) peed Bee eee 20 510 Winyah Bay and tributaries-...-...---|.-----|-------- 279 703 80 | 2,178 | 2,125 31, 619 CapesHearwivers.ct. J. cee. acece set eeel eens cslecess cee 184 ABD s< |e SAD TOM eee elecs ence 249, 021 31, 736 CBS rei aiets liotete sn Sarat | Siseversvete at Se naar Se eesia eceerpae tine diB tpl 104, 761 SS MEE AIEEE 5 eae EE See 5, 400 540 | 2,778,803 | 300,598 ar a nal Gye iste 2, 300 Aa Dee et ser nalteratsste ete 134, 838 21, 147 1, 500 STD WE aac saab tretteto-aiall eee leis Sram 16, 240 3, 518 57, 308 SP S88 eta onitse ecto eee) wie iote wiele |letereieitar eco 216, 425 30, 941 800 128) hed seaer IC Ocpona maar ane 5| bonnasob 588, 898 83, 237 | ES ees MAES SE ASE EArt AR eee checcerse 4, 755 1, 092 Be era ese cone laine sal eee ato eaiec sates [Soeere ee 9, 427 2, 399 RANE ek eg ease he RE ree (ne cme aise oes 51, 690 9, 508 ROCCE CO Pere era enn oocaa tect soc 482 115 13, 202 3, 324 3 BN an obe Ne Cee I mcaHniSe) EAPC AAne Genes ot besedcte 1, 051 287 SUSE | CO CE Ard bee beac com aase 1, 060 | 306 15, 836 4, 237 RABE RO UeR Ane GobAC Ane Sernseed Gonscaes seams 3, 385 834 Re neta are tetera a alone or ete vtec tears | le ataraiste mie! amici’ arcinla 33, 082 1, 468 Bop peges Bans Shs) lneccosod Bedacceb boose nop pangoess 64, 490 3, 580 ape ee |. tee SEU eh See oakae| Saseete da loaaeceme 290, 122 26, 257 Pe Ee tate a nt oe cae Seale eae co [Beene ae 12, 126 941 73,440 | 10,748 |123, 803 | 25,776 | 15,172 | 2,115 18, 053, 429 1, 651, 443 It has been customary heretofore to report the yield of shad in pounds, but various causes have combined to render it advisable to report the yield according to the number. fice of custom will not involve any loss of clearness. these fish ranges from 1 to 10 pounds, averaging about 3? pounds. For convenience of those who prefer reckoning shad according to their weight, the following summary is presented, showing, by States and by sexes, the number and weight of the shad yield in 1896, It is hoped that this sacri- The weight of 122 REPORT OF COMMISSIONER OF FISH AND FISHERIES. Statement of the number, weight, and value of roe and buck shad caught on the Atlantic coast of the United States in 1896. Roe. Buck. Total. States. = No. Pounds. | Value. No. Pounds. | Value. No. Pounds. | Value. WLOTIGH =< 5 ars as 171, 752 677, 954) $26,417) 288, 462 620, 651/$36, 172 460, 214| 1, 298,605) $62, 589 Georgia .-...... 62, 604 294, 641 23, 953 81, 370 241, 986] 25, 336 143, 974 536, 627 49, 289 South Carolina. 70,376) 405,471) 19,160) 76,251) 266,042) 14,276] 146,627) 671,513) 33,436 North Carolina.| 942, 843 - 804, 508} 246, 676/1, 153, 961! 4, 038, 200/170, 567) 2, 096, 804) 8, 842,708) 417, 243 Virginia -..--.-. 1,574, 274 6, 700, 890) 198, 758/1, 629, 229) 4, 469, 629/108, 297) 3, 203, 503/11, 170,519) 307. 055 Maryland -.---- 717, 523| 3, 295, 102} 101,831) 823,527) 2, 246, 397) 64,720) 1,541,050) 5,541,499) 166, 551 Delaware ..--.-. 282, 598 # 442,318} 51,194) 185,746) 550,976) 18,066) 488,344) 1,993,294) 69, 260 Penasylvania..| 372, 199! il 839,602} 57,019) 249,040) 661,541) 22,426) 621,239) 2,501,143) 79, 445 New Jersey. - - -/2, 132, 031) 110,281,510) 268, 454/1, 206, 449) 3, 628, 316] 71, 602) 3, 338, 480/13, 909, 826] 340, 056 New York ..... 324, 713) 1,563, 783} 55,354) 218,101) 686,763) 19,479} 542,814) 2,200,546] 74, 833 Connecticut. - -. 33, 495, 150, 811 8, 623) 36,793} 110,379) 5,459 70, 288; 261,190} 14, 082 Rhode Island -. 7, 921 35, 646) 2,477 5, 611) 17,115) 1,113 13, 532| 52, 761 3, 590 Massachusetts .| 19, 035) 64, 718 1,988) 20, 787 49,434) 1, 248 39, 822) 114, 152 3, 236 Maine...-...-.- 172,920 820,140) 19,448) 193,818 584,337) 11,330) 366,738 1,404,477| 30,778 ——— Total..--. 6, 884, 284 32, 377, 094 1, 081, 352 6, 169, 145 18, 121, 766/570, 09113, 053, 429 60, 498, 860 1, 651, 443 | The values set forth in the aforegoing table fail in doing justice to the importance of this fishery, those figures representing merely the net price which the fishermen received, this amount being greatly increased by the time they reached the consumer. Thus the value of the 456,281 shad taken on the St. Johns River in Florida is reported at $61,924, an average of $13.57 per 100 fish. The cost of packing and expressage to New York City, for instance, approximates $10 per 100. Then comes the expenses and profit of the wholesale dealer or commission merchant and that of the retailer, which may approximate $5 and $12, respec- tively, per 100. This makes the cost of the fish to the consumer about $40.57 per 100. Estimated at this rate, the yield on the St. Johns in 1896 was worth $185,113, instead of the reported value, $61,924. The average value to the fishermen for the entire yield of the Atlantic coast was $12.64 per 100 fish, while the consumers probably paid $25 per 100. Assuming this basis as correct, the consumers paid $3,263,357 for the 13,053,429 shad caught in 1896. The prices in 1896 were unusually small, and this limited the total catch considerably. During April and May the markets were glutted, and prices fell so low that many fishermen ceased operations. The following table shows the wholesale prices of shad prevailing in New York and ee on Friday of each week during the first six months of 1896: New York. Philadelphia. New York. | Philadelphia. Week ending— | Week ending— jae - Roe. | Baek. Roe. | Buck. Roe. | Buck. | Roe. | Buck. wal. Woo sseas- $1.10 | $0.50 | $1.00 | $0.50 || Apr. 3.......-.. $0.28 | $0.15 | $0.25 $0. 14 MOS ioecte pee 1. 00 40 1.00 . 50 BAS seoSee 23 11 25 13 RR sa seta 90 50 1.00 - 45 iNfGus an A aae 25 15 15 07 Ce eee 75 37 88 47 2 ee Ase ee 28 13 18 08 a aoc ae . 88 . 30 - 95 00 )| |) Mieiyaee eee ais = - 20 oli .16 . 08 SSL gidie elec oe AU 23 75 -32 DEAR SEE . 23 aatil . 20 -10 1A fate 75 30 80 35 Oe ee = 23 11 14 07 als Seeasae 80 | 43 75 38 Pio a BOSE 20 09 18 09 Borealis 2 . 80 - 38 - 90 - 42 2oeeee ein sie2 . 25 sill . 20 -10 Mar ag a2 eee aa 45 .23 -70 23) || CUMeM beeen. =~. . 22 - 10 20 -10 eis ween 50 23 40 . 20 iP jon oo ae 25 12 25 12 PU 8 Rares 25 14 - 40 . 20 Wk | 5a45aa5 22 LOM Cees a eee Pa = ae eV 35 17 35 .18 | Oho SaSee 20 UL) BARS: racic. SHAD FISHERIES OF THE ATLANTIC COAST. 123 COMPARISON WITH PREVIOUS YEARS. In considering the comparative abundance of shad it is not safe to be guided by the results of the fisheries in a single locality or even in an individual river basin. The catch in each locality fluctuates under local conditions, and it is only by comparing the returns for a large area of the coast that it can be determined whether there has been an actual increase or decrease. The season of 1880 is the earliest one for which we have accurate or even fairly reliable data relative to the yield of shad along the entire Atlantic coast or even a considerable portion of that coast. The adverse agencies tending to deplete the species had then reduced the yield to a very low point and the effect of artificial propagation had not become generally apparent. During that year the total yield of shad on the Atlantic coast approximated 5,162,315 in number, worth $995,465, The use of improved apparatus of capture and the more vigorous prose- cution of the fisheries has resulted in a considerable increase in the aggregate yield since that season. The yield in 1888 was reported at 10,181,605, for which the fishermen received $1,665,176; in 1892 it was 11,094,565, valued at $1,879,688, and in 1896 it numbered 13,053,429, worth $1,651,443 at first hands. While the yield in 1896 was by far the largest of any of the four years above noted, yet that season was scarcely representative of the last three or four years. Not only were shad less abundant than usual, but the prices were so low that many fisheries were abandoned before the Season was at anend. However, in the rivers of Florida and Georgia, in Delaware River, and Connecticut River the catch in 1896 was the largest for many years. From Savannah River to the Chesapeake Bay, inclusive, the yield in 1895 and in 1897 was far in excess of that in 1896. The following summary shows by States the yield of shad in 1880, 1888, and 1896. The returns for 1880 and 1888 were published in pounds, and in reducing them to number the average weight has been assumed to be 34 pounds each. 1880. 1888. 1896, State. ; 7 Number. Value. Number. Value. Number. Value. | WL OMIGS 1522.3 < eta = chee oo ces 71, 914 $20, 136 413, 714 $89, 630 460, 214 $62, 589 (BLOG 7 tae ae DR eas 72, 000 17, 941 75, 200 | 19, 000 143, 974 49, 289 South Carolina .3-2:52.t.252 | 59, 314 12, 482 123, 657 27, 050 146, 627 33, 436 North Carolina ..... BITS Se 920, 360 329, 569 1, 608, 774 292, 409 2, 096, 804 417, 243 Warbinnia sot a 2s 5 228 Ske 906, 272 134, 496 2, 316, 235 376, 944 3, 203, 503 307, 055 Marvlindeassscc-2--> esse 1, 074, 121 140, 326 1, 598, 781 | 218, 230 1, 541, 050 166, 551 Delaware se solk antec = oe ee! | 300, 000 52, 500 396, 919 | 51, 999 468, 344 69, 260 Pennsylvania...........--.. | 159. 885 27, 980 396, 340 | 76, 942 621, 239 79, 445 New Jerseyee: 2 2-5 e255..! 214, 285 35, 000 1, 863, 842 | 307, 411 3, 338, 480 340, 056 NOW MOT Kies ae at eee eee oe | 781, 028 136, 680 984, 468 | 150, 882 542, 814 74, 833 Connéctieut J25-4 2 eee eee | 376, 581 65, 902 104, 553 | 23, 786 70, 288 14, 082 INnOde sland! uc eee ees 13, 743 2, 405 4,971 | 1, 213 13, 532 3, 590 Massachusetts.........-.. = 47, 007 8, 226 51, 316 5, 312, 39, 822 3, 236 Las) Se ee 165, 805 11, 876 242, 835 | 24, 368 366, 738 30,778 PR OtaIG oe a5 5 ete ee 5, 162, 315 | 995,465 | 10,181,605 | 1,665,176 | 13, 053, 429 1, 651, 443 124 REPORT OF COMMISSIONER OF FISH AND FISHERIES. It appears that since 1880 there has been an increase in the yield in every State south of New York, and from that point northward there has been a decrease in each State except Maine. The greatest increase has occurred in New Jersey, the yield of shad in that State in 1880 numbering 214,285, which was increased in 1888 to 1,863,842, and in 1896 to 3,338,480. Virginia ranks next with an increase from 996,272 in 1880, to 2,096,804 in 1896. The largest decrease has occurred in Con- necticut, where the catch in 1880 numbered 376,581, and in 1896 only 70,288. The yield for the entire coast shows an increase of 97 per cent in the eight years from 1880 to 1888, and from 1888 to 1896 the increase was 28 per cent. The value of the shad, however, does not show so great an increase. Indeed, comparing the returns for 1888 with those of 1896, we find that while the total number of shad increased 2,871,824, the value decreased $13,733. The average price received by the fishermen for shad in 1880 was $19.28 per hundred; in 1888, $16.35, and in 1896, $12.65 per hundred. In considering the recent yield of shad with that prior to 1880, few data exist on which to base satisfactory conclusions. Itis well to guard against placing too great confidence in estimates as to the early abun- dance of these fish. In the report of the Maine Fish Commission for 1867, the yield of shad on the Penobscot during the preceding season was estimated at 2,500,000 in number, but a careful survey of the fisheries of that river during the following season, made by the same commissioners, showed that the number of shad caught approximated only 5,000. If this correction had not been made, the former number would doubtless have prevailed as the basis for comparisons of the former and present abundance of shad in Penobscot River. In the Gazetteer of Virginia, published in 1835, is an account of the fishery resources of Potomac River, which includes the remarkable statement that in a good season of six weeks the catch of shad on that river numbered 22,500,000, while the alewives caught annually reached the remarkable number of 750,000,000. And this estimate has been used by many writers as a basis for lengthy discussions of the decrease of shad in the Potomac. True, there are numerous records, kept with great accuracy, showing the yield of shad at individual fisheries, and even for entire river basins, for periods of 20,40, and even 60 or more years prior to 1880, but they can not be taken as a basis for determining the abundance or comparative yield of this species all along the coast. Great changes have occurred in manner of prosecuting the fisheries and even in the fishing-grounds during the past half century. Formerly the great bulk of shad were caught by means of seines, while at present the large catches made by drift nets, stake nets, pound nets, ete., leave a comparatively small number to be caught in the original form of apparatus. Also the large inerease in the amount of apparatus employed results in a much smaller average catch for each individual apparatus. If only 20 seines or pound SHAD FISHERIES OF THE ATLANTIC COAST. 125 nets are used in a certain water-course, it is to be expected that the aver- age catch per net will be greater than if that number be increased to 100. And while probably in many of the water areas along the coast the average catch of shad per net is less at present than formerly, yet it is equally probable that the present aggregate yield of shad is much greater than ever before. An account of the comparative abundance of shad in each water area will be found in the latter half of this report, containing a discussion of the fisheries of each separate locality. We must not overlook the great length of water-courses formerly abounding in shad from which these fish are now excluded by means of dams and other obstructions. But to offset this there has been a great -extension of the fisheries into water areas in which no shad whatever were caught half a century ago. Formerly the great bulk of the yield was obtained from the middle and upper sections of the rivers, while at present nearly all the catch is obtained in the lower section and in the salt water of the estuaries. The extension of the fisheries into the estuaries is of recent origin, dating only from the middle of the present century, and their development has been principally during the past twenty years. It requires large and costly apparatus to prosecute the fisheries there, and forms suitable have come into use only quite recently. With the exception of drift nets in Delaware Bay, New York Bay, and one or two less important places, and the mackerel purse seines, which take a few shad on the New England coast, pound nets and stake nets are the only forms of apparatus employed in catching shad in salt water. . Over 90 per cent of the shad caught in salt water of the Chesapeake region are taken in pound nets, yet the use of that apparatus there dates only from 1865, and not until 1875 were they extensively employed. Stake nets and pound nets, which catch practically all the shad taken in the salt water of North Carolina, have been used in that region only since 1865. It thus appears that, while the up-river fisheries are decreasing, a very large area is being added to the fishing-grounds. At present nearly half of the total shad yield on the Atlantic sea- board is obtained in salt water, and those fisheries are becoming more extensive each year. The following summary shows, approximately and in comparative form for each water area, the number and value of the shad caught in 1896 and the number and percentage of those taken in salt water. The line of demarcation between the salt and fresh water of the estu- aries being indefinite and variable, this table is only approximately correct for certain regions, but the percentage of error is too small to materially affect the general result. 126 REPORT OF COMMISSIONER OF FISH AND FISHERIES. Lable showing the number and value of shad taken in 1896, and the number and percentage of those taken in salt water. Total yield. Yield in salt water. Water areas. Number. Value. Number. | Per cent. Sis GhiS IRIVOM = secs ss 0c occccke cases cece scemeabeuasucte 456, 281 $61 024 ce cae ces ae eee eee Sih SIL BG) es pepe oeon ae pe seo SSsee as wpe des er aaI Toc 10, 193 1 BY fo Peas stosseel easctincc.s: PS ree ah ei ee 2 ae oe OP oe ee sok Gre oo sas eir tg a54 1, 500 7 EA Re ace oc See. oaacrr JMG ETE 96) Nee aero sommes ceric Qo se cena cudee ae 29, 377 10;096) | sciccto2c cbs co|soenenteeee (Seccheorh Velen - va atetees boee ean ae eaaee ee eee ena 55, 425 aL Roa eso eect 356 35c0% STEAD EAN ay Lib GY ES SARS CA eee aS emo eraser 54, 406 19; 236 eoc% sip oe 225) See eeeeeee CGombahes River cs... 2c cs-os- eens c=sewmes nue gasses 8, 090 G22 Bex SSL Eee eee Bees JN TG) oO) S105 Ssoagoe 5995 oSsbo> oes seSs eae Sosaceg ser 6, 880 1 B81) eeremcmecess| Meace eee JASN Sire Lie ee = RS ACR SR S545 6 LAB sec nat 28, 273 5843 iliodes-scsse (ote aes 00 Derk Once sete crea artes =a ane = ee se ener om 396 126 cet weut uses |soeee eee HIMGOIR RYO Woe anes te ice meno eee nee te pean ee area 7, 309 5 A) el omer aieeeeer so. 3s Winyah Bay ard tributaries......-................-... 97, 685 23; OBL |ccoeks seem ol ase eee RPO UMIBALARIVer™. Les onact ccmebctteaatoten yee oe nee 75, 315 18,964 | cc cs we stows] rece anos Pamlico) Sound... 2 26..s---6=2- tae SoS CUP GAA ne ae 448, 089 109, 727 448, 089 100 NeUsoMRiverRissect stte ce tye ee EUR, Pee) Set Pe 207, 052 39, 067 82, 238 39. 72 TRU e DG Nie Ui) ee 5 = Soap =QNGOde Serna Saree cea =a8 67, 082 13, 316 18, 873 28.13 Croatan and Roanoke sounds.............-......---- 169, 541 33, 201 169, 541 100 AAU STROH ES CIS hi NS 5st Seen CoP BR eee PEA Srerer qaaee 735, 192 140, 159 186, 290 25. 34 ROSUOKOLVOL: conse atc ce eiaeep a cebeenes Ja sme 169, 409 20.489! |e 78 ee Chowan Rivers. 252240 osieeaes 183, 545 84422 Noss Sere oboe eeee ee eee Pasquotank and Perquimans ri 41,579 Te BOS 2 cS ocaeee cles eee Chesapeake Bay .-.....-.-.-.------ 1, 638, 844 167,929 | 1,428, 327 87.15 James River and tributaries. ...- 495, 762 51, 247 100, 379 20. 25 York River and tributaries.........-. 546, 548 50, 361 182, 375 33. 37 Winbinti ny Scscrccee teens Sauk een. spas eee eee 140, 777 13, 874 140,777 100 Rappahannock Raver: <> 5.22. 2.22.4. 5---ececen=n-s=-- 417, 789 35, 3871 194, 067 46. 45 Oto mac RUVOrsH oH -ecnieeoe seine ae a same aeons ace eee 684, 063 63, 608 210, 480 30.76 Nanticoke River and tributaries........-...--.-..... 216, 308 20, 668 42, 405 19. 60 Choptank River and tributaries ........-............ 338, 420 35, 810 136, 972 40. 47 Susquehanna River. !7.\).1.-222--6-4-- 2 sence cceene 140, 087 20,1103 "| Sse aie eee NPE COICO) RY 2 So ge ces Boose n0 JTOUrSDS Boe SED SC Oseece 249, 021 31, 736 29, 851 11. 98 Delaware Iba Von acen erecta tae caenanmackasae cece emeeece 1, 103, 821 104, 761 1, 103, 821 100 BS La ysE PRU Olas ee ot sh imei lata ace a salle oe ee eae 2, 778, 803 300, 598 976, 669 35,13 ME CellanecOus aN VELS (4 0-c anes soe secon ae ale bela eemincice 134, 838 Pa lia Vy Al eee oe a2 Sepa IL Se SS Qcean shore of New Jersey --..---.5--.---.------------ 16, 240 3, 518 13, 765 84.75 Rie WOW gu ii La daed Sasa ers ocsdbococaecocepoosNse 216, 425 30, 941 213, 925 98. 84 TGR Ta hr) Ae 5582 or enon pease eGo sr Geena sag caesee 588, 898 83, 2al Sass ocean ee see eee Great South Bay and Gardiner Bay...........-.--..--- 4, 755 1, 092 4, 755 100 Tyee TS et WistsnG RS 2s "Baas Sate ee sere cosas ssoopacor 9, 427 2, 399 9, 427 100 PGNNSC WC Uh ky Viele sen cn soem arises nice ae ale 51, 690 SE ear ese Becess5 Sc:- MINSCOMANGOUN MEVGINs sclemcn ses scae ne cince/einsw aa eieaienas 13, 202 3, B24 | soc see ccse sc] -ceeReaeee Ocbanishoreaot Rhode Island. .-- <2. 2... sewennccaccesse 1, 051 287 1, 051 100 Narragansett Bay and tributaries ...........--..-.---. 15, 836 4, 237 2, 163 13. 66 Buzzards Bay and Vineyard Sound................--.- 3, 385 834 3, 385 100 Cape Cod and Massachusetts bays...........-..-..---. 33, 082 1, 468 33, 082 100 WAnCOMsayeenaqeao sore ee eee eee c oe emaeeeeetecee cet oes 64, 490 3, 580 64, 490 100 Kennebec River and tributaries ............---.--...-. 290, 122 26, 257 55, 987 19. 30 Penobscot and other Maine rivers ................----- 12, 126 6, 941 6, 000 49. 48 Motaleeeets Peete astee soto e koccth atone 23, 705 23, 181 The shad fisheries of Winyah Bay are of comparatively recent development, being the result of the tendency in the fisheries on all of the Atlantic coast streams toward concentration at points nearest the mouth possessing the most convenient shipping facilities, and yet where the river is sufficiently narrow to render very costly apparatus unnecessary. SHAD FISHERIES OF THE ATLANTIC COAST. 147 The following summary shows, for certain years, the number of drift nets and the total and average catch of shad per net in the vicinity of Georgetown: Number | Number of | Average Year of nets. |shad taken.) per net. Te) oo Sgt Se da8 SOS CE OUSED UCPC a SBSH Benge Ted Gonpch sporeqocosr eC soase 30 26, 000 867 TSITD Sete LASS GR RenE BOGE so cer cache AUB c CBG Sats oHr ppeUr See eenoos baaaeer 220 90, 000 409 BO Deets ae ateroa aie ees Cee etter a te seers aicteinelnia tials otels aim ateciaene es ne 150 86 719 578 HERG sosceseasobeous2eeL SE so 9600 450 l Sect cons on doen sO Sb aS ecodaseesearee 254 80, 069 315 The tributaries of Winyah Bay are Waccamaw, Pee Dee, Black, and Sampit rivers, all having shad fisheries of more or less importance, and which will be described successively. Waccamaw River.—Waccamaw River has a total length of 149 miles, the lowest 26 of which forms the main channel of Pee Dee River, and is of considerable size. For the succeeding 24 miles, to Conway, it is navigable for vessels of 7 feet draft, while steam navigation with 3 feet draft is carried on 68 miles farther, to Reeves Ferry, N. C., 31 miles from Lake Waccamaw, the head of the river. In its lower portion, below Brook Green, the shad fisheries of the Waccamaw are of much importance, a large number of drift nets being used. These are tributary to Georgetown, and have already been noted in the description of the fisheries of Winyah Bay. The nets are from 200 to 500 yards long, 16 to 20 feet deep, with 54 to 54 inch mesh. In 1896 the season began January 18 and ended somewhat later than in Winyah Bay. It was noticed during that season that the greater part of the shad were taken near the ends of the nets, the fish crowding the river banks rather than following the channel. Above Brook Green shad are taken by means of bow nets by the planters and woodsmen living along the stream as far up as Conway, and occasionally at Red Bluff, 30 miles farther; and a few are some- times taken even beyond the North Carolina line, over 100 miles from Georgetown by the river course. Other than that tributary to George- town, the shad fisheries of Waccamaw River are of small importance, and the inconvenience of ascending the river at the time of my visit renders it impracticable to present an exact statement of their extent. It is probable, however, that not exceeding 500 shad annually are taken on this stream above Brook Green. PEE DEE RIVER AND TRIBUTARIES. This is ariver of many names. The lower 26 miles is known as Wac- camaw River; next comes a length of 25 miles known as Bull Creek, the name Pee Dee being given to a series of small creeks and ponds from the head of Bull Creek to Winyah Bay. Thesucceeding 250 miles, from Bull Creek to the Narrows, is known as Pee Dee River, or the Great Pee Dee, to distinguish it from one of its tributaries called the Little Pee Dee. The name Yadkin River is applied to the 210 miles of 148 REPORT OF COMMISSIONER OF FISH AND FISHERIES. : length above the Narrows. In this report the name Pee Dee is applied to the entire stream above Waccamaw River. The Pee Dee is one of the principal streams on the southern coast. It rises on the eastern slope of the Blue Ridge in Watauga County, N.C., and before its entrance into Waccamaw Liver flows a distance of about 485 miles, of which 213 miles are in South Carolina and 272 miles in North Carolina. It is navigable for steamers of 34 feet draft for a distance of 230 miles above Georgetown, two steamers running regularly and going as high as Cheraw when practicable. In discussing the fisheries of this stream it is natural to divide it into three sections—(1) the lower 204 miles of the river, being from the Waccamaw to the lowest dam near Cheraw, covering the navigable portion; (2) from Cheraw to the Narrows, a distance of 71 miles, containing numerous dams and other obstructions to the passage of fish; and (3) the 210 miles above the Narrows, known as the Yadkin. From the Waccamaw to Cheraw.—The lower portion of the Pee Dee possesses the usual characteristics of South Carolina streams. The banks are low and swampy, occasionally varied by bluffs; the width varies from 150 to 300 feet at low water, and the slope averages 0.279 foot per mile. The course is extremely winding, being almost a con- tinuous series of semicircular curves, requiring 203 miles to traverse from the Waccamaw to Cheraw, whereas in a straight line the distance is less than 100 miles. Shad are obtained throughout this length of the Pee Dee, but in no great abundance at any point. From the Waccamaw to Mars Bluff they are at present taken only by means of bow nets; drift nets have been used to some extent, but the numerous logs and snags in the river prevent the successful prosecution of that form of fishery. From Hunt Bluff to Cheraw, a distance of 50 miles, seines and drift nets areemployed. During 1896 the total number of shad taken on this length of the river was 8,967, of which 7,759 were taken by bow nets, 1,018 by seines, and 190 by drift nets. : The bow nets are employed most extensively at Smith Mills, Dunham Bluff, Savage Landing, Stone Landing, Drewit Bluff, Birch Ferry, and Crawford Landing. The season begins about February 10 and lasts generally 24 months, the catch ranging from 20 to 200 shad per boat. It is said that twenty years ago the boats usually caught 20 to 40 Shad each per night. In 1890 the average catch per boat for the entire Season approximated 114, and during 1896 the average for the 168 bow nets used between the Waccamaw and Mars Bluff was 46 for the sea- son. The catch in 1895 was considerably more than in 1896, but in 1894 it was somewhat less than in 1895 on account of the prevalence of low water in this portion of the river. Between Hunt Bluff and Cheraw there were formerly numerous Seine fisheries, but on account of the increased scarcity of shad these have been greatly reduced, both in number and in size. The lowest is at Hunt Bluff, 15 miles below Society Hill, where two small seines SHAD FISHERIES OF THE ATLANTIC COAST. 149 were used in 1896, yielding 152 shad. About 10 miles above Hunt Bluff is another seine bar, where two short seines were used in 1896, the catch approximating 56 shad and 1,000 hickories. Just above Douglass Falls and about 3 miles below Society Hill a small seine was used, catching 22 shad and 280 hickories. About 44 miles above Society Hill and 17 miles below the lowest fishing dam a double-seine fishery was operated, the catch numbering 790 shad, of which 470 were bucks. The season was quite short, extending only from March 1 te April 5. It thus appears that in 1896 there were but 4 seine fisheries operated below Cleraw, yielding 1,018 shad, of which 594 were bucks. If the present scarcity of shad continues, even these fisheries will doubtless soon be abandoned. In the neighborhood of Society Hill there are 4 drift nets, used by aS any negroes, in the capture of shad. These nets are 32 yards long and have 53-inch mesh. On account of the clearness of the water it is necessary that the fishery be carried on at night instead of during the daytime. The season begins March 1 and lasts about six weeks, the men fishing about four nights each week. In 1896 190 shad were taken, of which 103 were bucks. Between Society Hill and Cheraw shad are first taken by both seines and drift nets about six weeks later than in the vicinity of Georgetown, and as the distance is 230 miles, it appears that they travel about 54 miles per day. From Cheraw to the Narrows.—The second of the three sections into which it has been found convenient to divide Pee Dee River extends from Cheraw to the Narrows, a distance of 71 miles. Throughout this length of the river the current is quite swift, the descent being about 355 feet, an average of 5 feet to the mile, but in places exceeding 20 feet to the mile. There are numerous fishing-dams along this stretch of the river, with from 1 to 2 feet fall. The dams are constructed of rough stone masonry, or by filling a log cribbing with rocks, at convenient points where the river is narrow and shoal, the cost ranging from $100 to $1,500 each. While these dams frequently extend across the stream, there are generally thoroughfares around them, and at high water, which usually prevails during the shad sea- son, they are partly submerged, permitting many fish to pass over. Numerous sluices are left for the passage of water, in which are placed the fall traps and wheels for catching the fish. The fall traps differ little from those in use in many of the Atlantic coast streams, and, being placed so as to catch the fish going down the river, take very few shad during the upward run. They are 25 to 30 feet long, 6 to 8 feet wide, with a descent of about 5 feet, and cost from $20 to $60 each. The wheels, which are intended especially for shad, are somewhat similar to those used in the Columbia River salmon fisheries. They are said to have been introduced in the Pee Dee about 1846, antedating by over thirty years those used on Columbia River. They consist of two or more curved wings, 5 to 7 feet long, attached to a rotary shaft 150 REPORT OF COMMISSIONER OF FISH AND FISHERIES. fixed in the sluiceway. The wings consist of wooden frames covered with small slats or twine and so arranged that, the wheel being fixed in the sluice and rotated by the downward current of water, the fish ascending the stream are caught and carried up by the wings and shunted into a box or barrel placed at the side of the wheel, whence they may be removed at leisure. The entire apparatus is constructed quite cheaply, costing about $6. In addition to shad these wheels take suckers, catfish, redhorse, white perch, carp, etc., the value of the annual catch being from $50 to $300 at each fishery. The lowest of the fishing-dams on Pee Dee River is about 1 mile above Cheraw and consists of 1 wheel and 3 fall traps, the length of the dam being 280 yards. The catch at this fishery in 1896 was 100 shad. About 2 miles farther up is a dam 100 yards long containing 2 wheels and 2 fall traps, yielding 96 shad in 1896. Each of these fisheries is small and only imperfectly obstructs the passage of fish. About 4 miles above the lowest dam isa seine fishery, at which two seines, each 100 yards in length and with 2-inch mesh, are operated in the spring. In 1896 they were hauled from March 15 to April 30, about 18 times each per day during five days of each week, catching shad, redhorse, carp, fat-backs, suckers, etc. The yield of shad was 280 roe and 310 buck, against a total of 300 in 1895. Three miles above this seine bar is a fishery, which yielded 120 roe and 136 buck shad in 1896. In 1895 it consisted of 14 wheels only, but in 1896 it had 23 wheels and 3 fall traps. A mile or so above the preced- ing, is the Pollock fishery, containing 23 wheels and 7 fall traps. In 1896 it yielded 102 roe and+108 buck shad. Less than 2 miles above is the Pegues fishery, a half mile below the North Carolina State line, and containing 13 wheels and 3 fall traps which yielded in 1896 18 roe and 14 buck shad. These fish-dams make pools above them 2 feet deep, and back the water up about half a mile. One mile above the North Carolina line is the Manship fishery, entirely crossing the river, containing 22 wheels and 7 fall traps, and yielding 5 roe and 7 buck shad in 1896, and about 95 shad in 1895. The Dockery fishery, containing 14 dippers and 2 fall traps and yield- ing 1 roe and 1 buck shad in 1896, and about 60 shad in 1895, is located a short distance below the Carolina Central Railroad bridge, 8 miles above the South Carolina line. Six miles above the railroad bridge comes the Ingram fishery, con- sisting of 10 wheels and 3 fall traps. The dam at this fishery entirely crosses the river proper, but fish may ascend by a small thoroughfare which passes around an island at this point. No shad were taken here in 1896; in 1895 the catch approximated 125, of which about 40 per cent were roe. This fishery was established about 1865, it originally containing but 8 dippers, the catch at that time averaging about 5,000 shad annually, selling at from 5 to 6 cents each. From 1890 to 1894 the annual yield was about 300 shad. SHAD FISHERIES OF THE ATLANTIC COAST. *- Law Next comes the Grassy Island fishery, 17 miles above the South Carolina line and 25 miles above the lowest dam near Cheraw. This contains 25 wheels and 2 fall traps, the yield in 1895 being 305 shad, but only 2 in 1896, both of which were bucks. This appears to be the highest point to which shad ascended the Pee Dee in 1896. The catch during the first season following the establishment of this fishery, about 1875, approximated 17,000 shad. A short distance above the Grassy Island fishery is the Upper fishery or the Grassy Island Upper fishery, consisting of 14 dippers and 3 fall traps. There is a small island in the river at this point and 12 of the dippers and 2 traps are located in the main channel of the stream, and 2 dippers and 1 trap in the side channel. These caught 192 shad in 1895, but none whatever in 1896. Joseph Aldman’s fishery, 50 miles above Cheraw and 21 miles below the Narrows, containing 2 wheels and 2 fall traps, has yielded no shad since 1894, when it caught 1 buck. Ten to twelve years ago this fishery yielded about 100 shad each season. A number of fishing- dams in this vicinity have been permitted to go to waste on account of the scarcity of fish. Sampson Parker has a fishery 15 miles below the Narrows and 58 miles above Cheraw which contains 3 wheels and 1 fall trap, the dam entirely blocking the river. This fishery took no shad -in 1896 and only 2 buck shad in 1895. This is the highest point on the river at which shad have been taken since 1892. Six miles below the Narrows is Kirk’s fishery, consisting-of a dam partly blocking the river, containing 2 fall traps, which have taken no shad during the last five years. At the Great Falls or the Yadkin Falls, 2 miles below the Narrows, there are 3 dippers, which have yielded no shad since 1892. A fishery of 2 or 3 dippers, about 1 mile below the Narrows, has taken no shad since 1891. In the case of the two latter there are no artificial dams, the dippers or wheels being located in the favorable sluices in the rocky course of the river, and in no case do they entirely block the channel. Numerous other dams formerly existed in this length of the river, especially between Grassy Island and Great Falls, but the unprofit- ableness of the fishery has led to their abandonment. It thus appears that from Cheraw to the Narrows, a distance of 71 miles, there are at present 16 wheel and fall-trap fisheries, which more or less effectually obstruct the free passage of fish. All of these were originally constructed for catching shad, but in 1896 not a single shad was taken in the upper six fisheries, only 4 in the next three, and the total yield of shad in the 16 was but 710, of which 342 were females. In 1895 the catch in the same apparatus was 2,229 shad. The decrease was especially apparent above the Broach and Quick dam, the catch above that point being 258 in 1896 against 1,469 in 1895. The catch from the Broach and Quick dam to the lowest dam, including Sherrel’s seine bar, was 1,042 shad in 1896 and 1,060in 1895. It should be noted that the Broach and (Quick dam was enlarged in 1895 so as to 152 REPORT OF COMMISSIONER OF FISH AND FISHERIES. extend quite across the stream. and that the lowest dam was not com- pleted until 1896. . The Narrows is a remarkably picturesque series of rapids confined between high cliffs, with a length of about 4 miles and a total descent of 105 feet. Forty years ago Judge Locke had six or eight fishing “stands” in the Narrows each year, which are reported as having yielded on certain days as high as 300 shad each. Many of these were sold fresh to hucksters, who disposed of them in the neighboring set- tlements, and the rest were salted for use on the plantations. Mr. Wesley K. Littleton has maintained a fishery there since 1880, having in that year 2 dippers or wheels, which caught about 300 shad in the season, lasting during March, April, and May. The catch has decreased constantly since 1880. In 1892 only 2 shad were taken, and none whatever since then, although the fishery has been increased to 7 dippers. From the Narrows to the headwaters.—From the head of the Narrows to the Richmond and Danville Railroad bridge near Salisbury, a dis- tance of 43 miles, the Pee Dee has a width of 500 to 1,800 feet, a depth usually of less than 3 feet, and an average slope of over 5 feet per mile, and contains a dozen or more shoals with plunges from 1 to 6 feet. Prior to 1890 shad were occasionally taken in the numerous fish- dams located in this length of the river, but I have learned of none. whatever being taken since that date. The catch consists principally of redhorse, suckers, carp, fatbacks, ete. From the Richmond and Danville Railroad bridge to the foot of Bean Shoals, a distance of 64 miles, the river has an average slope of a little over 2 feet per mile, the elevation at the foot of Bean Shoals being 725 feet above sea level. In this stretch there are numerous fish-dams, several occupying the full width of the river, and a number of shoals, none of which have a vertical fall of more than 245 feet. From the foot of Bean Shoals to Wilkesboro, a distance of 57 miles, the slope approxi- mates 3 feet per mile. This stretch of the river contains 25 or more old fish-dams, and but few vertical falls of more than 1 foot. The elevation of the river at Wilkesboro is about 931 feet above sea Jevel. Col. John A. Holt, of Salisbury, N. C., reports that thirty or forty years ago shad were caught in considerable numbers at the various fisheries between Salisbury and Bean Shoals, occasionally at Bean Shoals, and rarely at Wilkesboro. Needless to state, they have not been seen in these waters for many years, the extensive fisheries and the numerous dams below preventing their ascent. Lynch River.—Of the numerous tributaries of the Pee Dee, Lynch River affords the longest run for shad. This river rises in Union County, N. C., and after flowing a distance of 200 miles enters the Pee Dee about 86 miles above Georgetown. The stream is quite shallow and narrow and its drainage small; at one point near its mouth it is but 20 feet in width, and at numerous other points the water is not over 1 foot deep. A small skiff can not navigate the river without SHAD FISHERIES OF THE ATLANTIC COAST. 153 frequently stopping to haul over obstructions. Notwithstanding the adverse physical conditions, Lynch River is well adapted to shad, and those fish ascend as far up as Tilley Ferry, 125 miles above the mouth, and are taken in considerable numbers at Cartersville and lower points. Bow nets only are used, and as there are no important settlements on the river the fisheries are of small extent, the number of shad obtained below Cartersville in 1896 being 820, the nets used numbering 25. Little Pee Dee River.—Little Pee Dee River, one of the principal tributaries of Pee Dee River, rises in the southern part of North Carolina, and after flowing 75 miles enters the Pee Dee about 56 miles above Georgetown. So far as could be learned, no shad whatever are caught on this stream, nor have they ever been obtained there in large numbers, due, probably, to the fact that the Little Pee Dee is sluggish, with abundant seepage, the river course broadening in many places into small lakes. Black River.—Black River has its sources in Kershaw and Sumter counties, flows over 150 miles, and enters Winyah Bay near Georgetown. From the mouth to Pine Tree Landing, a distance of 45 miles, the river is deep and navigable for vessels of 10 feet draft. Thence to Potato Ferry, 11. miles distant, it is shoal, averaging not over 3 feet in depth, and the bottom rocky. Above Potato Ferry the water is less than 1 foot in depth at low stages. Shad are taken on this stream as far up as Mouzans, over 130 miles from Georgetown, and considerable fisheries exist below Harpers, especially in the neighborhood of Pine Tree and Pitchkettle. Except in the extreme lower end, bow nets only are used, the number employed in 1896 being 65 and the catch amounting to 5,825 shad, of which 3,545 were roes. The yield on the Black River has very much decreased in recent years, as is also the case with most of the rivers tributary to Winyah Bay. Twenty years ago 25 to 30 shad were nightly taken by each bow net, whereas in 1896 the average catch was but 2 to 4 per night. The catch in 1896 was much less than in 1895. The shad season on the Black River begins about February 10, one month later than in Winyah Bay. Several drift nets are used near the mouth of the Black River, but these have been included with the fish- eries of Winyah Bay. Sampit River.—The Sampit is a small stream rising in Sampit pce and entering Winyah Bay just below Georgetown. In the lower part a few drift nets are used by Georgetown fishermen, but these have been listed with the Winyah Bay fisheries. The planters and woodsmen for a distance of 20 miles up the river use bow nets, taking sufficient shad for local use, the catch in 1896 numbering 720, of which 60 per cent were bucks. Mr. D. B. Bourne, of Sampit, reports that shad are as abundant in this stream at present as they ever were. The fisheries of Winyah Bay and tributaries have been described with much detail, as they represent the modified conditions that are more or less in evidence in most of the Atlantic coast streams, the cor- i 154 REPORT OF COMMISSIONER OF FISH AND FISHERIES. rect understanding of which is quite important. Formerly the shad fisheries of these waters extended as far up as Bean Shoals, on the Upper Pee Dee, a distance of 382 miles from the ocean. There was no concentration at any particular point, and the local demand that existed in any section did not warrant the prosecution of the fisheries so vigor- ously as to cut off the run of shad at points above. About 1846 the use of dams for catching shad was introduced in this river, and during the first few years following the adoption of this form of apparatus large catches were made. It is reported that 17,000 shad were taken at one dam during the season immediately following its construc- tion, and it is probable that prior to 1860 the catch in that portion of the Pee Dee located above the North Carolina line numbered over 100,000 annually. The multiplication of dams resulted in shutting off the fish from the upper reaches of the river, where the best spawning- grounds are located, and the run so decreased that in 1896, as already shown, only 16 shad were taken in that section. A no less important change has occurred in the lower half of the river. The profits derived from shipping fish to northern markets have resulted in a concentration of the fisheries at the point nearest the mouth of the river where the most convenient shipping facilities exist. This not only secures the shad much earlier than if the fisheries were prosecuted at a distance from the mouth, but it affords an unobstructed passage from the ocean, the run not being cut off by other fisheries. Of the 97,685 shad taken in Winyah Bay and tributaries in 1896, 82,500, or 85 per cent, were caught within 30 miles of the ocean, practically. none of which had spawned. Of the remaining 15,185 taken at a greater distance from the ocean, the percentage that had spawned is, indeed, very small. This has so reduced natural reproduction as to make it almost an insignificant factor in keeping up the supply, and renders artificial propagation essential to the prosperity of the fisheries. The inquiry on the Pee Dee was begun at Salisbury, N. C., the writer traveling the banks of the river to the ocean. Many of the fisher- men living between Salisbury and the Narrows were strongly of the opinion that a wire net was stretched across the river near Grassy Island, so as to prevent the further ascent of shad. The fishermen of Grassy Island were no less emphatic in their assertion as to the exist- ence of the wire net, but its alleged location was near Cheraw. At Cheraw and for many miles below that city statements as to the wire net were heard, but the location was fixed near the mouth of the river. When that point was reached it was found that the much-talked-of obstruction had no existence except in the imagination of the fishermen. Although the wire net does not exist, yet the stream is so narrow that it is almost completely obstructed by an amount of twine which would have little appreciable effect in retarding the run of shad up the broad tributaries of the Chesapeake or up the Delaware. SHAD FISHERIES OF THE ATLANTIC COAST. 155 THE SHAD FISHERIES OF NORTH CAROLINA. As determined by the number of persons employed, the amount of capital invested, and the value of the catch the shad fisheries of North Carolina are the most important on the Atlantic coast. The following tables show the extent of the fisheries by water-courses: Statement, by water areas, of the number of persons employed in each branch of the shad jisheries of North Carolina in 1896. Number of fishermen. Total, Waters = Trans- | Shores- eae of Drift- | Stake-| ..:,9,|Pound-|Bow-| woo) Porters | MOU: | dupli- net. net “| net. net. Sate cation. Cape Fear River and tributa- ries: Below Black River.........-- Pid BOR Cet RE SEe ae eOaee a BEPoCG Coe eer sal Sapernae Sees 222 Above Black River....-...--. AS eae aioe PAU ee DAS. Seas cellesasinewelleaate oes 399 (Blacks Rivenr comes neces sbacen |aaceuek |ewokes alleen ae BIR 1} ee eet een ee (Serene 148 North Bast River’... <2. --.-.- DG lass ='s TAD be araniea secre lsaisiecioamlencc is celsteoe moe 94 Pamlico Sounder. - ase ccec oe slese cles = Bite Re Ane ce CO d eet Seatac 20 13 483 Neuse River and tributaries: Below Contentnea River... 76 86 315 998 ls BOON Wed. satan aanesee oe 28 911 Above Contentnea River ._.|.------ 2 (eee CU Besa are eeee SSSseree 517 Contentnea River ........--. 209 Hitile; Rivers... Soc. eee: 44 Pamlico Riverens:sececsee.ce ote 260 Mart Riv eee n= Cees wao sss 208 Croatan sound) 2-s--s22c..2-- 218 Roanoke Sound .-----...-.-.- 8 Albemarle Sound .....- 1, 229 Pasquotank River -.- : 98 Perquimans River..-------. 104 Roanoke (River: i222... 1,161 Chowan River). .2..----2..- 634 PNG alle tomeiaiceisencies ace cco 6, 947 Statement, by water areas, of the boats, apparatus, etc., employed in the shad fisheries of North Carolina in 1896. Boats. Drift nets. Stake nets. Pound nets. Waters. TK No. | Value.|No. |Length.' Value.) No. | Length.) Value.| No. /Value. Cape Fear River and tribu- taries: Yards. Yards. Below Black River .......- SAO sas PAOLO GS nGs4 | eersetar|ecite ee in. eee cece | oa ces eles Above Black River.-.-...--. 218 732 | 99 | 2,692 GOL ese ae | nesce cc as lnaice es alees nee eee Bla Gkyivienpeess asic aetna. 79 SHSM ee collec eon allacs60el ene GOOA Ene act ceH pceeeeee (seecod eeccaoe NorthEast River.-..-..-.. 29 iy) ale 1, 520 CIA) N ge ies NB Ses dO oe eee a al a Se a ee hee Pamlico, soundeeccs-sss-osce. 2359202650 |beiacldee ose. -------/24, 808 | 458, 524 /$30,001 | 171 |$13, 885 Neuse River and tributa- ries: Below Contentnea River-.| 423 10,983 | 38 4, 280 676 | 3, 240 64, 809 3, 686 87 | 10,378 Above Contentnea River.| 269 BOSil-e os bemaice selemeceee 6 132 18) |Seoeecle eecere Contentnea River.-.-...... 127 BEd aopElsonemeeo|aoceace 178 1, 804 AN ee eae eee Tittle: Rivero. 2s. 2: 19 GOES os Be arcne 4 (os resee | Seeeeian ace ECR (are eel eee ne [ene ee BamilicouRiversceseas5 4. 134 | 4,050 | 23 |" 2,300 197 840 16, 800 985 27 3, 325 War River ss2s2s-eeee eed 108 B42" ines nema emesis samace azes eects |eoecs se olmokto ae lee eee Croatan Soand..~-.-.~....- - Tale REA Boe ae ee eae 5, 625 | 108, 420 7, 516 140 | 10, 825 Roanoke Sound....-....-..- | 4 BOO [Enos -2 eee 225) 4,500 281 3 300 Albemarle Sound --e---2-)' 319) 123; 622 |. 2.| 2 ease. 21,985 | 432,488 | 29, 944 612 | 56, 215 Pasquotank River-. 24 OEM Ses Besace as) ecs seed 100 1, 800 125 17 1, 550 Perquimans River. . BOM vel SOO) Ser 2] (5 cee eee esto 165} 14,295.) 15.032 71 | 6,075 Roanoke River .... a} DOL |) 3; 505) 18 1, 440 270 15 300 Soomaali seer Chowan River ..........- 120 | 3,375 | 74 1, 440 35 sal FE eae eared Secs cats 447 | 29, 530 Totaly. eeek eases '2, 831 |80, 388 /377 | 34, 682 | 6, 063 |57, 787 |1,103,872 | 73, 874 |1, 575 |132, 083 156 REPORT OF COMMISSIONER OF FISH AND FISHERIES. Boats, apparatus, etc., employed in North Carolina shad fisheries—Continued. Seines. Bow nets. | Wheels. | Shoreand Waters. accessory | Lotal No. Length.) Value. | No. | Value.| No.|Value.| property. value. Cape Fear River and tributaries: Yards Below. Black Kiver----.--..-----5- Baie |S SBR Ad poaceone Seadalase4aoc seal se gescr $1,960 | $6, 997 Above Black River. ......--........ 5 346 $322 | 124 | $330 Plane cose 1,450} 3,525 LAOS CP Ase nbaasaaadacsacone sa: 21 630 436 | 60 150) |eea|eomene = 2,100 | 3,044 North Mast River. sc. .-ce-<-sccoe 17 902 ASTON Proeter |Saeteeee wseleceoes = 2,200 | 3, 242 lease sean st aoa s en sSsdagecec Baog Sreceras Poche saleo ode lace doe ~cas|beec sue 4,505 | 70,041 Neuse River and tributaries: Below Contentnea River ..-..--- 86 | 18,880 | 6,361 | 185 530 Bl eat oes 39, 300 | 71,914 Above Contentnea River. --...-- 12 826 331 | 257 TWD | bans pasasce 3,000 | 4,912 Contentnea River ......-.....--. 10 623 383 | 70 178 B34 eee 2,375 | 3,514 lity WA bbe sopeaaSseonodsase 2 130 (Sai an 489) oe leaaceey 450 638 IST CO EO OI ee ere alte alee al 40 | 18,035 | 6,933 | 22 GG pe53c| ease 4,900 | 20, 456 Rar MVE eee sa aece oe ciel sess 10 1, 246 806 | 98 DOE ererere' | sine tare 2,300 | 3, 687 Croabani Sound eemtenterte seers ee oi eee 0004) MS HO00R easel aeeee- sdclPlosese 15, 378 | 42,929 ROATIORO SOUT foe re see erates hict|lse celtsraateste le etemie res Hagee ole eee ele lene | mete eta 70 | 1,011 PADS MATL SOUN Cee. « xleic= = .- 54,282 | 10,679 Pape Ol ese tine oe .oe cera yes aa sinmin nie | te sores Or28bu Me SOO Waco ot- leon meme 12, 800 2, 637 CroatanSoundea. se -eiaareere see TeteB" OT) IG RG PA St o.95]soncocne) seaaaeel saecec. 162,460 | 31,731 Roanoke sounds. oes cc scenes 2, 081 Bol oeacs 53/2 SG0sSe6 SSEeeoS MeCeree 7, 081 1; 470 FAdbemdrlesoun@eecr.c es ste se GL SOO BPA NSS 55.7 clesasagon aeesess soceeos 735, 192 | 140, 159 Pasquotank River..-....-..--- 2, 840 460 275 Boh |soreaese| become = 8,757 1, 599 Perquimans River......----- 12, 718 CHa | ooo sac|aosoeond Bessond le 2gec4 32, 822 6, 299 FRORMOKOILV OD: wee escson cee haasomee elem cea 13,500 | 2,391 | 2,000 | $380] 169,409 | 20,489 Chowan Rivericncc.cc-c5s ee 221595 |e SOON eee leletet eis eie|(-cle aie =e eee 183,545 | 34, 422 Lene en eee Bone 478,531 | 90,690 | 55,710 | 12,284 | 2,000 | 380 |2, 096, 804 | 417, 243 SHAD FISHERIES OF THE ATLANTIC COAST. 157 CAPE FEAR RIVER AND TRIBUTARIES. The Cape Fear River is formed by the confluence of Haw and Deep rivers, in Chatham County, North Carolina, at a distance, following the river course, of over 200 miles from the sea. It is navigable for light- draft steamers as far as Fayetteville, 145 miles from the ocean. By means of locks and dams it was formerly navigable to the junction of Haw and Deep rivers, but these aids have long since been abandoned. From the sea to Fayetteville the slope is about 10 feet, whereas from Fayetteville to the foot of Smiley Falls, a distance of 42 miles, the slope is 35 feet. Below Smiley Falls there were formerly four dams, ranging in height from 5 to 15 feet, but these have not been in existence for many years. The lowest obstruction at present is Battle Dam, about 12 miles above Smiley Falls, built of wood, 11 feet high and 500 feet long, extending directly across the river. Two miles farther up is Buckhorn Dam, 3 or 4 feet high and about 1,000 feet long, which for- merly backed the water up to the junction of Haw and Deep rivers, a distance of 8 miles. Each of these dams is now in bad condition, being broken down in several places. Haw and Deep rivers, which form the Cape Fear, rise in Guilford County, 80 miles above their confluence. They are small streams, with considerable descent, averaging about 7 feet per mile each, and with numerous shoals and falls, which present absolute barriers to the upward passage of shad. There are two distinct geographical sections in the Cape Fear shad fisheries: (1) The Wilmington section, from the mouth of the river to the entrance of Black River, 15 miles above Wilmington, in which drift nets exclusively are used; (2) thence to Smiley Falls, 42 miles above Fayetteville, in which bow nets, drift nets, and seines are employed. Each of these will be described separately. The Wilmington section.—The drift nets in the Wilmington section are operated from Deep Water Point to Dollison, 14 miles below the mouth of Black River. 'Che length of those in the lower reaches ranges from 150 to 425 yards each, the depth averaging 50 meshes, and the size of mesh being 54 and 54 inches. The nets between Wilmington and Dollison vary in length from 100 to 135 yards each; otherwise they are similar to those operated below Wilmington. Occasionally a net is used in one of the lower reaches during the early part of the season and then cut in half and used as two nets in the upper reaches during the rest of the season. About 20 short nets were drifted in Brunswick River in 1896. This river or thoroughfare is about 12 miles long, leaving the Cape Fear River 4 miles above Wilmington and reentering it 4 or 5 miles below that city. The Brunswick nets are from 100 to 120 yards in length, with a valuation of about $21 each. In North East River, a tributary entering the Cape Fear at Wilmington, there are several nets operated between the mouth and Three Cypresses, the men living between Wilmington and Castle Hayne. These nets range in length from 120 to 150 yards, the depth and mesh conforming to those on the Cape Fear between Wilmington and Dollison. 158 REPORT OF COMMISSIONER OF FISH AND FISHERIES. The total catch of shad in 1896 in the Cape Fear below Doztlison, in Brunswick River, and in Northeast River below Three Cypresses, num- bered 49,434, of which 21,316 were roes. The legal season extends from January 1 to May 15, but actual fishing began January 21 and ceased April 18, a close time operating from 6 p. m. Saturday to 6 p.m. Monday and from 6 p.m. Tuesday to 6 p.m. Wednesday of each week. The length of the season is determined largely by the tempera- ture and flow of the waters. A warm March and April shortens the season and low water has the same effect, each causing the fish to pass rapidly upstream. There were more shad caught in 1896 than in 1895, the season being longer. There have not been so many shad taken in this vicinity during recent years as formerly. The catch in 1891 was 59,976; in 1890, 60,695, and in 1889, about 70,000. In 1890 108 nets were employed; 115 in 1891, and 125 in 1896. This gives an average per net of 562 shad in 1890; 487 in 1891, and 363 in 1896. During the early portion of the season three-fourths or more of the catch consists of buck shad. As the season progresses the proportion is more evenly divided, and toward the end the roes greatly outnum- ber the buck shad. During the season of 1896 roe shad constituted 43 per cent of the total catch. Ripe shad are not found until near the end of March, and they are most numerous about May 1; consequently, the fisheries yield few eggs suitable for fertilization, as they cease before the end of April. One Wilmington dealer, who handled 15,007 shad in 1896, reports that not over 12 of them had spawned. From Black River to Smiley Falls—In the second section of Cape Fear River the bow net is the principal form of apparatus employed. Indeed, this is the only apparatus used in the lower 35 miles, except two 30-yard drift nets at Indian Wells, which took 200 shad during the past season. Bow nets are used all along this stretch of the river, the number operated in 1806 being 124, which yielded 6,719 shad, valued at $1,658. This is said to have been the smallest yield ever known. The catch during 1895 was also extremely poor, the yield previous to that time running from 100 to 400 to the net. A number of hickories are also caught in the bow nets, the total yield in 1896 being 2,920. From Kelley Cove to Elizabethtown, a distance of 35 miles, drift nets are used almost exclusively, the only exceptions being the two bow nets at Browns Creek and one bow net at Elizabethtown. There are also two drift nets at Indian Wells, and 61 between Harrison Creek and Fayetteville. These nets are 20 to 45 yards long, 7 feet deep, 54 to 53 inch mesh, and cost about $5 each. The season begins a week or more earlier than in the bow-net fishery and closes about the end of April. The catch in 1896 was very small, only 5,375 shad being taken by the 99 boats. The conditions of the water and river were favorable for a good run, but the fish did not make an appearance. Drift nets have been used in this length of the river only during the last ten years, bow nets being employed exclusively prior to that time. The change in form of apparatus is due largely to the removal of snags and SHAD FISHERIES OF THE ATLANTIC COAST. 159 brush from the channel of the river, and also to the decreased run of shad, rendering improved forms of apparatus necessary. The lowest seine beach on Cape Fear River in 1896 was operated at Prospect Hall, 22 miles below Fayetteville, by Mr. William Whitedge, using two seines 50 yards long, 6 to 11 feet deep, and with 3-inch mesh. The season extended from March 29 to May 14, and 123 shad were caught, the highest catch in one day by the two seines being 16. Near Fayetteville three seines were operated in 1896, catching 545 shad and 3,065 hickories. The seines are from 75 to 90 yards in length, 12 to 15 feet deep, with 3-inch mesh, and require the services of 4 men each. The lowest is located about 9 miles below Fayetteville, and 5 miles above comes William Field’s seine beach, new in 1896. = 306 BON seveemen esse <= $45) |: senses [ne seeoee 345 Rappahannock River: ‘Below Deep Creeks. co. scone ee seetee a tess cease ee HG ese } 3,712 300) |) de 250 515 Sei sto wal and ADOVOl + <2 bce mance Snjccieclnaee ms wales 83 | 13,080 | 1,445 | 3 770 295 Potomac River: PAUGyGnviauiteax1CneOke. ceases a sae jae seals = ati sa eiaya a1 118 | 67,000 | 6,155 | 8 | 13,600 | 13, 700 MD tales =. oa ete cn acre tic ao desterecemes eeeSsnens 1,370 |298, 043 | 25,998 | 42 | 24,361 | 19, 005 Pound nets. Miscellaneous. moma iscellaneous.| Shore Total 5 prop Tie No. | Value. | No. | Value. | erty. | ¥* Chesapeake Bay: NEN LOLUUS HONG steers sisi asin’ asics ee ae ce asic AQL SS G01 Ss Pees acisee act $26, 915 |$170, 878 RIA UEDINS NOLO aths acne aaa ae seta alan te nee eres BO 14S SOOM Bas acl \oca-soen' 650 | 19,545 James River and tributaries: Below Chickahominy River .--...-.-.-0---2.--2«--- 6 BSS ue = |lSarete aera 1, 945 9, 252 Between Chickahominy and Appomattox rivers..-..|......|......--.'.....-|......--- 2,560 | 12, 254 PMUOVOPAD DOM allOxe bil VOW Moa omees acces ceccms cee peers aan ene eine ee|eacicece ee 700 2, 845 Chickahoniimysiver-< = ooess-ses2222 ce sense See eee en elses a3 $45 | 2,187 6, 568 PAS HOM auiO xe EVOL mess oaiacasin ete catoe = eceeeesccs tee ccmececese Se ostoedeenesinc 5. 00 RODE iaa atcia mein ene a mee aie alee alc iet are eta Siateieiaeiate aleiseta’s Me mee eee 60. 42 The strings of nets are set across the current on the sides of the channel in depths ranging from 8 to 18 feet. The season begins during the first week of March and ends about the last week of April. Fish- ing could be extended several weeks later, but on account of the low prices of shad and the deleterious effect of the warm water on the nets it is not generally profitable. Even with less than two months’ fishing it is usually necessary to replace the nets at least once. In the 84 strings operated in 1896, containing 3,598 stations, there were used in all about 8,719 nets. The catch numbered 91,778 shad, of which 51,026, or 33.8 per cent, were bucks, the small proportion being due to the large mesh of the nets permitting them to pass through. Just opposite Newport News, on either side of the channel, there were three small pound nets, worth about $100 each, which caught a few shad, the total yield being 3,119. These are the only pound nets used on the James, there being an interdiction against their use in this stream above Newport News. Two seines were operated in 1896, one at Piney Grove in James City County, ana the other at Swan Point in Surry County. These were SHAD FISHERIES OF THE ATLANTIC COAST. 183 about 700 yards long, with 3-inch mesh in the bunt, and required the services of 9 men each. The season began May 12 and ended about the last of April, the catch of shad aggregating 5.482 in number, of which 4,355 were bucks. From Chickahominy to Appomattox.—On the middle section of James River drift nets constitute the principal form of apparatus, yet a few seines are used, and in the extreme lower end there were 8 strings of stake nets in 1896. These strings, containing 235 nets, were operated by men living at Claremont and Sandy Point, taking 9,928 shad. The drift nets measure about 350 yards in length and 65 to’80 meshes deep, with 5-inch mesh. Where the channel is narrow, as from Coggins Point to City Point, this length is divided into two or three sections. On the shoal grounds between Coggins Point and City Point a number of shallow nets, 30 meshes deep, are used. These contain from 4 to 6 pounds of twine and are usually operated in two sections. Other than in depth they resemble in every particular the nets used in the channel. The total number of drift-net boats in the middle section of James River in 1896 was 182, using 69,727 yards of twine, and the catch of shad numbered 162,655, valued locally at $14,706. Between the Chickahominy and the Appomattox there were formerly many seine beaches, most of which are now abandoned on account of the unprofitableness of the fishery and, in one or two cases, destruction of the beaches by engineering operations tending to improve the navi- gation of the river. In 1896 only four seine shores were operated, viz: Harrison Landing, Beechwood, Coggins Point, and Flowerdew Hun- dred. The seines were from 250 to 500 yards in length, with 25 and 23 inch mesh, and the yield of shad was 18,208, valued locally at $1,770. The large proportion of bucks in the catch of these seines is somewhat noticeable, numbering 13,385, or 73 per cent of the total yield, this being due doubtless to the large quantity of roes caught in gill nets in the lower part of the river. From Appomattox to Bosher’s Dam.—Above the entrance of Appo- mattox River drift nets are the only apparatus used in the James River shad fisheries. The principal fishing centers are Bermuda Hun- dred, Turkey Creek, and Deep Bottom, while a few nets are used above Dutch Gap, in Cox and Graveyard reaches. Formerly drift nets were used in Trent and Coal Yard reaches, situated in the loop of James River around Farrors Island, but since the opening of Dutch Gap that portion of the river has shoaled to such an extent that it is impracti- cable to drift in it. On account of the narrowness of the channel the nets above City Point are much shorter than those below, the length ranging from 40 to 100 yards. Usually two nets are operated by each boat, requiring the services of two men. The mesh is from 4 to 54 inches and the depth from 50 to 110 meshes. The season begins about the last week of March, three or four weeks later than at the mouth of the river, and closes about the end of May or firstof June. In 1896 128 drift nets were used, the catch amounting to 33,385 shad, worth $2,709 at local valuation. Of this yield, 23,387, or 70 per cent, were bucks. 184 REPORT OF COMMISSIONER OF FISH AND FISHERIES. In the falls at Richmond there are numerous finger or fall traps, in which several hundred shad are taken annually while endeavoring to pass above the rapids. At one time the number of these fall traps exceeded 150, but the catch has been so small during recent years that the worn-out traps have not been replaced. Chickahominy River.—The Chickahominy, one of the finest shad streams of the United States for its size, rises in Henrico County, 12 miles northwest of Richmond, and after flowing a distance of 60 miles empties into James River 50 miles from the Chesapeake Bay. Windsor Shades bar, 27 miles from its mouth, is the present head of navigation, a minimum depth of 8 feet existing to that point, the width of the channel ranging from 100 to 250 yards. Thence to Providence Forge, a distance of 5 miles, the channel is tortuous, 20 to 80 feet in width, flowing between low swampy banks, which open into lagoons or bays of wide water. From Providence Forge to Long Bridge, about 10 miles, the Chickahominy is a cypress swamp of from one-half to 1 mile in width, intersected by a channel 20 to 50 feet wide. Shad fisheries extend throughout the length of the Chickahominy, yet they are most extensive in the vicinity of Lanexa. The total catch of shad on this river in 1896 was 150,953, of which 131,643 were taken by means of drift nets, 17,510 by seines, and 1,800 by “‘hedgings.” Of the total yield 103,748, or 68 per cent, were bucks. In the lower portion of the Chickahominy and in the vicinity of Lanexa the drift nets contain each about 54 pounds of No. 50 twine, 55 to 60 meshes deep, with 5-inch mesh. From Winns Landing to Providence Forge the nets contain from 14 to 2 pounds of twine, 45 meshes deep, with 43-inch mesh. The length of the 54-pound net aver- ages 200 yards, and of the 13-pound net 70 yards. The length of twine used by the 160 boats in 1896 measured 28,842 yards, one man being required for each boat. The season began about March 10 and closed some time near the middle of May. The yield was an average of recent years, aggregating 131,643 in number, of which 40,777 were roes and 90,866 were bucks. Eight seines were used in the Chickahominy during the same year, of which the largest, about 1,000 yards in length, was operated at Ferry Point, near the mouth of the river. This seine, how- ever, is not used especially for taking shad, that species forming only a small proportion of the total catch. The lengths of the other seven seines range from 260 to 175 yards and the mesh from 1? to 23 inches. The aggregate value of the 8 seines was $1,155, the number of men employed 43, while the total catch of shad numbered 17,510, worth $1,297 at the local valuation. A short distance above Providence Forge, where the river is only a few feet in width, there are three or four hedges or pockets, each consisting of a crude dam, 2 or 3 feet high, permitting the passage of shad only through the current passing through an opening therein. A fisherman stands at this opening with a net in hand ready to lift out such fish as may attempt the passage. At the hedges operated in 1896 1,800 shad SHAD FISHERIES OF THE ATLANTIC COAST. 185 were taken. The greater proportion of the fish caught by this method are either ripe or have already spawned. Chickahominy River in the vicinity of Lanexa presents favorable conditions for the establishment of an auxiliary shad hatchery. Within a distance of 10 miles on either side of that station over 130,000 shad are taken annually, of which about 45,000 are roes. If 3 per cent of them are suitable for hatching purposes sufficient fertilized eggs would be secured to support an extensive hatchery. Large supplies could also be drawn from the James and the Pamunkey, each about 15 miles distant from Lanexa. The ripe fish could be obtained very cheaply and the shipping facilities are good, the main branch of the Chesapeake and Ohio Railroad passing along the river bank. Appomattox River.—This river, the longest affluent of the James, rises in Appomattox County, Va., and after flowing about 140 miles empties into the James at City Point. Shad ascend only 13 miles to Petersburg, their progress above that city being barred by numerous rapids and dams. In a distance of 64 miles above the city there are 5 dams, each from 24 to 8 feet high, and numerous falls and rapids, giving a total descent of 110 feet. Shad are taken in the Appomattox by means of drift nets and seines. The former are operated at Broadway, in Prince George County, and at Covington Beach or Cat Hole, in Chesterfield County, the total number of nets in 1896 being 46. These nets are from 100 to 200 yards in length, 45 to 70 meshes deep, with 5-inch mesh, and two men and one boat are required for each. The men live mostly in Petersburg, camping on the shores during the season, paying the owners for the privilege at the rate of one shad per week for each fish- erman. The season begins the second week in March and continues about two months. The caich during 1896 was 3,835 roe shad, 8,110 bucks, with a local valuation of $1,087. The seines used in Appomattox River were located as follows: One at City Point, one at Gatlin Beach, two at Covington Beach, and one at the mouth of Swift Creek. They measure from 200 to 275 yards each in length, about 80 meshes deep, with 24-inch mesh. The shore rental paid for the five seines aggregates $225 annually. The season 1s coin- cident with that of the drift nets in the same locality, and the aggregate catch of shad in 1896 was 8,309, valued locally at $794. Tn the falls of the Appomattox just above Petersburg there are about 20 fall or finger traps, in which a few shad are taken with herring and other species. The catch of shad is at present very much less than it was twenty years ago, probably not exceeding 50 in 1896. YORK RIVER. York River is formed by the junction of Pamunkey and Mattaponi rivers at West Point, and, following a southeasterly course for a dis- tance of 41 miles, it unites with Chesapeake Bay about 16 miles north of Fort Monroe. It is really an arm of Chesapeake Bay, with an average width of about 14 miles, possessing no fluvial characteristics 186 REPORT OF COMMISSIONER OF FISH AND FISHERIES. whatever. The water of York River is brackish nearly to West Point, oysters being planted within 6 miles of that town. Pound nets and stake nets represent the principal forms of apparatus used in the shad fisheries, and a few shad are taken incidentally in fyke nets and seines. The catch of shad in 1896 was 182,375, of which the pound nets yielded 138,895, stake nets 42,640, fyke nets 590, and seines 250. Of the pound nets 53 were set on the north side of the river, between York Spit Light and Gloucester Point; 34 on the south side, near Toos Point and Poquosin Flats, and 3 near Plum Point, at the head of the river, making a total of 90 nets. Excepting the 3 near Plum Point and 23 on the shore of York County, all of these nets are owned in the south- eastern portion of Gloucester County, mostly in the settlement known as Guinea. They range in value from $50 to $500, averaging about $200 each, and with some repairs will last for several seasons. The depth of water ranges from 10 to 20 feet, the leaders being set across the cur- rent. Each fishing company has from 1 to 7 nets, and uses sailboats averaging $100 in value, the total number of sailboats being about one- half the number of pound nets used. The season begins the first week in March and closes about the end of May, the greater part of the catch being obtained during April. Of 5,243 shad taken in 4 pound nets in 1896 1,262 were obtained in March, 3,170 in April, and 811 in May. The catch in 1896 was unusually small, the total yield of shad in the 90 pound nets being only 138,895, an average of 1,543 per net. The largest yield for any one net was 4,380. In addition to this species, the pound nets take alewives, Spanish mackerel, squeteague or sea trout, bluefish, croakers, pompano, ete. The stake nets in York River are located on both sides of the chan- nel from Cappahosack to West Point, but most abundantly between Potopotank Creek and Plum Point, being set in rows of from 10 to 20 nets in from 11 to 14 feet of water. The nets are 6 to 9 yards long, 35 meshes deep, with 5-inch mesh. They last only about three weeks, two settings being required for each season. The season begins about- March 1, although most of the nets are not out until the middle of that month, and closes the third or fourth week of April. Nearly all of the fishermen are also farmers, and agricultural operations shorten the fish- ing season. In 1896 58 boats engaged in this fishery, using 990 stake nets, 6,461 yards in length, and the catch aggregated 28,232 roe shad, worth $3,949, and 14,408 bucks, worth $1,183. Except sufficient for local use, all the catch was sent to Baltimore by the steamers running between that port and West Point. During the past season two fishermen from Indiantown, on the Pamunkey River, attempted to take shad with drift nets in the narrow portion of York River between Gloucester Point and Yorktown, where the width is a trifle over a half mile. Their nets were 200 yards long, 65 meshes deep, with 5-inch mesh. After working about ten days with- out success they abandoned their attempt. It should be noted that the depth of water in this portion of York River is 80 feet or more, whereas the nets used were only about 15 feet deep. SHAD FISHERIES OF THE ATLANTIC COAST. 187 Pamunkey River.—This river, which takes its name from a tribe of Indians, the remnant of which is yet engaged in shad fishing in its waters, is formed by the junction of the North Anna and South Anna rivers a short distance above Hanover Court-House, whence it flows a distance of 100 miles to its union with the Mattaponi at West Point. It is navigable, during eight or nine mouths of the year, for vessels drawing 5 or 6 feet of water, as far as Wormley Landing, 54 miles above West Point. Above Wormley Landing the river is tortuous, much obstructed by logs and brush, and from 40 to 120 feet wide. Shad ascend the Pamunkey in considerable numbers throughout its length, but are taken in greatest abundance in the lower 30 miles. Of the 184,257 shad caught in 1896 180,642 were taken by means of drift nets, 2,334 by seines, and 1,281 in stake nets. The drift nets are operated throughout a distance of 43 miles from the mouth of the river, and principally for a distance of 10 miles below and the same distance above Lester Manor, 24 miles from York River. The drift nets below Williams Ferry average 150 yards in length, 55 to 70 meshes deep, with 4% or 5 inch mesh. Above Williams Ferry the length ranges from 130 to 75 yards andthe depth from 50 to 35 meshes, Below Williams Ferry two or three nets are carried by each boat, requiring the services of two men. Above that point, where the fishing is for local use exclusively, each boat has but one net, and in some instances but one man. When more than two nets are used the extra nets are old ones, which can be used only during weak tide or slack water. a cst. oe a's ae ma ace celewanicins =) |bineciclsja ss] cisineetsice| = oe bees a| ee oetetaten 194, 334 17, 904 NVBSLEMSNOTON SSc25 cisco rc Sacecee uses letew oat enelocce ee eels cokes eset 128, 809 14, 204 SR OLOHIACORGEVIOD. seo Seams inca recast ela teh= Se ecw ais iets alm ecremeise | 600 | $150 233, 238 20, 524 IPAExeNb MLV OFS cc-cccsc wee ccm acme nee See OSIe coc ome aeeac eee niece cae al levee aes 52, 354 5, 867 [ROVOMOKEM VOL sons = case ee eee eo ee ee 205 $32 | 23,812 | 3,416 29, 752 4, 304 IWCOMICOFRIVOI Ess ce? = tees: a eee eee ces 1, 302 WSS e352 ae caladete ate 68, 015 8, 480 INANELCO RG IVE moe Soc ae eee see tee ees cos 9, 337 MOD || eossea.s a) laicorenetes 125, 181 11, 648 Marshyhope Creeks 225.2 for -2 22sec see se] emeeee ce lessee essen eae acer 38, 660 3, 865 HOSHING DAV Gs... saat sae olan Ramee ase T ana cteasea ol ae eeees pecs anne aaa eee 9, 790 1, 174 iransquakine River: 2.22.2 3228224 Uso ss se sal esses Seeks 1, 600 154 13, 694 1, 287 Blackwater River ess sceet ae an teas N ee ae sy epoees bay eee ere ote doles me 13, 160 1, 480 Chophank iver s~ssiest cee pose se ane ee 402 Bt Reeser eenscae= 276, 076 29, 386 Ruckahoe iver. .5425¢o-s-sa0- 23-226 eee ees 196 aR ie eee Peon ace 62, 344 6, 424 StevichaelRivenissscaccicciees thee suse seisenere | eset seer laaee ceeelnes cece al mesceees 2: 915 423 Ghestemvbivertesssad a2 kot Nee aca eee cee 2, 390 PALS 2 ee aa eee ere 53, 507 7,918 Sassaivas River! so5+teste hse ceincstieaecesane |o aeeqceeelieeeeeel |e ep ae eel tees 1, 290 166 ERT V GR ere oe ace aeons mee a see ae nee nae pe Ee ea OE tee eee eee te 5, 244 637 NUSGMOhANMANIVEN -2 oic 17 4 21 Total, exclusive of duplication..................--.-.--..--. 855 512 1, 367 The following statement shows the boats, apparatus, etc., employed in the shad fisheries of the Potomac River in 1896: Virginia shore. Maryland shore. * Total. i : re) | y Designation. Length Length Length Vi .| No. a aPNOs = : No alue. | No (yds.) Value. | No | (yds.) Value OAS. saa ore a | CAUSE TD | h ae e 1$6;.945)|"520) | 32eeeres $24, 895 Stake nets - - c HA Bia eee lees aeecallbecooene 529 6, 133 1, 043 Drift nets... 6,155 | 118 | 94,500 | 6,230 | 236 | 161,500 | 12,385 Seines ...--. 13, 700 5 | 3,640! 4,000} 13] 17,240] 17,700 Pound nets. --- - Soon lin |e ace Saloni 430) emacs 43, 350 Bow nets..-.----- oc lesenebtsassscpccsssce Oy |Barecace 6 By Kassner ccs 6 Shore property Mi) oO ele sasc|acoooese SlOOw eee 2a eto jeer 21, 525 Total value DO RAA SE | Preeterlsteteretererst SONA DOM |e retell tctensreleretarere 120, 904 The following statement shows the product of each branch of the shad fisheries of the Potomac River in 1896: Virginia shore. Maryland shore. | Total. Fishery. a= Roes. | Bucks. | Value.| Roes. | Bucks.| Value. | Roes. | Bucks. | Value. Stake-net .........--- GU7AGi |e da TOde|eBINGlGnlasceee tee coerce lee sete ce 6,746 | 4,764| $1,616 DviktnOtisssccesece css 85, 440 56, 960 | 11,729 | 82,128 | 54,752 | $11,459 | 167,568 | 111,712 | 23, 188 HIG BS ae see oO Sao CE ae 47, 631 31, 754 6,471 | 25, 386 | 18, 674 3, 382 73, 017 50, 428 9, 853 Pound-net..........-- 114, 999 | 102,531 | 23, 268 | 31, 163 | 20,535 5,533 | 146,162 | 123,066 | 28, 801 IBGWeNnObcccaat cae rre malo secs se ne lec eiaie cial eloemcicle 360 240 150 360 240 | 150 ie ee 254, 816 | 196,009 | 43, 084 |139,037 | 94,201 | 20,524 | 393,853 | 290,210 | 63, 608 The drift-net grounds extend from Mathias Point to Alexandria, a distance of 60 miles, but those nets are operated most extensively from Indian Head to River View. Below Mathias Point the water is salty and too clear and sluggish to permit the successful use of this form of apparatus, except when heavy rains have swollen the river. The nets range in length from 300 to 1,000 yards, averaging above 700 yards, and in depth from 30 to 90 meshes, depending respectively on the width and depth of the reach in which they are operated. They are usually so rigged as to float several feet below the surface of the water, being suspended by buoy lines at intervals of 15 or 18 feet. Those nets 60 to 90 meshes deep, when operated in the main channel, are buoyed with the upper line from 8 to 10 feet below the surface, permitting all boats, except the largest steamers, to pass over them without injury. 202 REPORT OF COMMISSIONER OF FISH AND FISHERIES. There are two general methods of hanging the drift nets, viz, the “single line” and the ‘double line.” In the former the lower portion of the net is permitted to swing freely, having no bottom line and not being weighted. The mesh in these is generally 54 or 54inch. The second form of nets, known as ‘double line,” is operated mostly on the shoals, and consequently is usually longer and shallower. In these nets a line extends the entire length of the bottom, to which leaden weights are attached, serving to hold the net in a somewhat rigid position, and the mesh is usually 5-inch. The reason for the difference in the size of the mesh in the “single-line” and “‘double-line” nets is that the bottom of the former, swinging clear and free, readily yields to every motion of the fish enmeshed therein and the fish soon becomes wound up and entangled in the meshes, being unable to either withdraw or force its way through the net; while the latter, being in a somewhat unyield- ing position in the water, due to the weighted bottom line, is not easily entangled, and the mesh must be sufficiently small to hold the fish firmly. The “single-line” nets are usually from 50 to 90 meshes deep and the ‘‘double-line” nets from 30 to 60 meshes in depth. The former are drifted mostly during slack water, and consequently remain in the water usually only two or three hours at a time. The latter are oper- ated on both tides, and may remain in the water a half day or longer. An ordinary gill net, full-rigged, costs $100 to $125; after being used one season its value is reduced one-half, and three seasons’ work usually renders it unfit for further use. The season begins about the last week in March and ends about the middle of June. The yield in 1896 was unusually small, only 50 or 60 per cent of that obtained in 1895. The yield by the 118 boats from the Virginia shore numbered 85,440 roes and 56,960 bucks, a total of 142,400, while the Maryland fishermen obtained 136,880, of which 82,128 were roes and 54,752 buck shad. The price received by the fishermen was also low, averaging between $8 and $8.50 per hundred. The stake-net fishery of Potomac River is of little importance, con- sisting of a few strings of nets operated in the lower half of the river by residents of Virginia. The total number used in 1396 was 529, set in 9 strings, requiring the services of 21 men who employed 12 boats, worth $935. The catch was quite small, numbering only 6,746 roe shad and 4,764 bucks, worth $1,616. The pound-net fishery is confined almost entirely to the lower half of the river, the nets set for shad above Maryland Point being few in number and cheaply constructed. Pound nets were introduced about 1875, and since then they have constantly increased in favor. In 1889 there were 330 pound nets; in 1890, 376; in 1891, 411, and in 1896, 430. Of those used in 1896, 299 were operated by Virginians and 131 by residents of Maryland. The former, however, are much larger and catch many more shad than those on the Maryland side of the river, the Virginia nets being most numerous near the mouth, while most of the Maryland nets are between Nanjemoy Point and Blakistone Island. SHAD FISHERIES OF THE ATLANTIC COAST. 203 The mesh in most of the shad pound nets has the following dimen- sions: Leader, 7 inches; first “pound,” 6; second ‘‘ pound,” 4 or 5, and main “pound,” 4 or 44 inches. Some of the nets have 24-inch mesh, in order to retain the alewives; while a few of the regular shad nets have a backing of 24-inch mesh, against which the fish are bunted when the net is lifted, the alewives not escaping readily through the large mesh except when the net is being lifted. There is a tendency to increase the size of the mesh, and during the last year it was 12 inches in some of the leaders, and this will probably be exceeded, as the tide runs strong and a small mesh trap is more likely to be swept away than one of larger mesh, and it also accumulates more seaweed and other floatage. The “pounds” are usually from 40 to 60 feet square and the leaders from 200 to 250 yards in length, the average cost of the nets approxi- mating $100. The total catch of shad by the pound nets in 1896 num- bered 269,228, of which 114,999 roes and 102,531 bucks were obtained by Virginia fishermen, and 31,163 roes and 20,535 bucks by residents of Maryland. This yield was not so large as usual, nor were the prices so high as in former years. Unusually warm weather in April resulted in glutting the market, and prices did not recover during the season. The lowest prices received were 6 cents for roes and 3 cents for bucks, but from two to three times that amount represented the average prices. The total value of the above yield was $28,801, of which $23,268 repre- sented the Virginia and $5,533 the Maryland catch. Seining was formerly the most extensive branch of the Potomac River shad fisheries, but its importance as compared with the drift-net and pound-net fisheries is becoming less each year. The following shows the location and extent of this fishery in 1896: Dis- Number! Number of shad tance | Num- of men, caught. Localities. above | ber of | Length. inclnd- Value. Smith | seines. nae Point arta Roes. Bucks. Virginia: Miles. Yards. Stifis Whart:. 20.5556 Raters 70 | 1 800 17 1, 200 800 $172 Marlboro Point:.o--2tecs cus. 74 1 1, 800 37 4, 200 2, 800 560 GummePomtienss.. sees aes Tt 1 1, 200 20 450 300 120 Wide Wiaters.--t)2s-552s5cec 82 1 2, 200 50 4, 800 3, 200 688 Freestone Point-...-.-.-----.- 91 1 2, 400 47 14, 181 9, 454 1, 891 Occoquan Creek..-...-....... 93 2 2, 000 32 4, 800 3, 200 640 aoe nae ee es ataa aa vcinis cas 96 1 3, 200 15) 18, 000 12, 000 2, 400 aryland: ChanmantPoint) 22-362. 2.205. 99 2 1, 200 80 11, 250 9, 250 1, 550 Barslandinoy ess. 5.5 o5ses> 102 1 1, 600 18 4, 586 3, 024 552 Moxley) Pom aan. c= ccc 107 1 440 16 2, 400 1, 600 320 Pulip Hie ssse sees ccec ccce ok 109 iH 400 12 7, 200 4, 800 960 ‘Total.co=-<-- eames aecesar| Janae =-- 13 17, 240 404 73, 017 50, 428 9, 853 At Great Falls, 14 miles above Georgetown, there are a few bow nets used each spring from the last week in April to the first or second week of June. These nets are operated from a point known as “Shad Rock,” which projects into the water on the Virginia shore just below the principal falls. Three bow nets were reported from that locality in 1896, the yield numbering 360 roe shad and 240 bucks, 204 REPORT OF COMMISSIONER OF FISH AND FISHERIES. PATUXENT RIVER. The Patuxent, the most important shad stream between the Potomac and the Susquehanna, is situated wholly in Maryland, rising in Howard and Montgomery counties, and flows a distance of 110 miles to its entrance into the Chesapeake, 20 miles above the mouth of the Poto- mac. Itis navigable for steamers of 7 or 8 feet draft to Bristol, 46 miles from the mouth. Aside from the numerous apparatus of capture, fish meet with no serious obstruction to their ascent of the river until near Laurel, 95 miles from the mouth, where the river is crossed by two dams for developing water-power. Because of the numerous fisheries in the lower half of the river and the narrowness of the stream very few shad ever reach Laurel and none ever pass above the dams at that town. Of the 52,354 shad taken in 1896, 24,375 were obtained by means of seines, 19,700 by drift nets, and 8,279 by pound nets. As the fish enter the river they encounter first the pound nets near the mouth; after proceeding about 35 miles they reach the lowest seine beach, and a short distance farther up, between Dunkirk and Leon, they reach the drift-net grounds. The pound nets operated in the lower end of the river are mostly between Point Patience and Drum Point. They are small, averaging in value only $125 each, and have small mesh, depending more on taking alewives than shad. The catch of shad by the 33 nets in 1896 numbered 3,305 roes and 4,974 bucks, worth $910 at local values. The yield of alewives in the same nets numbered 795,830, valued locally at $2,152. The seine beaches are located entirely in the upper reaches in Prince George and Anne Arundel counties, from Hill’s Landing to Leon where the river is 500 or 600 feet wide. The seines range from 100 to 200 yards in length, with 24 or 23 inch mesh, and are worth from $80 to $300 each. Ten shad seines were used in 1896, aggregating 1,700 yards in length and $1,815 in value. The catch numbered only 9,244 roe shad and 15,131 bucks, valued locally at $2,680. Drift nets are operated only in a reach 5 or 6 miles in ieee in the vicinity of Dunkirk and Leon. The nets are each about 200 feet in length, with from 5 to 52 inch mesh, and cost $10 or $12. Of the 18 drift nets used in 1896, aggregating 1,205 yards in length, 10 hailed from Leon, Anne Arundel County; 7 from Dunkirk, Calvert County, and 1 from Nottingham, Prince George County. Thecatch numbered 19,700 shad, of which 8,520 were roes and 11,180 bucks, the aggregate value being $2,277. SUSQUEHANNA RIVER. While the Susquehanna is one of the longest rivers of the Atlantic coast, only 12 miles of its length is within the limits of Maryland. Since most of this river is situated in Pennsylvania, its general physi- cal characteristics will be noted in the description of the shad fisheries of that State. The Maryland section ranges from a half to nearly 1 mile in width, but as the water is very shoal it is navigable only a few miles above the mouth. The fall in the 12 miles from the Pennsylvania SHAD FISHERIES OF THE ATLANTIC COAST. 205 line to the entrance of the river into Chesapeake Bay is 69 feet, an aver- age of 5.75 feet per mile, the greatest within a short distance of the mouth that exists on any large river of the Atlantic coast. The impor- tance of the Susquehanna River shad fisheries suffers somewhat in com- parison with thoseof the Susquehanna Flats. The latter fishing-grounds are usually more profitable, but as a rule, they also require larger and more costly apparatus of capture than theriver fisheries. The appara- tus used in the river consists of drift nets and seines near the mouth, and fall traps and bow nets in the rapids above Port Deposit. The gill nets are drifted between the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad bridge and Port Deposit. They are similar to the nets used at the head of Chesapeake Bay, differing only in length, as the reach is not very wide. Of the 49 boats engaged in this fishery in 1896, 33 hailed from Port Deposit, 9 from Frenchtown, 5 from Perryville in Cecil County, and 2 from Lapidum in Harford County. They carried 28,672 yards of twine in lengths averaging from 125 to 130 yards each, the size of the mesh being mostly 54 inches. The yield was much smaller than usual, the catch numbering only 14,060 roe shad and 21,480 bucks, the total local value being $3,949. The seines are of two general sizes, the larger being from 600 to 800 yards in length, while the smaller ones are from 100 to 150 yards long. Of the former size there were 7 used in 1896, with an aggregate length of 5,200 yards and valuation of $4,700, requiring the services of 265 fishermen and 71 shoresmen. The catch was scarcely up to that of an average season, numbering 16,831 roe shad and 9,171 bucks, valued locally at $3,222. One of the seines caught 24,000 shad during the season of 1883. The small seines numbered 5, with 24-inch to 44-inch mesh. Thirty men were required, and the catch numbered 1,759 roe shad and 2,584 bucks, worth $507, making a total of 30,545 shad, worth $3,729, taken in seines. At various points in the rapids of the river below the Pennsylvania line there are several ‘“‘fish pots” or fall traps, consisting of a small break- water of rocks forming a triangle with the apex pointing downstream. At the apex is placed a slat-work wooden frame with the rear end raised a foot or two above the surface of the water and the front or up-river end resting on the bottom. In passing along the stream the fish meet these stone breakwaters, and following them reach the traps, upon and over which they are washed by the current, falling inte a box placed under the raised or downstream end of the trap. These traps have engendered considerable bad feeling among the fishermen on the river. An interdiction exists against their use in Pennsylvania, but they are unrestricted in the Maryland section of Susquehanna River, The number reported in 1896 was 15, and the catch of mature shad numbered 778 roes and 1,225 bucks, worth $259. On account of the increasing scarcity of fish,.bow nets are not used so extensively as was formerly the ease. They are operated from boats and also from rocks situated in favorable places in the channel, one 206 REPORT OF COMMISSIONER OF FISH AND FISHERIES. man being required for each net. The number of nets reported in 1896 was 8, with a yield of 1,600 shad, worth $220, making a total of 69,488 shad, worth $8,157, taken in the Maryland section of the Susquehanna. Considerable complaint is made in this portion of the river regarding the refuse from a sulphide paper mill established in 1891 at Conowingo, about 10 miles from the mouth of the river. When the water is low this refuse moves back and forth with the tide, doing considerable injury to the fisheries, but during high water the refuse is carried out into the bay, where it does little damage. The rivers entering Chesapeake Bay from the east are quite different from those on the western side of the bay. The eastern tributaries are more numerous, and, draining a low, flat region, their declivity is nearly uniform and without falls. Excepting two or three of the smaller ones, they rise in the somewhat elevated area forming the western portion of Delaware and flow in a general southwesterly direction, expanding at their mouths into broad estuaries. They are tidal nearly to the upper limits, and are navigable for vessels of 5 or 6 feet draft for three- fourths or more of their length. Beginning at the southern boundary, the most important are the Pocomoke, Wicomico, Nanticoke, Choptank, and Chester rivers, yet the tributaries of these and the smaller streams are so numerous that there is probably no point on the Eastern Shore of Maryland over 8 miles distant from tide water. The shad fisheries of each of these estuaries and their tributaries will be described in succession. POCOMOKE RIVER. Pocomoke River rises in Great Cypress Swamp, on the line of Mary- land and Delaware, whence it flows between narrow banks a distance of 115 miles to its entrance in Pocomoke Sound. It is navigable for vessels of 9 feet draft to Snow Hill, about 50 miles from the mouth. The water is quite muddy, due to the suspension of the black alluvial soil from its source. Much of this earthy matter is deposited at the mouth of the river, where the accumulations of years extend for an average depth of 20 feet over 16 square miles, forming the “muds,” over which at low tide there is a depth of 4 or 5 feet of water. The shad fisheries of the Pocomoke are of considerable local importance, and extend from the mouth. of the river to several miles above Snow Hill, the principal fisheries existing at Pocomoke, Mattaponi Ferry, and Snow Hill. The yield in 1896 was less than usual, numbering 29,752, of which 23,713 were taken by men living in Worcester County and 6,039 by Somerset County fishermen. Of the total yield, 17,692 or 60 per cent were buck shad. The forms of apparatus are bow nets, drift nets, seines, and fyke nets. The bow-net or dip-net fishery yields 80 per cent of the total number of shad taken on the Pocomoke. The bow nets are similar to those used in the Carolinas, except that they are of more costly material. The frame is of tough but light wood, bent in a long, oval shape, with the longest diameter from 14 to 16 feet. Within this frame is a loose net SHAD FISHERIES OF THE ATLANTIC COAST. 207 of the best hemp twine, No. 35 or 40, with a “hang” of 5 or 6 feet, the twine measuring 200 meshes around the frame, the mesh being 44 inches. Usually two men are required for each net, one of whom operates the net while the other propels the boat; but in some instances the net is operated from a stationary point or the boat is permitted to drift with the current, requiring the services of only one man. The catch by the 97 bow nets used on this river in 1896 numbered 23,3812, of which 14,052, or 60 per cent, were bucks. The season begins during the third week of March and lasts about two months, the fish being most numerous the second or third week of April. The season in 1896 was unusually short, and consequently the catch was small, averaging only 235 shad per net. Yet this average was far in excess of that for any other river in the United States, the nearest approach being an average of 95 shad per net on Santee River, in South Carolina. During certain years as many as 1,000 shad have been taken in a single bow net on the Pocomoke. The catch is practically all marketed in the towns and settlements adjacent to the river, the price received ranging from 10 to 30 cents each. Drift nets are used in the lower end of the Pocomoke, from Shelltown to Rehobeth, and near Snow Hill, the head of navigation. They are from 40 to 60 yards long ‘“‘in gear,” and from 44 to 52 meshes deep, with 43 to 54 inch mesh, the cost ranging from $6 to $9 each. Two nets are usually carried by each boat, and generally two men are required, but in the headwaters one fisherman operates each boat. The boats in 1896 numbered 21, using 2,180 yards of twine and catching 1,293 roe shad and 1,905 bucks, valued locally at $491. The catch was the smallest for several years, the average being only 152 shad per boat. There were 6 seines used on the Pocomoke River in 1896, 1 at Cedar Hall, 4 near the mouth of Nassawango Creek, and 1 at McKee Island, above Snow Hill. They were from 70 to 100 yards in length, 8 to 12 feet deep, with 24 to 24inch mesh. The shad season extended from the last week in March to the first week in June, and the catch numbered 2,537, of which 63 per cent were bucks. In addition to this species, quantities of alewives, perch, catfish, etc., were secured in the seines. Fyke nets complete the enumeration of the apparatus in which shad are taken in the Pocomoke River, these nets being used by residents of Rehobeth and Shelltown, near the mouth of the river. They are not operated especially for shad, and secure also many eels, perch, alewives, catfish, pike, etc. They are set from the middle of September to near the last of April, and the catch of shad in the 16 nets in 1896 numbered 115 bucks and 90 roes, making a total of 29,752 shad secured in Pocomoke River. Between Pocomoke and Wicomico rivers there are three small streams entering Tangier Sound, viz: Annemessex, Big Annemessex, and Mano. kin, in which a very few shad are to be found each year, especially in the last named; but there are no established fisheries, and the shad taken incidentally are used in the homes of the fishermen. 208 REPORT OF COMMISSIONER OF FISH AND FISHERIES. WICOMICO RIVER. Wicomico River rises near the elevated rim which encircles Great Cypress Swamp, in which Pocomoke River has its origin, and after flow- ing a distance of 35 miles enters the head of Tangier Sound. Near its mouth it expands into a broad, shallow sheet of water, called Monie Bay, characteristic of nearly all tributaries of Chesapeake Bay. It is navigable for vessels of 7 feet draft from the bay to Salisbury, 23 miles above the mouth, where the lowest milldam crosses the stream. For many years the river was made a receptacle for refuse matter from the numerous sawmills on its banks, to the great injury of the spawning- grounds; but during recent years this refuse has been burned in the mill yards. Considering its small size, the yield of shad on the Wicom- icois remarkable, with a navigable length of only 23 miles the product averaging about 75,000 shad annually. In actual yield it ranks third among Eastern Shore rivers, being surpassed by the Choptank and the Nanticoke. The apparatus employed consists of drift nets, stake nets, seines, pound nets, and fyke nets, the catch by the first named in 1896 being 67 per cent of the total yield on the river. Drift nets are operated from White Haven to Williams Point, 1 mile below Salisbury, a distance of 12 miles. The length of the nets varies from 100 yards at White Haven to 40 yards at Williams Point, and the depth from 53 to 31 meshes, with from 4¢ to 54 inch mesh. The season begins about the middle of March and lasts six weeks, the catch rang- ing from 100 to 900 shad to each boat. The yield in 1896 was unusually small, averaging only 274 shad per boat, the catch by the 166 boats, using 307 nets, numbering 21,275 roes and 24,123 bucks, valued locally at $5,442. There are usually several rows of stake nets operated each year near the nouth of the Wicomico River by men living at Victor and Mount Vernon, in Somerset County. The nets are 20 yards long, 40 meshes deep, with 5 to 54 inch mesh, and are worth about $4 each. The season begins about the third week of March and lasts four or five weeks, the yield averaging about 250 shad per boat. In 1896 there were 19 boats, using 70 stake nets, taking 2,320 roe shad and 2,405 bucks. The num- ber of stake nets in this portion of the river is increasing and the yield during recent years has been good, although somewhat less than usual last year. During the season covered by this report there were 5 “‘ double-heart” pound nets located on the north side of Wicomico River 4 miles below White Haven, being set across the current on the side of the channel, with one net on each string. They cost about $100 each, and the 5 nets required the services of 6 men and 3 skiffs. The season began March 14 and ended the first week in May, the catch numbering 7,064 roe and 5,472 buck shad, worth $1,667 at local valuation, and in addition thereto 57,860 alewives and also numerous striped bass, perch, catfish, spots, suckers, squeteague, etc., were taken. SHAD FISHERIES OF THE ATLANTIC COAST. 209 Three small seines were operated in 1896 near the headwaters of the river within 4 miles of Salisbury, the length ranging from 145 to 340 yards each, with 24-inch mesh in the bunt. The season for shad began the second week in March and ended the latter part of May, the catch numbering 1,544 roes and 2,510 bucks, worth $452, the seines also taking alewives, striped bass, perch, catfish, etc. The fyke nets are not set especially for shad. They are located in the lower portion of the river, 18 sets, or 36 nets, being used in the spring of 1896, requiring 9 men and 5 boats to fish them. The season for shad extended from the middle of March to the middle of May. The yield numbered 635 roes and 667 bucks, making a total catch in the Wicomico of 32,838 roe shad and 35,177 bucks, valued locally at $8,480. Except such as are sold in the immediate locality, most of the shad from this river are sent to Baltimore. For several years the State of Maryland has maintained a small shad hatchery at Salisbury, on the Wicomico River, from which several mil- lion fry are annually distributed, not only in the Wicomico but in other streams of the peninsula. NANTICOKE RIVER. The headwaters of Nanticoke River are in Kent and Sussex counties, Del., uniting in a navigable stream at Seaford and 11 miles lower down crossing into Maryland. About 5 miles from the Delaware line it receives the waters of Marshyhope Creek, and from this junction flows 30 miles to its entrance into the head of Tangier Sound. In the lower 10 miles the river is a mile or more in width and the channel 12 to 30 feet deep; thence to Vienna, 25 miles from the mouth, the width is from 500 to 150 yards and the depth about the same as in the lower portion. From Vienna to the entrance of Marshyhope Creek the width is from 200 to 250 yards and the depth generally more than 20 feet. Above that creek the width and depth gradually diminish to 100 yards and 8 feet, respectively, at Seaford, where navigation ceases. Nanticoke River ranks third in the extent of its shad fisheries among the Mary- land rivers, being surpassed only by the Choptank and Potomac. The fisheries extend from the mouth to several miles above Seaford, the total yield in 1896 being 216,308 shad, of which 52,467 were obtained in Delaware and 38,660 in Marshyhope Creek, leaving 125,181 as the number taken in the Maryland portion of the main river. The present chapter deals only with the latter section, notes on the portion located in Delaware being reserved for the description of the fisheries of that State. Drift nets, stake nets, pound nets, and fykes are the only forms of apparatus used in the shad fisheries of the Maryland section of the Nanticoke, and over 50 per cent of the yield is obtained by means of the first named. Drift nets are operated from Quantico Creek to the Delaware line, and are most numerous from Vienna to Sharptown. They measure from 175 yards in length below Vienna to 115 yards at Galestown, and F, R. 98——14 210 REPORT OF COMMISSIONER OF FISH AND FISHERIES. from 65 to 51 meshes deep, with 4% to 54 inch mesh. Each boat usually carries two nets and requires the services of two men. The season begins about the middle of March and lasts seven or eight weeks. The drifting begins usually at 1 o’clock on Monday morning of each week and on other secular days at 3 o’clock a. m., continuing until day- light. The largest catch in one day by any one boat in 1896 was 316 shad, taken on Monday, March 23, near Vienna. In one drift of a mile in length, with a net 165 yards long, 115 shad were taken. The total catch by the 73 drift-net boats numbered 62,876 shad, of which 36,566, or 58 per cent, were bucks. This catch was smaller than usual, the prices being so low that many of the men ceased fishing by the middle of April. Stake nets are used in the extreme lower end of the Nanticoke from Roaring Point to Sandy Hill. The total catch in the 282. nets numbered 11,930 roes and 5,735 bucks, valued at $2,015. A very noticeable dif- erence is observed in the proportion of roe and buck shad reported from Sandy Hill and those reported from fishing stations farther down the river. Of thetotal catch at Roaring Point, Jesterville, and Walterville over 80 per cent were roe shad, whereas at Sandy Hill the proportion that the roe bore to the total yield was less than 60 per cent. This is due to the fact that the mesh of most of the nets at Sandy Hill was 5 inches, whereas at the former places it was mostly 52 inches. One boat at Jesterville using 25 nets, with 53-inch mesh, caught 1,083 roes and 165 bucks in 1896. While the pound nets in Nanticoke River are not set especially for shad, yet numbers of this species are taken therein. Of the 26 pound nets in 1896, 4 were set between Nanticoke Point and Roaring Point and the remaining 22 above Quantico Creek. The 4 at the mouth of the river were large nets, worth over $300 each, while the others cost from $50 to $80 each. The mesh in the bowl of the nets was from 24 inches to 3 inches, small enough to retain alewives, of which large quantities were obtained. The yield of shad was somewhat larger than usual, the 4 nets at the mouth of the river taking 8,596 bucks and 6,827 roes, the proportion of the roe shad being greater than for several years preceding. The remaining 22 nets took 8,680 roe shad and 11,200 buck shad, making a total of 35,303 shad taken in the pound nets, worth $3,022 at local values. The fyke nets set in the lower part of the river, below Quantico Creek, catch a few shad with other fish. They are operated generally in sets of 2 nets each, in from 4 to 8 feet of water. In 1896, 143 fyke nets were used in the Nanticoke, of which 82 were owned at Wetip- quin and 56 at Sandy Hill. The yield of shad was 5,897 bucks and 3,440 roes, with a valuation of $795, the price being unusually low. The Nanticoke River fyke nets produce over 50 per cent of the entire yield of shad in all the fyke nets operated in the Chesapeake Bay and tributaries, including both Maryland and Virginia. SHAD FISHERIES OF THE ATLANTIC COAST. PAA bt Marshyhope Creek.—The northwest branch of Nanticoke River diverges from the main stream at Riverton, a small village in Wicomico County, and extends about 34 miles to the swamps of Kent County, Del. It has an average depth of 5 or 6 feet up to Federalsburg, 20 miles from the mouth, where it is crossed by a milldam. Consider- ing its size, the shad fisheries of Marshyhope Creek are quite extensive. They are prosecuted from the mouth to Federalsburg, but are most extensive about Brookview, known until recently as Crotcher Ferry. The catch in 1896 numbered 38,660 shad, of which 24,920 were taken in drift nets, 7,180 in seines, and 6,560 in small pound nets. The drift nets average nearly 100 yards in length, from 49 to 53 meshés deep, with 5 to 54 inch mesh. The season begins usually the last week in March and extends to about May 20. The total catch by the 38 drift- net boats in 1896 was 14,140 roes and 10,7380 bucks, valued locally at $2,366. Between Brookview and Federalsburg, on the Marshyhope Creek, there were 8 seines operated. These ranged in length from 40 to 150 yards, aggregating 545 yards, with 24-inch mesh. Forty men were employed in hauling them, the catch being 3,400 roes and 3,780 bucks, worth $823. The popular local opinion is adverse to the use of pound nets, yet 12 small nets were used above Brookview in 1896, with a total shad yield of 6,560, almost equally divided between roes and bucks. Several of the pound nets in Marshyhope Creek and a number in the Nanticoke are of an improved pattern, invented and patented by Capt. M. B. Marshall, of Vienna, Md. FISHING BAY. This bay is a broad estuary, 11 miles in length and 2 or 3 in width, connecting Transquaking and Blackwater rivers with the head of Tan- gier Sound. The depth of water in the channel approximates 20 feet, but in the extreme upper end and on the sides of the channel the depth of water averages about 5 feet. During some seasons the shad yield of Fishing Bay is of much local value, but in 1896 it was extremely small, the total catch in that year being about 9,790, whereas the aver- age catch is three or four times that amount, stake nets and pound nets being the apparatus used. The stake nets measure 16 or 18 yards in length, with from 5 to 53 inch mesh. Being set on the flats at the sides of the channel, they are very shoal, averaging 16 meshes in depth. The last season was short, extending from March 16 to the middle of April, when crabs and eels became so numerous that fishing was abandoned. The catch in the 388 stake nets amounted to 4,300 roe shad and 3,865 bucks, valued locally at $991. Of the four small pound nets used, two were located near the entrance of Blackwater River at the head of the bay, and two off Fishing Point, about 6 miles above the mouth of the bay, the yield of shad numbering 660 roes and 965 bucks. The value of these nets and the men, boats, etc., employed are set forth in the tables showing the extent of the Maryland shad fisheries. 912 REPORT OF COMMISSIONER OF FISH AND FISHERIES. Transquaking River.—This is a small stream situated wholly in Dor- chester County and entering Fishing Bay at the extreme northern part. Shad are taken by near-by residents, principally for local use. There are three forms of apparatus used, viz, pound nets, ‘stick weirs,” and bow nets, the catch by the first named being over twice as great as by the other two combined. The pound nets are small, costing probably $70 each, and are operated from the 1st of March to the end of April, and also in the fall. The number used in 1896 was 17, catching 3,846 roe and 6,378 buck shad, valued locally at $920. The “stick weirs” are constructed by fixing sticks and brush in the bed of the river so as to form a weir. They are rude contrivances, costing possibly $15 each, and the catch is entirely for local use, the yield in the 12 weirs last season approximating 850 roe shad and 1,020 bucks. In addition to shad, many alewives and other species are taken in both pound nets and weirs. A few bow nets are used on the Transquaking and its principal tribu- tary, the number in 1896 being 20, yielding 1,600 shad, about equally divided between roes and bucks. Blackwater River.—This stream is situated wholly in Dorchester County and empties into Fishing Bay, not far from the Transquaking. About 8 miles above its mouth it separates into two branches, known, respectively, as Little Blackwater and Big Blackwater. Shad ascend this river and its branches to the uppermost limits, and are taken at numerous points in drift nets and pound nets. The drift nets average 40 yards in length, 7 feet in depth, with 5-inch mesh. The 34 drift-net boats in 1896 required 36 men and used 46 nets, 1,840 yards in length, worth $184. The season began about the third week of March and lasted four or five weeks. The catch approximated 3,700, about evenly divided between roes and bucks. The pound nets and “stick weirs” used in the Blackwater and tributaries are similar to those in the. Transquaking, except that they are somewhatsmaller. Of the 39 used in these waters, 24 were in the main river, 9 in Little Blackwater, and 6 in Big Blackwater. The catch was 5,645 roe shad and 3,815 bucks, valued at $1,051, making the total yield of shad on the Blackwater River and tributaries 13,160, worth $1,480. Very few of these shad are shipped to distant markets. CHOPTANK RIVER. The Choptank is the largest and most important of the Eastern Shore rivers. From the Chesapeake to Hunting Creek, a distance of 30 miles, it is a tidal estuary, the width ranging from 5 miles to 500 yards and the depth in the channel from 70 to 20 feet, the water being nearly as salty as in Chesapeake Bay. About 18 miles above Hunting Creek it receives the waters of Tuckahoe Creek, a tributary nearly as long as the main stream above this point. The river is navigable for vessels of 9 feet draft to Denton, 7 miles above Tuckahoe Creek, and small-boat navigation extends to Greensboro, 8 miles further. The yield SHAD’ FISHERIES OF THE ATLANTIC COAST. 213 of shad 1n 1896 was nearly one-half of the total product on all the Eastern Shore streams and nearly five times as many as were taken on Sus- quehanna River, numbering 276,076 on the main stream and 62,344 on Tuckahoe Creek, a total of 338,420, valued locally at $35,810. Of the total yield 183,730, or 54 per cent, were bucks. The forms of appa- ratus used are pound nets, drift nets, seines, and stake nets, with a few shad taken in fyke nets. The location of pound nets extends from Nelson Point, near the mouth of the river, to 2 or 3 miles above the entrance of Tuckahoe Creek, but the nets are most numerous between Oxford and Windy Hill, a distance of 25 miles. In 1896 there were 24 strings with 2 pound nets each, 2 with 3 nets in a row, one string of 4 nets in a row, and 127 nets set indi- vidually, making a total of 185. Those near the mouth of the river average in value about $120, while the nets in the upper portion cost less than $40 each. The former are set more particularly for striped bass, bluefish, squeteague, perch, catfish, etc., and take comparatively few shad, while the catch by the latter consists largely of shad and ale- wives. The season begins in the lower part of the river during the second week of March, in the upper portion about ten days later, and lasts about two months, the bulk of the shad being taken from April 10 to May 10. Shad were somewhat scarce last year, and about the middle of April the weather became warm and prices fell so low that they did not even cover the expense of shipment, resulting in many of the nets being taken up. One net set near Oxford yielded 2,260 in one lift in 1895, whereas the yield during the entire season of 1896 did not equal that amount. The catch in the 185 nets numbered 52,226 roe and 62,532 buck shad, valued locally at $11,811. The drift-net fishery is most extensive from the mouth of Tuckahoe Creek to Denton, but this branch of the shad fisheries is prosecuted from Windy Hill to the head of theriver. The length of the nets ranges from 60 to 200 yards each and the depth from 40 to 60 meshes, according to the width and depth of the reach in which operated. From 2 to5 nets are carried by each boat, the latter worth from $6 to $20 and having almost invariably a crew of twomen. The season begins about the end of March and continues until nearly the middle of May. In 1896, on account of the low prices of shad, many fishermen ceased fishing earlier than usual, and the total catch by the 118 drift-net boats numbered only 33,281 roe and 47,310 buck shad, valued locally at $8,541. The upper limit of the stake-net fishery on the Choptank is in the vicinity of Hunting Creek, near the lower limit of the drift-net fishery, and from this point to Castle Haven, a distance of 18 miles, these nets are quite numerous. They are set on the sides of the channel where the water is from 10 to 16 feet deep. The length of nets ranges from 12 to 25 yards each and the depth from 25 to 45 meshes, dependent respectively on the strength of current and the depth of water where they are located. The size of mesh is mostly 5 inches, a few nets of 54-inch mesh being employed also. From 10 to 100 nets are used by 214 REPORT OF COMMISSIONER OF FISH AND FISHERIES. each boat, the average number being about 40 or 45. The last season began about March 20 and lasted six or seven weeks, the yield by the 34 boats numbering 18,925 roe shad and 16,350 bucks, worth $3,813. All the shad seines on Choptank River are operated within 8 miles of Denton, from Williston to Greensboro, in Caroline County. The length ranges from 120 to 325 yards each, and the depth from 10 to 30 feet. The seine shores are not so valuable as twenty or more years ago, but at present are worth from $50 to $500 each. In 1896 there were 14 seines operated on this river, with an aggregate length of 3,293 yards, and valuation of $1,460, requiring the services of 71 men, 14 boats worth $189, and $1,200 of shore property. The season began the third week of March and ended on May 15, as required by a State law. The large seines inake about 12 hauls each day during the run ' of fish, the smaller ones being hauled somewhat more frequently. The most important of the seine fisheries is the Cedar Island fishery, owned by Mr. B. G. Stevens, which in some seasons takes 19,000 or 12,000 shad. The total shad yield in the 14 seines was 45,050, of which 24,110 were bucks, the local value being $5,183. Between Dover Bridge and the entrance of Tuckahoe Creek there are usually a score or more fyke nets, in which a few shad are taken, the yield in 1896 numbering 402, of which over 70 per cent were bucks. Until recently there were several ‘‘ pound weirs,” or ‘stick weirs,” in the headwaters of the Choptank, but legislation adverse to their use resulted in this branch of shad fishery being abandoned in 1895, Nearly all the shad taken in the Choptank River are shipped by steamer to Baltimore, and as most of them reach market after April 10, when large supplies are being received from Virginia waters and Delaware Bay, the price at which they are sold is necessarily quite low. This was especially true during the season herein reported, when the market was so glutted about the middle of April that many Choptank River shad were thrown away, and other shipments did not bring enough to pay expenses of marketing them. Tuckahoe Creek.—This is the only tributary of Choptank River that has shad fisheries of any importance. Branching off about 8 miles below Denton, it is navigable for vessels of 8 feet draft for a distance of 10 miles. A small shad hatchery has been maintained for many years by the State of Maryland at Cowarts Point, a few miles above the mouth, from which five or ten million young shad are annually distributed. The shad fisheries of Tuckahoe Creek extend from the Choptank to Hillsboro, the yield in 1896 being 62,344, rendering it one of the most important shad streams on the Atlantic coast for its size. The forms of apparatus used are drift nets and seines, with a few pound nets and weirs. The drift-net stations on Tuckahoe Creek are Cowarts Point (14 boats) and New Bridge (2 boats) in Caroline County, and Rees Landing and New Bridge (13 boats), Covey Landing (5 boats), Frank Landing (2 boats) and ‘Todd Landing (2 boats) in Talbot County. { SHAD FISHERIES OF THE ATLANTIC COAST. 215 The nets are from 60 to 90 yards in length and are about 55 meshes deep, with 5 to54inch mesh. The 58 boats in 1896 used 117 drift nets, with an aggregate length of 8,802 yards and valuation of $1,140. The season began about the Ist of April and closed, according to law, on May 15. The catch per boat ranged from 200 to 2,000 shad, and aver- aged something over 1,000, the total catch of the 38 boats being 39,670, almost equally divided between roes and bucks, the number of the former being 20,040 and the latter 19,630. The seine beaches on Tuckahoe Creek extend from Hillsboro to within 8 miles of the mouth of the river. Eight beaches were occu- pied last year, of which 2 were new ones. The seines range in length from 110 to 300 yards and from 9 to 37 feet in depth, with 24-inch mesh generally. The catch of shad numbered 9,001 roes and 13,194 bucks, the proportion of the roes being smaller than usual. Several pound nets and fyke nets are operated from the Talbot side of Tuckahoe Creek, taking a few shad, as well as alewives, perch, cat- fish, etc. Nine pound nets and 34 fykes were used in 1896, the former taking 283 and the latter 196 shad, as appears from the table showing the extent of the Maryland shad fisheries. Except sufficient for local consumption and for sale in the neighboring settlements and towns, all the shad taken on Tuckahoe Creek, as well as on Choptank River, are shipped to Baltimore by the daily steamers connecting that port with the river. The local effect of close seasons is well illustrated by the condition on Choptank River and Tuckahoe Creek. In the lower half of the Choptank the shad season begins about the middle of March and ends about the 10th of May, whereas in Tuckahoe Creek and the upper por- tion of the Choptank the season begins about the 1st of April and closes by law on May 15, giving those sections nearly two weeks less of fishing than is enjoyed in the Lower Choptank. Asa matter of fact, taking 1,000 shad after May 15 is generally less injurious to the future prosperity of the fishery than taking an equal number before that date, since the percentage of spawned shad in the former lot is greater than in the latter, thus yielding many more young shad when the fish are caught after May 15 than when taken before that dates Catching a shad immediately before it has spawned certainly prevents it from add- ing its quota to the supply of young fish; but this is also prevented if the shad be caught near the mouth of the river a month or more before its spawning period. It can not be denied, however, that many eggs are destroyed when seines are dragged over the spawning-beds. ST. MICHAEL RIVER. Eastern Bay is a side elongation of Chesapeake Bay, covering about 100 square miles and receiving the waters of the St. Michael, Wye, and smaller rivers. There are few fish in this bay, and the only one of its tributaries in which the shad fishery is of any consequence is St. Michael River. This small estuary, lying wholly in Talbot County, “ 216 REPORT OF COMMISSIONER OF FISH AND FISHERIES. is 16 miles long and varies in depth from 12 fathoms to 8 feet or less. Shad fishing is confined to the operation of several strings of stake nets, the yield finding a market in the near-by settlements. Sixty men engaged at intervals in this fishery in 1896, using 31 boats and 92 nets, 3,690 yards in length. The season began March 25 and closed the beginning of May, the catch numbering 1,212 roe shad and 1,003 bucks, valued locally at $423. That season was unusually backward and short and the fish remarkably scarce. CHESTER RIVER, Chester River is the second largest stream entering the Chesapeake Bay on the east, being surpassed in size only by the Choptank. It is navigable for vessels of 10 feet draft to Chestertown, 26 miles from its mouth, and for 3 or 4 feet draft about 10 miles farther. The width ranges from 2 or 3 miles near the mouth to 150 feet near Millington, at the head of navigation. The shad fisheries are prosecuted from the mouth of the river to the headwaters, but the catch is most numerous in the pound nets set near the mouth and in the stake nets from Chestertown to Millington. Of the total yield in 1896, 19,584 were taken by fishermen living in Kent County and 33,923 by tishermen from Queen Anne County. The stake nets are set from Quaker Neck to Millington, the number of boats engaged in this fishery being 63, requiring 109 men to operate them. The nets measure from 20 to 50 yards in length and 30 to 45 meshes deep, with 5 to 54 inch mesh, the aggregate length of the 178 nets used in 1896 being 7,020 yards. The season began April 6 and closed about May 25, the total yield being 13,440 roes and 6,150 buck shad, worth $3,223 at local valuation. A number of drift nets were formerly operated in Chester River, but they have gradually been superseded by stake nets, only 2 being reported for 1896. both operating at Chester- town. Shad seines are used on the Chester River between Island Creek and Crumpton, 14 being employed in 1896, of which 5 were operated on the Queen Anne shore below Chestertown, the same number by men living at Chestertown, and 4 in the vicinity of Crumpton. There were also 3 seines at Queenstown, which took a very few shad. These seines measure from 400 to 150 yards in length, with 2 to 3 inch mesh, the aggregate length of the 17 being 3,835 yards. They were operated by 65 men, and in the season lasting from the middle of March to the end of May caught 3,874 roe and 6,059 buck shad, with a local valuation of $1,526. The principal pound-net fishery of Chester River is located near the mouth of the river on both sides of the channel. On the southern shore, between Love Point and the Narrows, there were 11 pound nets in 1896, the value approximating $1,570, The mesh was 24 inches, and the season for shad extended from the last week of March to the 1st SHAD FISHERIES OF THE ATLANTIC COAST. 21% of June. The yield numbered 5,080 roes and 8,610 bucks, and was worth $1,945. On the north shore of the river, between Eastern Neck Island and Swan Point, there were 51 nets set in 20 strings, the largest string con- taining 9 nets, but most of them with only 1 net each. These nets were much smaller than those on the Kent Island shore, the value of the 51 being only $3,240, and the catch of shad numbered 2,314 roes and 2,500 bucks, valued locally at $470. The yield of alewives during the same year was 768,000, worth $1,530. There were pound nets also at Chestertown, Quaker Neck, and Crumpton, the total numbering 19, worth $705. The catch of shad was 1,165 roes and 1,660 bucks, worth $413, making a total of 21,319 shad, valued at $2,826, taken in Chester River pound nets. In addition to shad, these nets take large quantities of alewives, perch, striped bass, catfish, ete. The numerous fyke nets below Chestertown take many alewives and a few shad, the latter species being merely an incidental catch. The 83 fyke nets on the river in 1896 caught 2,390 shad, of which 1,440 were bucks and 950 were roes. This river ranks second among Maryland rivers in the number of shad taken in fyke nets, being surpassed only by the Nanticoke. The surplus of Chester River shad, after supplying the local demand, is sent to Baltimore and Philadelphia, good shipping facilities existing to those points by both steamer and rail. SASSAFRAS AND ELK RIVERS. Sassafras River.—In this tidal stream, 18 miles long, there are com- paratively few shad, the great abundance of fresh water coming down from the Susquehanna attracting them past the mouth of this river. A few are obtained each year in pound nets set for alewives, perch, striped bass, etc. In 1896 there were 31 pound nets, worth $1,810, and the shad taken numbered 230 roes and 1,060 bucks, worth $166. Elk River.—Elk River rises in Chester County, Pa., and enters Chesapeake Bay near the northern extremity, having a total length of 35 miles. From Chesapeake Bay to Elkton, the head of navigation, the river is a broad estuary three-fourths of a mile wide and 16 miles in length. There are no professional shad fisheries in Elk River, but a few shad are taken in the large number of pound nets set for alewives and other species. These nets are set on both sides of the channel from the mouth to Plum Point, near the head of the river. Those near the mouth take the largest quantity of shad, 100 or more being taken in each net, whereas few of the individual nets in the upper half take over 25 shad. The pound nets in 1896 numbered 139, worth $8,020, requiring 41 boats and 85 men to operate them. Shad were taken from March 20 to the end of May, the yield of this species being 1,629 roes and 3,615 bucks, valued locally at $637. The yield of alewives was 2,327,000 in number, but this represented only a portion of the quantity that could have been secured had there been a satisfactory market for them. 218 REPORT OF COMMISSIONER OF FISH AND FISHERIES. THE SHAD FISHERIES OF DELAWARE. The shad fisheries of Delaware are prosecuted from Nanticoke River, Delaware River, Delaware Bay, and small tributaries entering them, as appears from the following series of tables: Statement, by water areas, of the number of persons employed in each branch of the shad fisheries of Delaware in 1896. Waters. Nanticoke River Broad Creek Delaware Bay Broadkiln Creek Mispillion Creek Murderkill Creek St. Jones Creek Leipsic Creek Duck Creek Delaware River Appoquinimink Creek Christiana Creek ee rr Fishermen. Pound- net. Seine. Total, ex- clusive of Bow- | duplica- net. tion. Statement of the boats, apparatus, etc., employed in the shad fisheries of Delaware in 1896. Boats. Drift nets. Stake nets. Waters. No. | Value. | No. | Length. | Value. No. | Length. | Value. Yards. Yards INamIECOKG MRIV Ore eee pocs aca e ee ee as oe 47 $546 | 85 (184. | $15 195) | 250); 2acc.see|- ane eee ibroatl Greek=. cofcccere caweeeeee scree 13 154 | 22 1, 540 B20 Lc s|cend= aces lsu ces See Mela ware shay: soe scc ces t wactgemaceeeaecee 32 1,505 | 24] 13,540 1,430 | 7 2,700 $240 Broads ni OreOk- crs st saeco ote senses oe 32 BaD | Jo 600 43) | ho-5| soe ee eae eee MispillioniCreeks-e2s2-ac soe e 2 aca 58 1,280 | 50 2, 500 400 Voucc|icccesSs bas ee Marderkill Creek: .22 12.2. cc=~-. - = sosnc= ossceeeeccess 4) 25250) TODO jeeca|ivance 2: voxel Sonaccee 857 | 22,372 Appoquinimink Creek ..........--.- 2 160 WU Nios cel b-secmes esl daeae ces 100 180 Christiana Creek... <25..--22%5<0c-co-6 6 300 (in| aoe eee ee Geaeea Pe sesas- 190 1 fy 72 Sa rN en Pe ee 68 | 8,307 | 3,187] 4 385 | 10 40 | 11,672 | 44,140 SHAD FISHERIES OF THE ATLANTIC COAST. 219 Statement showing the yield in each branch of the shad fisheries of Delaware in 1896. Drift nets. |Stake nets. Seines. pound Bow nets. Total. Waters. No. | Value.) No. | Val.) No. | Val. | No.| Val.| No. | Val.| No. | Value. Nanticoke River. ....| 22, 760 |$2, 235 |......|.-..-- 19, 722 |$1, 803 |280 | $84 |.....-.|.--.- 42, 832 | $4, 072 Broad Creek..-...- 6, 710 6909 eer cllisiemicte 2, 925 BEB Roe alee esfecmierlc asim 9, 63 5 Delaware Bay... ---.- Ade220 Iii, toon, 2007 |S672) cose se lecacne = 100 19 |S Sete ese eae 47,520 | 8,456 Broadkiln Creek-...| 2, 695 Bie (a eee Eas Le HEUE WPS EMIS BoeSclbeeeee onSage 16,500 | 2,526 Mispillion Creek-...| 47,500 | 9,726 |.....-|.-.-- 3, 180 G435|- saalesc.e.: see. Hees 50, 680 | 10, 369 Murderkill Creek-..| 3,500 (Oe eeesers| eae or 2, 900 FA el Sere eres | 2,300 ($445 | 8, 700 1, 707 Did ONES Oreck senses see: cao clEsee toe|sac eb] Liae ty 4, 060 SOM NEL alae nee eae eee 4, 060 507 Leipsic Creek Bs GOW ees =.) 2, 198 420 Duck Creeke.s. 222: SE BATE 240 |... =--| 1,500 240 - Delaware River Dy ee 20 prea acllemenee lee ae 280, 869 | 39,341 Appoquinimink | (O1eG) ae ees are! Se a bSeeecel Se oaesisoe a5 350 HSU a sal eaaseniets canoe aoe 350 55 Christiana Creek -. 600 POON Genes c)|s ee | 2,300 | 384 |- 8) Oe ee Pesce 2,900 484 otalsco.- 21 '407, 542 60,936 4,200 672 53,922 7,154 380 | 53 | 2,300 | 445 /468, 344 | 69, 260 NANTICOKE RIVER. Most of the eastern tributaries of Chesapeake Bay have their sources in the State of Delaware, yet Nanticoke River is the only one which penetrates that State sufficiently far to maintain shad fisheries within the limits of Delaware. The general physical characteristics of this stream have already been described in the chapter on the shad fisheries of Maryland. TYhe portion situated in Delaware is small, the distance from the State line to Seaford, the head of navigation, being only 8 miles. Above Seaford the river is very narrow and shallow and soon terminates in the swamps of Sussex County. The shad fisheries of the Delaware section of Nanticoke River are prosecuted by means of drift nets and seines. The former are used from the Maryland line to Sea- ford, the principal fishing centers being Seaford and Woodland, while seines are operated from 2 miles below Woodland to 2 miles above Seaford. The catch of shad by these forms of apparatus in 1896 numbered 29,470 and 22,717, respectively, while 280 were taken incidentally in pound nets, making a total yield of 52,467 shad in this section of Nan- ticoke River. The drift nets range from 70 to 90 yards in length, 49 to 55 meshes deep, with 54 to 53 inch mesh. The season now begins about March 20 and ends during the first or second week in May, being somewhat shorter during recent years than formerly. The laws of Delaware interdict the taking of shad in this river after May 31 of each year. In the vicinity of Seaford the water is so clear that all drifting must be done at night, whereas at Sharptown and below fishing is done princi- pally during the day. In 1896 there were 36 boats engaged in drifting in this section of the Nanticoke, using 85 nets, aggregating 7,184 yards in length, and manned by 72 men. The largest catch by any one boat in one day was 148 shad, and the catch during the season ranged from 4 220 REPORT OF COMMISSIONER OF FISH AND FISHERIES. 400 to 1,700 per boat, the total yield numbering 12,020 roe shad and 10,740 bucks, for which the fishermen received $2,235. Haul seines are used only in the extreme upper limits of the river, above the Maryland border line. From that point to 2 miles above Seaford there are 10 seines, measuring from 125 to 200 yards in length, 20 to 30 feet in depth, with 24 to 24 inch mesh. Five men are required at each fishery, and the beaches rent usually for about $15 annually. The season extends from the second week of March to the second or third week of May, and the catch by each seine usually ranges from .200 to 3,000 shad. The aggregate catch by the 10 seines in 1896 was - 8,702 roe shad and 11,090 bucks, valued locally at $1,803. Broad Creek.—This creek is a branch of Nanticoke River, joining that stream a short distance above the Maryland line. It penetrates the swamps of southern Delaware, and is navigable a distance of 8 miles, to Laurel. Its shad fisheries are of local importance only, the annual yieid approximating 10,000, obtained by means of drift nets and seines which differ in no particular from those used on the upper portion of the Nanticoke. In 1896 there were 11 drift-net boats and two seining crews, and the catch aggregated 9,635 shad, of which 6,710 were obtained by drift nets and 2,925 by seines. DELAWARE BAY AND RIVER. The shad fisheries prosecuted in Delaware Bay by residents of the State of Delaware are very much less extensive than those carried on by citizens of New Jersey, and the same statement is applicable to Deiaware River, although the difference in the latter is not so great. The residents of the two States fish generally on the same grounds, with similar forms of apparatus, depend on the same markets, and their interests are identical in nearly every particular. It is therefore most convenient to describe the fisheries of the two States in the same chapter, and as those prosecuted from the New J ersey shore are by far the most important the fisheries of both the bay and river will be described in the chapter relating to that State. It will suffice to state in this connection that in 1896 47,520 shad were taken in Delaware Bay and 280,869 in Delaware River by residents of Delaware, the value aggregating $47,797. The principal fishing centers on the river are Newcastle, Delaware City, Wilmington, and Port Penn, while on the bay the principal cen- ters are Bombay Hook and Bowers Beach. There are a number of small streams tributary to Delaware Bay and situated entirely within this State which yield a number of shad each year, the most important being Broadkiln, Mispillion, Murderkill, St. Jones, Leipsic, Duck, Appoquinimink, and Christiana creeks. They all rise in the central and western part of Delaware and flow in a general easterly direction to their entrance into the bay. They are short, the longest barely exceeding 25 miles, and are tidal nearly to their source. The fisheries of each will be briefly noted. SHAD FISHERIES OF THE ATLANTIC COAST. 221 Broadkiln Oreek.—This creek is situated in Sussex County and emp- ties into Delaware Bay a short distance above the breakwater at Lewes. It is nearly 20 miles long, navigable to Milton, a town of 1,200 inhab- itants, about 14 miles from the mouth. According to Dr. Shortlidge, formerly fish commissioner of Delaware, shad were not caught in Broadkiln Creek previous to plantings of fry made there about eight years ago. They are now taken in some abundance by means of seines and drift nets. The run in 1896 was smaller than usual, in 1895 it was fair, while the catch in 1892 was the best on the creek. In 1896, 18 seines were used, with an aggregate length of 1,580 yards, and worth $370. The catch of shad numbered 6,185 roes and 7,620 bucks, with a local valuation of $2,139. A State regulation makes it ‘unlawful for any person or persons to make more than one haul on the ebb tide and one haul on the flood tide for the taking of shad in Broadkiln River, or to use the rattler, which is made to scare the shad, or to use anything that might be conceived of to drive the shad,” and that the seine shall not remain across the river longer than one hour on each tide, but it does not appear that these regulations are enforced. The drift nets numbered 13, with an aggregate length of 600 yards, and a valuation of $43, and the catch numbered 1,033 roes and 1,662 bucks, worth $387 at local prices. Mispillion Creek.—This is a narrow, tortuous, sand-hill creek, enter- ing Delaware Bay about 17 miles northwest of Cape Henlopen. Near its mouth it averages 80 yards in width, and in the vicinity of Milford, the head of navigation, 18 miles from the mouth, the average width is about 30 yards. The apparatus used for taking shad are drift nets and a few seines. The former measure 50 yards in length, with 54-inch mesh, and require the services of one boat and one or two men each. Most of the 60 drift-net fishermen live at Milford, and they fish between that point and 14 miles below. The number of nets employed in 1896 was 50, the catch by which is reported at 26,000 roe shad and 21,500 bucks. Four shad seines were used on the Mispillion in the vicinity of Milford, averaging 80 yards in length, with 2-inch mesh, and requiring the services of 4 men each. The catch of shad numbered 3,180, about equally divided between roes and bucks, with a local value of $643. Murderkill Creek.—This creek is navigable from the mouth to Quillen Landing, 5 miles above Fredericka and about 124 miles from Delaware Bay. Its shad fisheries are of small extent, confined to the use of a few drift nets, seines, and bow nets by men living at Fredericka. The seines used numbered 6, with an aggregate length of 480 yards, the yield of shad approximating 2,900, worth $569, of which 1,700 were roes. Twenty drift nets were used during the same year, catching 3,500 shad, worth $693, of which about three-fifths were roes. The Murderkill is the only river in Delaware from which the use of bow nets is reported. The catch by the 10 nets was reported at 1,300 roe shad and 1,000 bucks, worth $445, making an aggregate of 8,700 as the total yield in 1896, 222 REPORT OF COMMISSIONER OF FISH AND FISHERIES. St. Jones Creek. St. Jones Creek is a tidal stream, 40 miles in length, which empties into Delaware Bay immediately above the entrance of Murderkill Creek and 75 miles below Philadelphia. It is navigable for vessels of 6-foot draft to Lebanon, 12 miles above the mouth; thence 5 feet can be carried a distance of 9 miles to Dover, the head of naviga- tion and the capital of the State. The shad fisheries are limited to the use of haul seines at Lebanon, Cherrytree Landing, and Dover. These Seines are each from 80 to 100 yards in length, with 24 to 24-inch mesh, requiring 4 men each. They had a fairly good season in 1896, the catch in the six seines numbering 1,656 roe shad and 2,404 bucks, worth $507. There is a State interdiction against placing “‘any net, seine, or other device used in fishing in or across St. Jones River on or during any flood tide.” Leipsic Creek.—Leipsic Creek differs little from the other small creeks of this State, and its shad fisheries call for no special description. A few drift nets and seines are used between the mouth of the creek and Leipsic, 10 drift nets being employed in 1896, catching 900 roe shad and 800 bucks, and 4 seines caught 500 roes and 598 bucks—a total of 2,798 shad, worth $420. Duck Creek.—This stream is narrow and winding, 15 miles in length, and empties into Delaware Bay 54 miles above Bombay Hook Point. In 1896, 14 fishermen from Smyrna, in Kent County, used 4 seines, each 80 yards in length, with 24-inch mesh. From Walker, in Newcastle County, 8 men used 2 seines, each 53 yards in length. The catch by the former approximated 1,000 shad, of which two-thirds were roe; and the catch by the Walker fishermen was about one-half as large, with the same proportion of roes and bucks. Appoquinimink Creek.—This is a tidal stream, 20 miles in length, lying altogether in Newcastle County, and emptying into Delaware River 5 miles below Port Penn and 46 miles below Philadelphia. It is _navigable for vessels of 7-foot draft to Odessa, a town of 500 inhabi- tants, 9 miles from the mouth. Two seines, each 80 yards in length, with 24-inch mesh, were used in 1896 by 6 men from Odessa. The catch of shad was small, numbering only 350, of which nearly 60 per ~ cent were roes. Christiana Creek.—For purposes of navigation this creek is the most important one in Delaware, as it forms the harbor of Wilmington. It is navigable to Wilmington, a distance of 8 miles, and above that point it is crossed by several dams for generating water power. Six seines were used in 1896, averaging 50 yards in length, with 23-inch mesh. Their catch is reported at 2,300 shad, of which two-thirds were roes. Four drift nets were also used, each 120 yards long, with 54-inch “mesh. They caught 400 roe shad and 200 bucks, making a total of 2,900 shad, worth $484, taken during the year herein reported. SHAD FISHERIES OF THE ATLANTIC COAST. THE SHAD FISHERIES OF PENNSYLVANIA. 223 The shad fisheries of Pennsylvania are confined to the Susquehanna River and to the Delaware Bay and River and their tributaries. The following series of tables shows the extent of those fisheries in detail: Statement, by water areas, of the number of persons employed in the shad fisheries of Pennsylvania in 1896. Number of fishermen. Shores-| Trans- Waters. ar Orters Total. Drift-net. | Seine.| Bow-net. |Spear.| Total. Pp : Susquehanna River: Below Columbia dam ........-.|------.-- 286 BIO) eae = 337 337 A'bove Columbia dam... ---2.<<|..s..<..< 19) |omaccncaiaic|ticaacie's 79 79 MMMM A IVOW sas ec sce lcciiaeecn||schicee cee ao DO Se eiws aeltars|| oc ance 12 12 Delaware Bay ......-.----.------ AT [eemresnia| Cactnitiet=aeinic | seicie ses ial il Delaware River: Below Scudder Falls.-.......-.-. 340 149) acme a ata eter 489) Raa ec (ee eiteers 489 Above Scudder Falls .........- 2 155} P= soraoae see 30 187 16 2 205 Tia Ae epee eee ted 353 | 681 51 30 | 1,115 16 Dy | ata: Statement, by water areas, of the boats, apparatus, etc., employed in the shad fisheries of Pennsylvania in 1896. Susquehanna River: Below Columbia dam Above Columbia dam MA AbA RAVEN saa0 ssa ean ecw senie Delaware Bay Delaware River: Below Scudder Falls Above Scudder Falls Susquehanna River: Below Columbia dam ‘Above Columbia dam: 2... .cs0sscanencne Juniata River Delaware Bay Delaware River: Below Scudder Falls...... weemoniecede ce Above Scudder Falls Boats. Drift nets, Seines. Waters. No. | Value. |No. |Length.| Value. |No. |Length.| Value. Yards Yards 3 ay 0 es Cee See eeere 33 6,360 | $2,345 Le Seed BSaaaael mecomesee 16 2, 260 1, 190 BO! asta Sarton wie sl neateaows 2 170 135 2 bcp ass Rt Shon Schoo aedtanes 750 5 6, 000 ST25) |-mo cl aacectese | pacers eae sek eco sabe tacene 223 | 14,682 |167 | 64,670 | 10,268 | 15 | 5,300] 5,035 SCOR OCIS EDC CIRO COD canoes 52 1, 387 1 100 35 | 30 5,215 | 3,580 ac Qnd Soak Des sooo ee Coen ICeCEe ae 468 21, 340 |173 | 70,770 | 11,028 | 96 | 19,305 | 12, 285 Bow nets. Spears. Tan, etl P Shore Total No.| Value. |No.| Value. | Property: value ns ninajatulalanaina sia clean eaninaicee ae eames 51 $185" |-So2 |b sceece (62,605 $8, 899 5 SEAS OR Se Adoa| anced oces 54 cee leone 60 2, 027 Sen SEH CESSES SSS core ot Saeb SSH R AA | RSet Ae eS eet eee 55 220 eRe ee ee a rae mes Ee eS es AS ad I Seal 8 at lee 0 1,475 58 Date ae eel pa ap Wenn ee es ea 20,596 | 50, 581 Sa dsinaion ae cletsiangicicew cnisintdicaw sesets cilemcs|eanocs ae 30 $23 138, 085 18, 110 teeters re aia lala acmta a enon aa iaioic einiaieiaieiemlateiia aie 51 185 “30. 23 36, 451 81, 312 Statement, by water areas, of the yield of shad in Pennsylvania in 1896. Drift nets. Waters. Value. Susquehanna River: Below Columbia dam Above Columbia dam Juniata River Delaware Bay Delaware River: Below Scudder Falls. . .|277, 204 Above Scudder Falls ..| ,1, 200 297, 004 eg eee ee 54, 670 |152, 195 200 | 96, 041 Seines. Bow nets. Spears Total. No. | Value.| No. |Value.| No. /Value.| No. | Value. 53,706 | $8,120 |10, 500 |$1, 893 |......|.....-- 64, 206 |$10, 012 Fai (Fs a mi Pp abs 5,693 | 1,696 FU | BACT (PEGE A |. God c|aele clobeaeee 700 | ' 287 el oh Al eee Dn (age) EEF Soh 18,600 | 1,655 El Re Ree eae PN 429, 399 | 49, 465 i eae (Pas 5,400 | $540 |102' 641 | 16,329 36, 525 |308, 335 | 40,487 |10,500 | 1,893 /5,400 | 540 |621, 239 | 79, 445 224 REPORT OF COMMISSIONER OF FISH AND FISHERIES. SUSQUEHANNA RIVER. Susquehanna River is situated partly in Maryland and New York, but principally in Pennsylvania, traversing that State from its north- ern to its southern border. Its source is in Otsego Lake, New York, whence it flows a distance of 422 miles to its entrance into Chesapeake Bay. On account of the numerous rapids and the shoalness of the water, the river is not navigable except for skiffs in short reaches, It differs from most streams on the Atlantic coast north of Cape Lookout in that if maintains fluvial characteristics quite to its mouth and crosses the fall line very near its entrance into Chesapeake Bay, only the extreme southern end being tidal. From the mouth to Columbia, a distance of 45 miles, the width varies from a few hundred yards to something over a mile, and the channel is dotted with islands and rocks. The fall in this length is considerable, being 224 feet for the 43 miles, an average of over 5 feet per mile, resulting in numerous rapids but no abrupt falls of any moment. Aside from the large quantity of drift nets and seines near the mouth, the first serious obstruction to the ascent of shad is at Columbia, where the stream is crossed by a dam 6,800 feet long and 7 or 8 feet high, built about 1835 for the purpose of feeding the Susquehanna canal. This dam has been the principal cause of the destruction of the up-river fisheries, and its existence has naturally led to much contention between the fishermen and the owners of the dam, a brief account of which is given on pp. 225-226. Breaks fre- quently exist in this obstruction, permitting some shad to pass above it. Forty miles above Columbia the Susquehanna receives its second largest tributary, the Juniata, a stream 100 miles in length, the shad fisheries of which were formerly of considerable local importance. The second dam on the Susquehanna is at Clark Ferry, just above the entrance of the Juniata, the structure being 7 feet high and nearly 2,000 feet long. At Sunbury, 38 miles above Clark Ferry, there is another canal dam 2,600 feet long and 74 feet high. Immediately above Sunbury the Susquehanna receives its principal tributary, the West Branch, which flows a distance of 175 miles before its union with the Susquehanna, and which is obstructed by numerous dams. The Nan- ticoke dam, 7 miles below Wilkesbarre and 174 miles from Havre de Grace, is the fourth dam on the Susquehanna and has had very injuri- ous effect on the shad fisheries. This structure, completed in 1830, is of cribwork, 900 feet long and 6 feet high above low water. There are a dozen or more old fish-dams between Nanticoke dam and the New York line. The fall in this length is slight, averaging scarcely more than 2 feet per mile. At Binghamton, N. Y., 318 miles from the mouth of the river, there is a cribwork dam 450 feet long and 53 feet high at low water, extending entirely across the stream. Above Binghamton there are several primitive crib dams, producing falls of 3 to 10 feet. In the early part of the present century, before the construction of the dams above enumerated, the shad fisheries of the Susquehanna were among the most important on the Atlantic coast, extending from the SHAD FISHERIES OF THE ATLANTIC COAST. 225 mouth to some distance above the New York Stateline. But since 1835 they have been confined almost exclusively to-that portion of the river lying below the Columbia Dam. The yield between Columbia and the Maryland line in 1896 numbered 25,672 roes and 38,534 bucks, of which 21,492 roes and 32,214 bucks were taken in seines and 4,180 roes and 6,320 bucks in bow nets. Thirty-three seines were used, of which 14 were at Washington Borough, 7 at East Prospect, and 8 at Columbia. The aggregate length otf these seines was 6,360 yards and the value $2,345, The catch in 1896 was not up to the usual quantity. During the early part of the season the water was very high and in the latter part it was unusually low, thus shortening the season at each end. The bow nets used in the Susquehanna below- Columbia are similar to those in the Maryland section of the river. They are worth from $3 to $5 and require one man to each net. They were used at the following places in 1896: McCall’s Ferry, 16 nets; Fite’s Eddy, 12; Creswell, 8; Long Level, 5, and Safe Harbor, 10, making a total of 51 nets. The researches of the Wyoming Historical and Geological Society show that above the forks at Sunbury, in the early part of the present century, there were 40 fishing shores, some of which were worth $1,000 annually, the average value being about $300. There is an apparently trustworthy record of the capture of 9,997 shad at a single haul of a seine at Fish Island, near Wilkesbarre. It is reported that just below Nanticoke 3,800 shad were taken in one night, and at Monocacy Island 2,800 were taken at a single haul. At the Sterling Island fishery “over 2,000 were caught in one day in five hauls.” These large catches were, of course, exceptional and possibly somewhat overrated, but they serve to show that the yield was very great. The same society estimates the annual value of the shad catch at the 40 fisheries above noted to have been at least $12,000. At an average of 8 cents each this would make 150,000 shad. The catch on the West Branch and the Juniata combined was probably equally large, and on the main river, between Sunbury and the Maryland line, the yield was doubtless much greater, making a total of at least 500,000 shad caught each year in that portion of the Susquehanna located in Pennsylvania. This abundance continued till the construction of dams on the Susquehanna during the Thirties, the most injurious being those at Columbia, Clark Ferry, Sunbury, and Nanticoke. The Columbia dam, being nearest the mouth of the river, naturally drew to it the obloquy of those interested in the destroyed up-river fisheries, that obstruction being regarded as the prime cause of all the difficulty. The charter to the canal company required that a rafting channel should be left in the Columbia dam. Three years after its construction the State legislature directed that the company should build therein a sluice not less than 100 feet wide, with an ascent of 1 foot in 5, to promote the passage of fish. It does not appear that the company satisfactorily complied with this mandatory act, nor with a similar one F. R. 98 15 226 REPORT OF COMMISSIONER OF FISH AND FISHERIES. enacted in 1851, yet in 1863 the State formally acknowledged the dam as satisfactory. The hostile sentiment among the up-river residents increased, culminating in a mass convention at Harrisburg, composed of four or five hundred delegates, which resulted in the passage of an act by the legislature then in session requiring that the several com- panies owning or interested in dams on the Susquehanna should erect, within six months thereafter, such sluices or other devices as would permit the free passage of shad and other fish up that stream. In compliance with this enactment the canal company owning the dam at Columbia, selecting a point about a quarter of a mile from the western bank, where shad were accustomed to gather in the greatest number during the season, removed a 40-foot section of the dam and in that space built a new subdam, the top of which was about level with the water below. The lower slope of the subdam was placed at an inclination of 1 in 15, and the sides of the aperture in the main dam were dentated, so as to promote the formation of eddies in the current passing over the subdam. This structure did not appear to answer its purposes, and in 1873 the State made an appropriation for another fishway at that point, the designs consisting of a single trough 120 feet long by 60 feet wide, running through the dam, and about 150 feet back into the part below, with its upper end sunk 2 feet below the crest of the dam, the sides of the trough or fishway being protected by strong abutments built up on both sides. This also proved ineffectual, and in 1880 a third fishway was placed in the dam, consisting simply of an opening 125 feet wide, this plan being chosen because it conformed to a break in the dam, experience having shown that shad passed through such an opening more readily than through any fishway that had been constructed. In 1886 a fourth fishway was constructed on the site of the one built by the canal company in 1866. While shad do pass above the dam, yet during recent years few have been caught above Columbia, except when breaks exist in the obstruction. This was the case in 1873, 1877, 1895, 1896, and possibly during some intervening seasons. The break in 1895 occurred in the spring and many shad ascended as far as Clark Ferry. The men along the river were not prepared for their coming and few fish were caught. The break was not repaired, and in 1896 some few seines were used which did fairly well in those places where the bottom was sufficiently clean for hauling. The principal places above Columbia dam where shad were caught are Bainbridge, Marsh Run, Newmarket, McCormack Island, and Duncannon on Susquebanna River, and Newport on the Juniata. Seines were the only apparatus employed, and the number of these between Columbia dam and Clark Ferry dam was 14, with 2 on the Juniata near Newport. The length ranged from 250 yards down to 80, with 44 to 5} inch mesh. The catch in the 14 seines on the Sus- quehanna numbered 2,417 roe shad and 3,276 bucks, valued locally at $1,696. The 2 seines at Newport, on the Juniata, caught 280 roe and 420 buck shad, worth $287, making a total of 6,393 shad taken SHAD FISHERIES OF THE ATLANTIC COAST. 227 above the Columbia dam in 1896. The fishing season for shad on the Susquehanna and the Juniata rivers is limited “from Monday at sun- rise till Saturday at sunset of each week from March 15 to June 25 of each year.” In 1873, when there was a large break in Columbia dam, 9,000 shad were taken in one of the Newport seines; in 1876, when there were no breaks, 511 shad were caught, and in 1877, when there were two breaks, one 20 feet wide and one 35 feet wide, 826 shad were taken. If the break in the Columbia dam is not repaired, the catch above that point will doubtless continue to increase, as the fishermen will make preparation for them. The shad fishermen on the upper Susquehanna have three principal complaints, the first and most general one being the existence of the Columbia dam. The second complaint is that in Juniata River below the Millertown dam, and to some extent in Susquehanna River, there are a number of rough V-shaped stone breakwaters, similar to those used in the Maryland section of the river, but having a small-meshed net stretched across at the apex instead of the usual finger or fall trap. This contrivance is intended for the capture of eels, but in the late summer and early fall large quantities of young shad are caught and destroyed. The seine fishermen near the Columbia dam are charged with a practice known locally as “‘shingling,” which consists in attach- ing new shingles to weights by means of short lines and placing them in the current of water passing through the breaks in the dams. The current causes the anchored shingle to revolve rapidly, scaring the fish and thus preventing them from passing above the broken dam. DELAWARE RIVER. The shad fisheries prosecuted in Delaware River by residents of Pennsylvania are of importance, the catch averaging at least half a million, but the operations of the New Jersey fishermen are much greater. It is desirable to describe the fisheries of both sides of the river at the same time, and, those on the New Jersey side being the more numerous, an account for the entire river will be given in the chapter relating to that State. In 1896 there were 705 residents of Pennsylvania employed in the shad fisheries of Delaware River and Bay, using 173 drift nets, 45 seines, and 30 spears, and taking 550,640 shad, worth $67,449, as appears in the tables on page 223. Schuylkill River.—The Schuylkill formerly yielded many shad. Wil- liam Penn mentioned in one of his letters that ‘‘600 shad had been taken with one sweep of the seine” in that river. In 1818 the Schuylkill Navigation Company built two large dams across the stream, one at Shawmont and the other at Reading. In 1820 the city of Philadelphia built the large dam at Fairmount for water-supply purposes, thus com- pletely destroying the shad fisheries above that point. But the fishing below the Fairmount dam was remunerative until the building of the gas works a few years later, the refuse from which causes shad to avoid this river. 228 REPORT OF COMMISSIONER OF THE SHAD FISHERIES OF NEW JERSEY. FISH AND FISHERIES. The extent by water areas of the shad fisheries of New Jersey is pre- sented in the following series of three tables, showing (1) the number of persons employed; quantity and value of the catch. (2) the boats, apparatus, ete., used, and (3) the Siatement showing, by water areas, the number of persons employed in the shad fisheries of New Jersey in 1896. Number of fishermen. Total, exclu- Waters. Gill-net. sive of Shoe rere: Total. Seine. | Fyke- dupli- elt i Drift. | Stake. net. | cation. Welaw arewb Aya eacs ss eee See B65) Sasee ae POR laseosaae Bi lees sess 3 580 Delaware River below Scudder RIS en. cees eee ecm aseree cession AN OM). eeeeieee Be ese! 1, 389 Delaware River above Scudder ION SS SAS Seg ceoducaeD se COae SO sscbe232 AY Cyl Pestee 256 Cohansey Creek ....-.-.-.------- $74) |saaosccs FAD esoSiboe 52 IN UO ae ONG) ss Boagoe obnocaeed Sepaetoe beorsooc > Retest oe 2 Salem (Creek. .sescscssts-2 cose -- 0% cece cote 30 Raccoon Creeks. 2-2 seeece sek eicc|aovemensiecscccee 5 Manta Creek. a2 Seceanins omiee -lo|<55=1-f\a|smeccaiee 2 [etre WiiMote Orgel eo eng onc saceecd leoueosed|ssaceeoe 19 DENIM S MOUN Ee | 21 vies Seco sinise scien sees ete se eieeeims 2 JEG IE TNL E ih fogseeineoeecnogoe sae 3456 So>se0 ms|SSeccrac 10 Manasquan River..-......-...- Sinialosed 8 28 Shinty delat ie 18:3 asss ego sceese ssa) [soomsrios 54 54 TRS W aby BEA ocean ona bse cCescno| |cosecose 73 73. Raritan RVers sscnicc 226s sner ccs sccm osc |soceecice 1 ING Wa WORKWBAY = sion eaet 25 mason REVEL sac cnecereesecccce oecetee ce 176 176 TOtaleeeoses vcee asec het els 311 2, 701 Statement showing, by water areas, the boats, apparatus, etc., employed in the shad fisheries of New Jersey in 1896. Boats. Drift nets. Stake nets. Waters. ; No. | Value.| No. | Value.| No. |Length. Value. | Yards. Yards. IDR ER Ehgey LE2 SonecoconocnmcEenaecnc ooo 236 |$29,080 | 230 |271, 200 \¢42, 775 |........|-------- Wore 5 Delaware River below Scudder Falls ..| 606 | 60,959 | 538 |262,547 | 49,455 |........].-...... fae iano as Delaware River above Scudder Falls..| 101 3, 122 40 | 6,060 913:\||'. sweltoca lat ceeews \ eee Cohansey Creek ..................-.. 45 450 25) 2,500 O25 Pe sinasioe|anlasoateie ieee AMMO W ay. CLeGk: Jasrn\- «bees cece ce eiele 1 20) | ores Hee ss eeu Ree caes | Ales oe Sa ee ee eee SalemiCreekee a. «mse cc peenencmeisa sec 15 300 15; 4,500 TOO ji iocieia wra.n |e sce eee Raccoon Creole ce- swien- sce sass semse 4 BO) Noe eteierell ate ma mieim ate areleeletere all eteret iets) al meee eee Wamitra Cree kp orem ots ama Saeelcecisisre 1 BLN Senco Mecoenea ponesanel bocoscoc Gocsase accccs: Bicwumber Creole ees - 22 =e eee cee 4 IB Gye Sodas baSoene.) Eoopesss| poccssodl oor sors occ csc EMMIS SOUND ys cerca ec eta ce rete cree 1 WO ARS oc| Sooneoss NOspCEee Boec mead Sesooeacliboaccicar Nig lames a yee cess ee cmace eae eee 5 BUY aeons ehceneac Geb oseea bee see masasade Saticcsc: VISAS QUIADWRLV OD sooo -\se'tate soe reieiae 12 AQ) ean ates aye iotal| hte scie) tsa 8 400 | $40 Sandy ceupk*Pay seer ae. feo sent ce ee 26 FY gy Ie a ( 107 | 16,840 | 3, 900 TES Henao gee gage aoee ACS COceece 40 ya Sol Scmecood] PaCmeeAe 982 24, 304 | 4,256 FRADADORUVOL ais - si eicisicic vais acess = 1 7 essed! Sean eee parecer baperrceestescmncce WENT MEDEA Canc cos aaa 5I96 25s0beE see 13 CEB ane ecellsenccsoc|bmaue sad accacoudlecapecs sesso ccs em dRONeRIVER eee sere eens mecine cece 69." 4 0ST ec aecte se |= soee ess 1,530 | 15,282 | 7,935 Mota scecte: eee eee eee 1,180 |101,908 | 848 '546,807 | 94,518 | 2,627 | 56,826, 16,131 SHAD FISHERIES OF THE ATLANTIC COAST. 229 Statement of boats, apparatus, etc., employed in New Jersey shad fisheries—Continued. Seines. Fyke nets. | Value | mo49) Waters. Peat invest- No. |Length.| Value.} No. | Value.| erty. ment Yards. Delaware Bay ae c o.of | No. of No.of | No. of No. of | No. of roe. | buck. | V2!™e-| “roe, | buck. | Vt: | “roe. | buck. | Value 800 400 $200 iS acteie dite eiesie rae (em meaet 800 400 $200 59,119 | 36,922 | 15,589 | 45,491 | 28, 043 |$13, 252 |104,610 | 64,965 | 28,841 2,160 | 3,240 540 cera goaees. Ce aeete = 2,160} 3,240 540 62,079 | 40,562 | 16,329 | 45,491 | 28, 043 | 13, 252 |107,570 | 68,605 | 29,582 Most of the available locations on the Upper Delaware are occupied by seine fisheries, and as the last two or three seasons have yielded large returns several abandoned fisheries are being cleaned out and operated. Some of these fisheries are very old, having been operated continuously since the beginning of the present century. Lovett’s fishery, in Bucks County, was established in 1790; Lower Dutch Neck fishery, in 1810; and Badger Island fishery, in the same county, in 1812. The yield by the 59 seines in 1896 numbered 104,610 roes and 64,965 bucks, a total of 169,575, valued locally at $28,841. This yield was unusually large, more being obtained at times than could readily be disposed of, and the price received was the lowest known on the river for several years. The large run may be due somewhat to the fact that for four or five years preceding there were heavy freshets, which restricted the fishing in the early part of the season, thus permitting the shad to reach the upper waters to spawn. SHAD FISHERIES OF THE ATLANTIC COAST. 239 The following statement shows the annual catch since 1883 at the Taylorsville fishery, a short distance below Titusville: No. of No. of Year. ehade Year. had? IS Ba entero orate etaatin octesain nieiele'alaiare'acis,wia/< <(c1 TG, ||| BOS Se ase Snes eppeC BCC ocbOn CoCMConbeEaraS 955 PSO eee sreecieitaiale weteiarsts stetsia = aicia mo miele oes PSO 95m || eo erseettstae & ata a) ais ciate a\ataielte laterals eleteisiagi ote: cie 960 TET ea SiGe BS Ses Co eC SCE COC RICOBE DEED One OSB SESS Riee metre see cicecle cn nin come wiatecieeiwialccieeiccis 840 SB eres mee Cm isterals seteoeinte miaiets Sncicicie’s = ofolehatas SsOn | WSR eee eeece smite cree cise atom owe steinicieislels seers 1,177 HERS eet aae eae e see Meecoace ates seas sobamee TTB Oh PP BOb tec coe e ee eet oe wena cia chem eiiensa 2, 300 RRO Ree eee see eee eee cncewcsc eos sc slcociees MS GGE)|1S86 soe eave tinwcaiocuwecosticmicccccetr 2,491 EO Mme eesetectins recsios~sceceacmeneeree 1, 967 Although an interdiction exists against the use of spears in taking shad on Delaware River, yet that form of apparatus was used quite extensively in 1896 at the Lackawaxen dam, 146 miles above Trenton, Some of the spear fishermen operated from rowboats, while others worked from the apron of the dam. Thirty men are reported as taking 2,160 roe shad and 3,240 bucks, worth locally about $10 per hundred. There are several streams in New Jersey tributary to the Delaware, in most of which some shad are taken each season. Among these are Cohansey, Salem, Raccoon, Mantua, and Timber creeks, each of which will be described in succession. In other streams along this shore, such as Maurice River, Woodbury, Old Mans, Rancocas, Cooper, ete., there are a few shad taken for local use, but the fisheries are so inti- mately associated with the fisheries of the Delaware, or they are so small and so irregularly prosecuted, that it is not practicable to show the actnal quantity taken. Cohansey Creek.—Cohansey Creek, which enters Delaware Bay 37 miles above Cape May, is tidal as far as Bridgeton, the head of navi- gation, 20 miles from the mouth. At that point there is an earthen dam, 11 or 12 feet high, across the stream for developing water-power. While the fisheries of this creek are not of great extent, yet it ranks third in importance among the shad-producing streams of New Jersey, being surpassed in this particular only by the Delaware and Hudson rivers. The yield in 1896 numbered 21,850 shad, worth $2,592, of which 11,850 were taken by drift nets and 10,000 by seines. The drift-net fishermen live at Bridgeton and Fairton. The nets used by them average 100 yards in length, with 54-inch mesh, costing about $25 each. In 1876 the drift nets numbered 18 and the catch of shad by them was 4,000. In 1896 25 drift nets were used by 32 fishermen, the catch numbering 7,900 roe shad and 3,950 bucks, worth $1,542. The Bridgeton fishermen operated 10 seines in 1896 at various points on Cohansey Creek, averaging 60 yards in length and requiring 2 men each. The size of mesh is from 24 to 4 inches, and they are hauled for carp, striped bass, alewives, etc., as well as shad. ‘The catch of shad during the year above noted approximated 10,000, about equally divided between roes and bucks. Salem River.—Salem River rises in the northeastern part of Salem County and discharges into Delaware River at a point about 4 miles below Fort Delaware. Fishermen from the town of Salem use drift 240 REPORT OF COMMISSIONER OF FISH AND FISHERIES. nets in this stream, the nets averaging 300 yards in length, with 54-inch mesh, 2 men being required for each. Fifteen nets were used in 1896, catching about 8,000 shad, of which two-thirds were roes. Raccoon River.—The shad fisheries of Raccoon River, which enters Delaware River opposite Marcus Hook, were limited to the use of 2 small seines, each 70 yards in length, the yield in which numbered only 4,800, of which two-thirds were bucks. The small catch was due to the shad being driven away by the dumping of mud in Delaware River just below the entrance of Raccoon River. Mantua Creek.—This creek discharges into Delaware River about 10 miles below Philadelphia, at a point abreast of Mifflin Bar. Only 1 seine was used in 1896, 100 yards in length, with 3-inch mesh. The yield was about an average for recent years, numbering 2,000 shad, about equally divided between roes and bucks. Big Timber Creek.—This creek, forming the dividing line between Gloucester and Camden counties, is 30 miles in length and navigable only a short distance above the mouth, yet its shad fisheries have been successfully operated for many years. Four seines are employed, each about 100 yards in length, with 34-inch mesh; they are hauled for other species as well as shad. The catch in 1896 numbesed 4,160 roe shad and 6,240 bucks, the local value being $728. OCEAN SHORE OF NEW JERSEY. In several of the small sounds and bays on the ocean shore of New Jersey a few shad are taken each year in the seines, stake nets, and fyke nets set for other species of fish, the total yield in 1886 numbering 2,565, valued at $803. Shad were reported from Jenkins Sound, Lud- lam Bay, Barnegat Bay, Metedeconk River, and Manasquan River, the yield from each of which is shown on page 229. On the coast from Barnegat Bay to Sandy Hook numerous pound nets are operated from May 1 to October 31, in which shad are taken incidentally during May. The nets set in 1896 numbered 49, valued at $116,600, yielding 6,940 roe shad and 6,735 bucks, valued locally at $2,715, an average of 279 shad per net. This is the southernmost point on the Atlantic coast at which shad are taken in considerable numbers outside the general coast line. SANDY HOOK BAY. This bay, forming a part of the waterway tributary to the harbor of New York City, is separated from the ocean on the east by a narrow sand beach known as Sandy Hook. ‘The shad fisheries are confined to the use of stake nets, which average between 150 and 160 yards in length, with from 54 to 6 inch mesh, and cost about $40 each. The season begins about the first week in April and usually lasts four weeks. The nets used in 1896 numbered 107, with an aggregate length of 16,540 yards and valuation of $3,900, 26 boats worth $930, and 54 men being employed. The catch was much less than usual, numbering only 3,540 roe shad and 3,060 bucks, valued locally at $1,320, SHAD FISHERIES OF THE ATLANTIC COAST. 241 KARITAN BAY. taritan Bay occupies the triangular space between Staten Island, New York, and the coast of Middlesex and Monmouth counties, N. J., and its waters commingle with those of the ocean through Lower Bay. Its shad fisheries are valuable, the annual yield approximating 50,000, the forms of apparatus used being pound nets, stake nets, seines, and fyke nets. Of the 48,637 shad taken in 1896, 26,702 were obtained in pound nets, 15,675 in stake nets, 1,010 in seines, and 250 in fyke nets. ‘The stake nets are set specially for shad, but the pound nets, seines, and fyke nets depend principally on the catch of other species. The stake nets range from 20 to 40 yards in length, averaging about 25 yards, and the season extends from the first week of April to the 15th or 20th of May. The number of nets used in 1896 was 982, with an aggregate length of 24,304 yards and valuation of $4,256, requiring 73 men and 40 boats. Their catch of shad amounted to 8,515 roes and 7,160 bucks, valued locally at $3,409. The pound nets are set usually the first week of April, and shad are taken imthem from that time until about the middle of May. They are owned by men living at Port Monmouth, Belford, and Keansburg, and the number of nets operated in 1896 was 35, valued at $26,750. Twenty-seven boats, worth $5,740, and 56 men were employed, and the catch of shad, which was very much less than usual, numbered 14,552 roes and 12,150 bucks, valued locally at $4,005. The 5 seines aggregated 3,733 yards in length and $2,450 in value, with 24-inch mesh, and their catch of shad numbered 485 roes and 525 bucks, valued locally at $223. These seines are hauled principally for squeteague, striped bass, and alewives. The Port Mon- mouth fyke-net fishermen usually catch a small number of shad, the catch in the 25 fykes in 1896 numbering 140 roes and 110 bucks. Raritan River.—The Raritan is the longest river situated wholly within New Jersey. Its sources are in the northwestern part of the State, the main stream being formed by the junction of the north and south branches, 4 or 5 miles west of Somerville, whence it flows a dis- tance of 45 miles to its entrance into Raritan Bay at South Amboy. It is a tidal and navigable stream from the bay to the city of New Brunswick, a distance of 14 miles. The shad fisheries of Raritan River in 1896 consisted in the use of 11 fyke nets, worth $550, which were set near the mouth of the river from March 1 to June 10. They were operated by 1 man using 1 boat, worth $60, and the catch of shad approximated 2,500, which were sold locally at $938. These fykes are also set from September to December for striped bass. In that section of the New Jersey shore bordering New York Bay and Hudson River many shad are caught each year, the yield in 1896 being 217,858, of which 49,758 were caught in fyke nets in New York Bay and 168,800 in stake nets in Hudson River. A description of the entire fisheries of these water areas is given in the chapter on the shad fisheries of New York State. , B, 9S 16 942 REPORT OF COMMISSIONER OF THE SHAD FISHERIES OF NEW YORK. FISH AND FISHERIES. The shad fisheries of New York State are located principally in * Hudson River and the sections of New York Bay leading thereto, over 98 per cent of the yield in 1896 being obtained in those waters. A few shad are also obtained in the Nissequague River, Little Neck Bay, Gardiner Bay, Long Island Sound, and Great South Bay, but the catch in the last three bodies of water is merely incidental to the taking of other species of fish. The following series of tables shows the extent of the shad fisheries of each water area of this State: . Statement, by water areas, of the number of persons employed in each branch of the shad Jisheries of New York in 1896. Number of fishermen. Gill-net. Total, Waters. ee ines exclu: |Shores:| o¢qy Seine. oe ESE Spear. | Sive of Drift. | Stake. | Pole. ory hes duplica- tion. New York Bay: MOWOrNbGar Sete ocak hws) a so ehiete | Gs Celts Joes enn! aaaiarere TB isc rise asta 18 |p. soasee 18 Chia ( 50s) i geeeeeeod| [Se Sees la aaeao (soceaa. Isoonarce 8 oh adberse Beene 8 The wNarrows::-=..<--5 <> gD Lee eps Boe Ree | areas SSAA Be coe baemne ioc 120) eee 120 Whelan gua seqsce sen nese sar AUN oe ceelPecagasellbegséos|Esor sal ver coos 21 1 22 PlUASON RIVED Fe.c. = 2 =. = 583 64 2 PUN Be eoerte Gia ete st 901 9 910 Little Neck Bay...-.-.-.-.. PARR RGCr a DEG Onn OaeaSec | Sees anaes LO} iictemcmee 10 Nissequague River.....-. 7h lal eens S| (Reicosae la seeoud las nabod|jocesns 20 Vs jah eset se 28 Moraleesyre se case 729 85 2 250 34} 14 20 | 1,106 10| 1,116 Statement, by water areas, of the number of boats, apparatus, etc., employed in the shad jisheries of New York in 1896. Boats. Drift nets. Stake nets. Pole nets. Waters. = ; No.| Value.| No. Length.) Value.| No. |Length.) Value. |No.|Length.| Value. New York Bay: Yards GOW OL Waa Sain scnecer 4, 822 || 1888 .... 68, 450 824 | 69, 274 824 ieifiajoasa acdasssnctel eos adod(bstboaca¢ 3, 098 || 1889.... 42, 325 796 | 43,121 796 1 EEE ete ee 4 (Mesene e eeal eS ee 3,016 || 1890.... 34, 318 58 | 34,376 58 db sViiies hs BASS oe TEER Kacieone 10,741 || 1891 .... ALR Geo bsocc 20/503 |ceenee ae WSIS es seniacscm se 6)D03)|senase eee 3,412 || 1892 ..-. LLNS YAUN FS se sasec 18 7870|Se- nee Utelicnaasd Aenea seeaas IWATE eso ue sac 8,169 || 1893 .... PAL Tiley See socsae AU TTS caneee eee S70) eeeres 436, 981 13, 409 | 450, 390 6, 296 || 1894 .... SEAM AaScesacs 3 BLANC Bee goss, dc TSO 269, 918 7, 727 | 277, 645 AGUS S jee SY eRp ey oe oo 34, 909°| Svea TSS re oe 351, 678 38, 382 | 390, 060 18,196 || 1896.... BREN | ao Sonesac.- 51,690) - ee ores 1882 ....- 272, 903 2,770 | 275, 673 2, 114 From the preceding statement it appears that during the six years following 1878 the shad yield aggregated 1,726,305; during the succeed- ing six years it was 538,516, and during the six years ending in 1896 only 185,447 shad were taken in the Connecticut. The alleged reasons for the continued decrease are summed up as follows: (1) The erection of jetties at the mouth of the river, resulting in a change of the current flowing therefrom through Long Island Sound; (2) pollution of water by sewage and refuse from manufactories along the shore; (3) overfish- ing, and (4) the erection of dams across the stream, thereby preventing the fish from ascending to the spawning-beds. It is questionable whether the lirst-named factor has had any effect on the abundance of shad. The jetties deflect the current only slightly from its natural course, and should the shad not run up the Connecticut they would * doubtless appear in increased numbers at other points in Long Island Sound, which does not seem to have been the case. The second factor has undoubtedly had a very deleterious effect on the fisheries. That the sanitary conditions of the Connecticut are un- favorable to the existence of shad admits of no doubt, the sewage from the cities and the acid refuse from the numerous factories on the shores of the stream so polluting the water as to make it unfavorable to the existence of animal life therein. Especially is this the case during the summer months, when the young fish are in the river, the water becom- ing so tainted with acids and refuse that the surface is frequently spotted with dead fish. While the extensive fisheries have doubtless materially assisted in bringing about the present depleted condition of the Connecticut, yet they have merely hastened the work that would eventually be accomplished by the dams and the unsanitary state of the water, even if no fisheries existed. The most objectionable development of recent years is the concentration of the fisheries near the mouth of the river, nearly all the fish being caught before they have reached the spawning-grounds, thus reducing natural reproduction to almost an insignificant factor in keeping up the supply. It is apparent that the future of the Connecticut River shad fisheries is far more dependent on artificial propagation than has been the case in the past. But there ic SHAD FISHERIES OF THE ATLANTIC GOAST. 257 little to be said favorable to further work of this nature unless improve- ment be made in the conditions of the river. Were this accomplished, artificial propagation could doubtless greatly increase the run of fish; and if suitable restrictions were applied to the fisheries the shad reach- ing the spawning-beds between Haddam and Windsor Locks might also tend to keep up the supply. Farmington River.—The Farmington is the only one of the several tributaries of the Connecticut that has yielded shad during recent years. It rises in Berkshire County, Massachusetts, and, flowing a distance of 75 miles, enters the Connecticut about 5 miles above Hart- ford. At Poquonock, 5 miles above the mouth, there is a log dam 4 or 5 feet high and 264 feet long, entirely crossing the river. Above this point there are numerous other dams at short distances, forming a complete barrier to the ascent of fish. Formerly the shad fisheries of Farmington River were of some local importance, but during the past ten or twelve years the catch has been small. In 1881 the yield numbered 11,505, in 1882 it was 3,800, and in 1883 but 1,155 shad were caught. Since then the yield has been very small, except in 1885, when 3,400 shad were caught by seines. In 1896 one seine was used to obtain spawn for the State hatchery, catching about 500 shad, which represents the full extent of the fisheries during that year. HOUSATONIC RIVER. This river rises near Pittsfield in the western portion of Massachu- setts, and, after flowing a distance of 123 miles, enters Long Island Sound 4 miles east of Bridgeport. It is navigable for 13 miles to Derby, where it receives its principal tributary, Naugatuck River, a small rapid stream. A mile or so above Derby the Housatonic is crossed by a stone dam 22 feet high and 636 feet in length, completed in 1870 at a cost of $430,000, and developing 1,500 horsepower, used for various manufacturing purposes. The usual spring-freshet depth over the crest is 4 or 5 feet. A fishway was built in this obstruction, the designs being furnished by the late Mr. Foster, of Maine. Very soon thereafter it appeared that shad would not pass above this dam, not even attempting to enter the fishway, although many were seen in immediate proximity to the lower end. The fishway was destroyed by freshets in 1873 and has not been rebuilt. Above Birmingham the fall ot the Housatonic is very great, averaging 8 feet per mile. There are a few dams, the most important one of which is at Lanesville, where the fall obtained is 12 feet. Very few shad pass above the Birming- ham dam, and none appear to go beyond Lanesville, 40 miles above the mouth. In the early part of the present century, previous to the erec- tion of obstructions on the river, shad ascended to Falls Village, 73 miles from Long Island Sound. At that point the river falls abruptly over limestone ledges a total distance of 100 feet, forming a complete barrier to the further ascent of fish. It was reported in 1883 that 11 seines on the Housatonic caught F. R. 98——17 258 11,550 shad and 27 gill nets caught 4,500, a total of 16,050, and im 1884 that the yield in 12 seines was 39,000 and in 47 gill nets 13,000, making: a total of 52,000 shad taken on the Housatonic during that year. In 1885 the yield was 50,600; in 1886 it was reduced to 24,800, and in‘1887° the catch of shad was still further reduced to 12,400. The present: fisheries are confined to the use of a few drift nets and seines between the mouth of the river and Birmingham, the annual yield: ranging from 8,000 to 15,000 in number. The drift nets in 1896 numbered 29, with a total length of 5,640 yards, requiring 29 boats, worth $536, arid' 34 men. Of these nets, 22 were used by men living on the east side of the river’ and 7 on the west side. The season began about the middle of April and extended to the third week of June. The catch was not up to the ustial quantity, 8,286 shad being taken, of which 4,335 were roes and. 3,951 bucks. In 1896 there were 5 seines operated below Birmingham: by men living on the Fairfield County side of the river. These range in length from 150 to 250 yards, with from 3 to 5 inch mesh, and require three or four men and one boat for each. The seining season began about a week earlier and closed three weeks earlier than the drift-net season. The catch of shad was 812 roes and 780 bucks, making a total of 9,878 shad, worth $2,471, taken on the Housatonic River. Bridgeport Harbor, Pine Creek, etc.—In the harbor of Bridgeport, 3 miles west of Housatonic River, a few shad are taken each year, most of them being secured in a channel known locally as ‘“The Gut.” In 1896 6 men operated 5 drift nets in that locality, and took 652 roe shad and 365 bucks, valued locally at $285. In Pine Creek, Black Rock Harbor, Ash Creek, and several other small streams between Bridgeport and Stamford, there are a few shad taken every season by means of short drift nets. Four shad fishermen, with an equal number of boats, are reported from those waters in 1896, using 4 drift nets, the catch in the season extending from April 20 to June 10, numbering 342 roe shad and 227 bucks, worth $139. THE SHAD FISHERIES OF RHODE ISLAND. REPORT OF COMMISSIONER OF FISH AND FISHERIES. The shad caught in Rhode Island are taken incidentally in apparatus set especially for other species, except that in Warren River 6 men tised 3 pound nets, worth $920, 3 boats, worth $90, and shore property valued at $120, catching 9,258 shad. The following table shows by water areas the yield of shad in this State in 1896: Statement showing, by water areas, the yield of shad in Rhode Island in 1896. Pound nets. Miscellaneous. Total Waters. A ; No. | Value.| No. | Value.| No Value Atlantic OCGamoc saddecccess soccer teemens teres siscssims 1, 051 GAs! | seseccsleeeecaete 1, 051 $287 Warratansett bay i... see eee ee oe seen 2, 163 B89!) See eee Emel tete 2, 163 589 WiarrOMptV Orca vos eases sate er ee tee cece chee nceen 9 2585) 2.408) |b 222s st esons soe 9, 258 2, 408 Paw eatuckashiven ceca. secc cae seis ec es civic oii Reel oe ae 400 $115 400 115 Providence-Blackstone River. sce ae = oe ee oe | eee ee emai ine 500 142 500 142 Greenwich River:22-- + =.= ora ot ee ecase os oe atone eee see bor as cae 160 49 160 49 Wotal = sttte woe SCs es eS. Ee ee eee 12, 472 3, 284 1, 060 306 | 13, 532 3, 590 SHAD FISHERIES OF THE ATLANTIC COAST. 259 OCEAN SHORE OF RHODE ISLAND. Along the ocean shore of Rhode Island, from Watch Hill to Point Judith, there are several pound nets each spring in which a few shad are taken incidentally. These nets are set about April 20 and remain until the fall, catching shad during the first two or three weeks in which they are set, viz, from April 20 to May 10. There were 14 pound nets in this locality in 1896, the total value of which was $16,800, and their catch of shad is reported at 946, of which about 40 per cent were roes. The average weight of the roe shad approximated 5 pounds, while the bucks averaged in weight about 3 pounds each. The roes sold at an average price of 38 cents and the bucks at about 20 cents each. On the shore of Block Island there were 4 pound nets in 1896, valued at $4,900, in which 105 shad, worth $32, were taken. In 1895 the same 4 pound nets caught about 200 shad. NARRAGANSETT BAY. There are numerous pound nets set each spring at various points in Narragansett Bay, the principal species taken being scup, squeteague, and sea bass. The nets are most numerous off the southern shore of New- port Island, in Western Channel and between Sakonnet and Tiverton. In these pound nets a few shad are taken each year, but this species is rarely sufficiently numerous to receive special attention from the fishermen. In the 98 nets in Narragansett Bay in 1896, the catch of shad was 1,090 roes and 1,073 bucks. Over half of these were taken in 39 nets set in the Eastern Channel, between Sakonnet Point and Mount Hope Bay, the catch being 685 roes and 563 bucks. The largest yield in any single pound net was 70 roe shad and 78 bucks, obtained in a net off Rumstick Neck, at the northern end of Narragansett Bay near the mouth of Providence River. Warren River.—While a few shad run up most of the tributaries of Narragansett Bay, yet they are not in sufficient numbers to support important fisheries, and the only well-known shad stream in the State is Warren River. This small stream is a tidal arm of Narragansett Bay near its northern limit. It is only a few hundred feet in width, about 10 miles in length, and contains no obstructions to the free passage of fish. It has been an important shad stream during the last thirty years at least. In 1880 it was reported that about 5,000 shad, with an aver- age weight of 34 pounds each, were taken in 5 pound nets set in this river. In 1896 there were 3 pound nets set at the head of the river, near the Massachusetts State line. The shad season began April 20 and ended May 29, and the catch numbered 5,480 roes and 3,778 bucks, valued locally at $2,408. This was an average for recent years, the yield ranging from 6,000 to 12,000 annually. Paweatuck River.—The Paweatuck formerly yielded a large number of shad, but at present it is obstructed by numerous dams, which com- pletely block the passage of fish. Yet a few shad are taken in the 260 REPORT OF COMMISSIONER OF ISH AND FISHERIES. lower portion of this river each year, as well as in Old Warwick Cove and Patowomut River, the aggregate yield in these waters averaging about 400 annually, taken by means of seines, dip nets, ete. Providence- Blackstone River.—The numerous dams and the sewage from the city of Providence have served to almost exterminate shad from Providence-Blackstone River. But each year a few hundred are taken by seines, dip nets, and other contrivances, the yield in 1896 being estimated at 500 in number. Greenwich Bay.—Two seines hauled in Greenwich Bay in 1896 caught 108 roe shad and 52 bucks, which sold for $49. THE SHAD FISHERIES OF MASSACHUSETTS. There are no regular shad fisheries in Massachusetts, this species being caught only incidentally in connection with the taking of other fishes. The following table shows, by water areas, the yield of shad in each form of apparatus operated in this State in 1896: Drift nets. Seines. Pound nets. Total. Waters. No. Value.| No. Value.| No. Value.| No. | Value. Taunton River. ------i F i atin i ‘ . « ’ ¥ ‘ . - > i . * re: . . : ° i ‘ nes p , ‘ . 1 i iW } 6 bd LIST OF FISHES REVILLAGIGEDO ARCHIPELAGO AND NRIGHBORENG ISLANDS. DAVID STARR JORDAN anp R. C. MCGREGOR. ea ee Ae eae *. . Ean =e. Ld a a = ~ ie | tatus of the West Indies, from which it is very doubtfully distinguished by the larger spine on the preopercle, which reaches the edge of the opercle and is 24 in eye. That of P. cruentatus does not reach opercle and measures 4 in eye; its edge less rough. Body a little deeper than in P. cruentatus; depth of the latter 3 in the length. In P. carolinus the depth is 2? in the length. In color and general appearance similar. Caudal truncate. The distinction of this species from P. cruentatus is very doubtful. Socorro and Clarion islands; 4 specimens. Family LUTIANIDZ. 33. Evoplites viridis (Valenciennes). Abundant at the Revillagigedo Islands, Clarion, and Socorro; 18 specimens obtained. Family HA;MULIDZA. 34. Anisotremus davidsoni (Steindachner). One specimen from Cerros Island. 35. Anisotremus interruptus (Gill). Three specimens from Clarion and Socorro islands. Family KYPHOSIDZ. 36. Girella nigricans (Ayres). Four specimens from San Benito Island. 37. Kyphosus analogus (Gill). Eight specimens from Clarion and Socorro islands. 38. Kyphosus elegans (Peters). Fourspecimens from Clarion and Socorro islands. 39. Kyphosus lutescens (Jordan & Gilbert). A distinct species, quite different from Kyphosus elegans, differing in larger body, smaller scales, lower pectorals, and especially the larger mouth and broader teeth. In all, 19 specimens were obtained. ‘Those from Clarion Island indicate a marked dichromatism. The coloration of four typical specimens may be described as follows: 1. Everywhere bright lemon-yellow. 2. Dull dark-brown, almost black, slightly paler on lower half of body; a large lemon-yellow area beginning on the nape extending over the sides and front of the head; this includes the opercle, upper part of preopercle, suborbital and preorbital on right side, while on left side the color does not reach quite so far down; in front the color descends to a deep groove above the upper lip; under lip, tip of left pectoral, and tip of caudal also yellow; length, 16 inches. 40. 41. 42. 43. 44. FISHES FROM THE REVILLAGIGEDO ARCHIPELAGO. 219 3. The yellow patch extending backward to front of dorsal and below on sides only to a line passing horizontally through center of eye; no color on pectorals, and only a few small blotches on caudal and lower lip; length, 16 inches. 4. Everywhere dark-brown; scales of sides and lower parts with lighter centers, the brown being reduced to a mere edging; no yellow anywhere; length, 11 inches. Medialuna californiensis (Steindachner). One specimen from Cerros Island. Pamily SCIANIDZ. Genyonemus lineatus (Ayres). Five specimens from Ensenada, Todos Santos Bay. Family CHATODONTIDZ. FORCIPIGER Jordan & McGregor, new genus. Type Chelmon longirostris Cuvier & Valenciennes. This genus differs from Prognathodes Gill in having smaller scales, about 175 in a lateral series instead of 40. Chelmon Cuvier is also closely related, having the same forceps-like mouth; but in the latter genus the spinous dorsal is much less developed, containing about 9 spines. Forcipiger flavissimus Jordan & McGregor, new species. Head 24; depth 2; eye 64 in head; D. x11-22; A. 111, 17; snout 14 in head, its free part 24 in head. Body short, strongly compressed, its outline angular; anterior profile very steep, concave, extending into the forceps- like mouth. Mouth small, at tip of projected head; cleft of mouth 1} in eye. Scales 9-75-35; small, ctenoid, irregularly placed, smaller on head and bases of fins; rows along lateral line parallel with it only anteriorly; those below run horizontally on lower parts of body and irregularly upward and backward above; lateral line concurrent with back. Dorsal spines extremely strong; fifth spine 1} in head; longest soft rays 24 in head; caudal 2} in head, slightly lunate; upper lobe longer; third anal spine very long, much longer than second, 14 in head; pectoral 1} in head; ventral 14 in head. Color bright orange, deepest at base of dorsal; head and nape abruptly black to level of lower point of eye; below this point reddish pearly; breast and lower jaw nearly white; preorbital bones paler than cheeks, which are mottled with brownish; median region of top of head paler; pectoral slightly dusky; dorsal and anal colored like body; last rays of anal with a large black blotch, vertically oblong, its longest diameter a little greater than diameter of eye; not ocellated as in F. longirostris; soft rays of dorsal and anal blackish at tip, the very edge pale; caudal abruptly blackish. This species is extremely close to F. longirostris, which is common in the East Indies. The American species differs, however, in the deeper body and much larger anal spot, which is almost round in the East Indian species. This species belongs to the new genus Forcipiger, of which Chelmon longi- rostris Cuv. & Val. may be taken as type. Four specimens from Clarion and Socorro islands; one specimen from San Benedicto Island. Length, from 5 to 7inches. Type No. 5709, L. S. Jr. Univ. Mus., Clarion Island. Cheetodon nigrirostris (Gill). Sixspecimens from San Benedicto, Socorro, and Clarion islands; largest about 6 inches long. Holacanthus clarionensis (Gilbert). Eighteen specimens from Clarion and Socorro islands. A very young example from Clarion Island may be thus described: D. xiv, 17; A. 111, 18; head 4} in total length; depth 24; pec- toral equal to head; interorbital space equal to eye; eye 3in head. Color in alcohol, very pale yellow; two parallel dark-brown bands passing verti- cally from near lower edge of preopercle to occiput, one on each side of eye, 2980 REPORT OF COMMISSIONER OF FISH AND FISHERIES. 45. 46. 47. 48. 49. 50. 51. 52. the two anterior bands joining on top of head, forming an inverted A, above which is a dark-brown spot; on posterior half of body, extending from dorsal to anal, but not on these fins, are finer bands of very dark brown; between each two bands is a parallel row of spots; these are also five in number; posterior half of body dark; caudal and peduncle abruptly light; dorsal and anal plumbeous, each with an edging of black, which becomes wider on posterior rays of each fin; traces of bright orange near anterior part of dorsal. Family ZANCLIDZ. Zanclus cornutus (Linneus). Twelve fine specimens from Clarion and Socorro islands. Family TEUTHIDID4. Teuthis triostegus (Linneus). Abundant at Clarion and Socorro islands, where 18 specimens were taken. Teuthis aliala (Quoy & Gaimard). Head 33; depth 1} to 14; eye 34; maxillary 6 in head; D. rx, 30; A. 111, 26; from eye to corner of mouth 1} in head; gill- opening 1} in head; opercle short and obliquely set, 44 in head; humeral bone striate. Body ovate, strongly compressed, closely covered with small rough scales, which become shagreen-like on head; lateral line present but obscure; anterior profile strongly convex above and before the eye, thence somewhat concave and nearly vertical to the small projecting mouth. Teeth broad, digitate, each with 4 or 5 claw-like serre at tip; lower teeth with serre much smaller, forming notches. Jaws very short, about equal, about ten incisors in each. Anterior nostril moderate, close to posterior, which is much smaller. Dorsal and anal low, continuous, rounded behind; longest dorsal ray near end of fin, 2} in head; longest anal ray 2 in head; caudal lunate, upper and lower angles produced but acuminate and short; middle rays 1} in head, the outer 1 in head; caudal spine very strong, 2+ in head, attached near its posterior end; the short, sharp posterior end free, the long knife-like anterior portion slipping into a groove in the flesh; pectoral long, + longer than head; ventrals 1} in head. Color dark purplish-brown, almost black; a pale yellowish or flesh-colored crescentic area under eye; a ring of pearly whitish around mouth, not quite continuous above; a pale streak along dorsal fin, widening behind into a pale orange patch, occupying two-thirds of height of last ray; base of last ray dusky; anal marked in the same way as the soft dorsal; a very narrow pale edge to soft parts of dorsal and anal; pectoral black; caudal abruptly pale at end of black caudal peduncle, with a curved dark streak parallel with edge of fin and nearly the diameter of the eye behind it; behind this a diffuse yellow area parallel with the dark streak; fin behind with a narrow pale edging; flap of opercle narrowly pale. Abundant at Clarion and Socorro islands, where 12 specimens were taken. We can not distinguish our specimens from descriptions and figures of Teuthis aliala (Acanthurus glaucopareius) of the East Indies. Xesurus punctatus (Gill). Two adults from Socorro Island. Xesurus clarionis (Gilbert & Starks). Twelve specimens from Clarion and Socorro islands. Family BALISTIDZ. Pachynathus capistratus (Shaw). Six specimens from Clarion and Socorro islands. Melichthys bispinosus Gilbert. Nine specimens from Socorzo and Clarion islands. Xanthichthys mento (Jordan & Gilbert). Seventeen specimens from Clarion | and Socorro islands. FISHES FROM THE REVILLAGIGEDO ARCHIPELAGO. 281 Family MONACANTHIDZ. 53. Cantherines carole Jordan & McGregor, new species. (Plate 6.) Head 3,5; depth 2; D. 1-38; A. 34; eye 54. Body elliptical, compressed 3 anterior profile somewhat concave, oblique; mouth small; teeth large, white, and irregular. Gill-opening somewhat in front of pectoral, its length 34 in head; dorsal spine very stout and straight; everywhere rough, but without distinct barbs; 14in head; dorsal rays 2 in head; anal ray 2 in head; caudal short and rounded, 13 in head; pectoral 24 in head. Pelvie bone with ven- tral spine firmly attached, with about 10 radiating spinules; ventral flap little developed; caudal peduncle with four strong, bluntish spines, turned forward and arrayed in two pairs, one above and one below the middle line. Color dull grayish-olive; head finely speckled with darker; fins all pale; lips whitish. Length 11 inches; two specimens from Socorro Island. The species is named for Mrs. Charlotte C. McGregor. 54. Ceratacanthus scriptus (Osbeck). Thirteen specimens from Clarion and Socorro islands. A specimen has been recently sent us from the Venados Islands at Mazatlan, by Dr. George Warren Rogers. Family TETRAODONTIDZ. 55. Ovoices setosus (Rosa Smith). Very abundant about Socorro and Clarion islands; 48 fine specimens taken; mostly in shallow water during low tide at Clarion Island. These vary in color from pure lemon-yellow to indigo- blue and dark brown, with round white spots. There are also various intergradations, as yellow blotched with blue, the singular variations in coloration being parallel with those of Kyphosus lutescens. Family DIODONTIDZ. 56. Diodon hystrix Linnzus. Five specimens from Clarion and Socorro islands. Family BMBIOTOCIDZ. 57. Abeona minima (Gibbons). One specimen. Todos Santos Bay. 58. Brachyistius frenatus Gill. Five specimens from Guadalupe Island, 4 to 5 inchesin length. These are somewhat deeper than the typical form from California, but we do not think them specifically distinct. Also taken at Todos Santos Islands. Head 3; depth 2; D. vi11-13; A. 111, 22; scales 44; eye in head 3; pectoral in head 14; ventral14; second anal spine 44; middle caudal rays 2}. Body short and compressed; back elevated; head depressed above snout, which sharply projects; mouth, small, projecting, maxillary not reaching to opposite eye. Gillrakers 23, slender. Color olivaceous above with darker blotches on each scale, forming lengthwise stripes; lower parts tinged with coppery; a large moon-shaped black spot in axil of pec- toral, nearly as large as eye, but not so wide; fins pale, lower ones, especially caudal, flushed with orange. 59. Embiotoca jacksoni Agassiz. Specimens taken at Todos Santos, San Benito, Cerros, and Guadalupe islands. 60. Tzniotoca lateralis (Agassiz). Two specimens from San Benito Islands. Family POMACENTRIDZ. AZURINA Jordan & McGregor, new genus. This genus is closely allied to Chromis, from which it differs in the long and slender body, the low vertical fins, the very deeply forked tail, the pointed snout, and especially in the continuous lateral line which extends much beyond the dorsal fin, and is wanting on but two or three scales. 282 REPORT OF COMMISSIONER OF FISH AND FISHERIES. 61. Azurina hirundo Jordan & McGregor, new species. (Plate 7.) Head 4 in length; depth 34; D. x11, 11; A. 11, 11; scales 34; maxillary 3 in head; eye 44; pectoral 1; ventral 14; longest dorsal spine 33; longest soft ray 3%; second anal spine 34; longest anal ray 3; caudal lobes 1}; middle caudal rays 4. Body elongate, elliptical, slender, and symmetrical, moder- ately compressed; snout acute; profile slightly depressed above. Eye moderate, larger than in related species; maxillary reaching to below front of eye. Teeth conical, rather few and small, in narrow bands or almost a single series. Preorbital very narrow, about one-half eye; suborbital hid- den by scales. Preopercle narrow, largely free, its edge slightly crenulate; gillrakers 36, long and slender; head covered with small scales except throat and tip of snout; those on body large and ctenoid, lateral line strongly curved, continuous, extending downward along the tail, wanting on two or three scales only. Caudal deeply forked. Color deep steel-blue above, slightly paler below, with a tinge of orange at throat; pectoral light yellow, dusky at base; other fins black, each with a narrow whitish edge. West coast of Mexico. Three specimens from Guadalupe Island, each 64 inches long. A beautiful fish with a symmetrical outline, unusual in this family. Type No. 5706, L. 8S. Jr. Univ. Museum. 62. Chromis punctipinnis (Cooper). Many young from Todos Santos Island; adult examples from Guadalupe, Cerros, and San Benedicto Islands. 63. Abudefduf saxatilis (Linneus). Abundant in the tide pools at Clarion Island; 11 specimens taken. 64. Eupomacentrus leucorus (Gilbert). Socorro Island, 6 specimens; San Bene- dicto Island, 6 specimens; Clarion Island, 4 specimens; a strongly marked species. 65. Eupomacentrus rectifrenum (Gill). Six specimens from Clarion and Socorro islands. 66. Eupomacentrus flavilatus (Gill). Head 34; depth 2; D. xu, 15; A. 11, 13; scales 29; eye in head 34; pectoral in head 14; ventral in head 1; longest dorsal spine 2; second anal spine 2; body deep, robust; anterior profile more or less convex and broad; general appearance of EL. rectrifrenum, from which this seems to differ only in color. No blue spots, even in specimens 3 to 5 inches long; posterior part of body, especially pectoral and caudal, light yellow; rest of body paler than in £. rectrifrenum, but color variable; ventrals black; dorsal and anal dusky, more or less pale posteriorly; pec- toral with a very distinct black spot at base of upper rays. The latter species has the tail and caudal as dark as other fins, which is not the case in E. flavilatus. Twelve specimens from Socorro Island, two from Clarion Island, and one from San Benedicto Island. 67. Hypsypops rubicundus (Girard). One young example, 4 inches long, from Guadalupe Island agrees in the distribution of blue spots with Mrs. Eigen- mann’s description. Eight specimens of different sizes from Todos Santos and Cerros islands. 68. Microspathodon dorsalis (Gill). Microspathodon cinereus Gilbert; adult; Microspathodon azurissimus Jordan & Culver; partly grown. Ten very fine specimens from Clarion and Socorro islands. 69. Microspathodon bairdii (Gill). Head 3; depth 1}; D. x11, 16; A.11, 14; scales 3-29-10. Body short, compressed, elongated; nape abruptly produced behind and above a depression which lies above eye, nape thus projecting forward in a fleshy crest. Anterior profile steep with fleshy corrugations separated by depressions. Tip of snout above premaxillary enlarged toa fleshy pad, under which the jaw slips, separated from preorbital and top of head by adeep crease, deeper in larger specimens. Nostril midway between eye and crest, its size much larger than in M. dorsalis, being } diameter of eye. In M. dorsalis of same size the nostril is reduced to a small pore, about 70. 71. 72. 73. Ua: 75. 76. 77. 78. 79. 80. FISHES FROM THE REVILLAGIGEDO ARCHIPELAGO. 283 4 ofeye. Preorbital lower than in MW. dorsalis, its height 2% in head in adult; in M. dorsalis of same size the preorbital is 2} in head. Teeth small, trun- cate, movable, about as in VW. dorsalis; lower jaw shorter; width of mouth 2 in head; 4 or 5 rows of scaleson cheek. Caudal peduncle short and deep, length 24 in head, its depth 2 in head. Dorsal elevated but not falcate, simply angular, its longest ray 1} in head; anal similar, its longest ray 14 in head; caudal lunate, its lobes not produced, the upper longer, 1} in head; pectoral 1} in head; ventral 14 in head. Color uniform deep blue-black without paler margins to fins, except very narrow line on upper ray of pectoral and upper lobe of caudal; no spots. This species is well separated from M. dorsalis, differing in the much larger nostril, fleshy hump at nape, in lower preorbital, and in the uneven slope of profile, as well as the absence of falcate tips to fins. The very small speci- mens which have been named Microspathodon bairdii seem to be the young of this species, having the large nostril and the nonfalcate fins. The bright orange markings seem to disappear with advanced age. One adult from San Benito Island; three adults from Socorro Island. Family LABRIDZ. Harpe diplotznia Gill. Thirteen large specimens from Socorro and Clarion islands. Pimelometopon pulcher (Ayres). One specimen from Todos Santos Bay and one from Guadalupe Island. Iridio semicinctus (Ayres). Several specimens taken at Cerros Island; one from Todos Santos Bay. Julidio notospilus (Giinther). A number of young, half an inch long, from Clarion Island. Oxyjulis californicus (Giinther). Specimens from Guadalupe Island and San Geronimo Island. Thalassoma grammaticum Gilbert. Clarion Island. Numerous specimens. Family MALACANTHIDZ. Caulolatilus princeps (Jenyns). Two specimens from San Martin Island. Family CIRRHITIDZA. Cirrhites rivulatus Valenciennes. Four fine specimens from Clarion and Socorro islands. Family SCORPAiNIDZ&. Sebastodes flavidus (Ayres). One young specimen, 5 inches long, from Todos Santos Island. Sebastodes chrysomelas (Jordan & Gilbert). One specimen from Todos Santos Bay. Sebastopsis xyris Jordan & Gilbert. Head 23; depth 34; D. x11-1,10; A. 11,5; scales 48; maxillary in head 14; eye 34; pectoral about 1; longest dorsal spine 2%; second anal spine 13%; ventral 14; middle caudal ray about 2. Body moderately elongate; head rather sharp; jaws equal; inter- orbital space concave; top of head scaly and without occipital depression; nasal spines sharp with a fleshy flap nearly as long as pupil. Spines above eye each with a similar fleshy flap. Preorbital, superorbital, postorbital, and tympanic spines present, each sharp and high. Occipital and nuchal spines also well developed; a small temporal spine; a small spine under the eye on the sharp stay; a spine at end of stay in front of the preopercular spine; the last has asmall spine at its base; two sharp spines below opercular spine. Cheeks and opercle covered with ctenoid and imbricated scales without flaps; body scales ctenoid and closely imbricated, without flaps. 284 REPORT OF COMMISSIONER OF FISH AND FISHERIES. 81. 82. 83. 84. 85. 86. 87. 88. Gillrakers very short and slender. Breast covered with imbricated cycloid scales. Villiform teeth on jaws and vomer, none onpalatines. Dorsal thin and moderately deeply notched; caudal rounded; third anal spine greater than second; pectoral with upper rays branched; lower or simple rays thickened and the upper of them longer than any of the branched rays. Color light-olive, irregularly banded and blotched with darker; flushed with cherry-red; subopercle with large black blotch somewhat ocellated. Head blotched with olive and paler. Jaws and throat largely orange. Dorsal mottled with blood-red, orange, and whitish. Pale-yellowish bar across soft dorsal, then a blackish streak; rest of fin white, tipped with black; caudal largely bright-scarlet, black toward tip. Anal largely scarlet, mottled with black; pectoral yellowish, barred with white and black, lower part of fin washed with scarlet; ventral light yellow, witha few black spots on posterior half, and scarlet spots on anterior portion. The most definite marks are a dark bar from soft dorsal to base of anal, everywhere washed with scarlet, and black spot on the subopercle. Three specimens collected at Socorro Island, 34, 24, and 2 inches, respectively. Family COTTIDA.. Clinocottus analis (Girard). Todos Santos and San Martin islands. Family GOBIIDZ. Gobius soporator Cuvier & Valenciennes. Numerous specimens taken in the tide pools at Socorro and Clarion islands. Gobius zebra Gilbert. ‘wo specimens from Todos Santos and Clarion islands; larger one 1# inches. ‘The colors in life—blue stripes on a crimson ground— were very beautiful. Family GOBIESOCID 4. Gobiesox adustus Jordan & Gilbert. Twospecimens, each an inch long, in tide pools at Clarion Island. Family BLENNIIDZ. Heterostichus rostratus Girard. Interorbital}less than orbit. One specimen, 7 inches long, from Guadalupe Island. Gibbonsia elegans (Cooper). One specimen from San Martin Island. Entomacrodus chiostictus (Jordan & Gilbert). Specimens taken 1n tide pools at Clarion and Socorro islands. Family PLEURONECTID&. Platophrys leopardinus (Giinther). Three specimens taken at Clarion Island. Length of each about 3 inches. PLATE 4. (To face page 284.) Report U. S. F. C. 1898. MYRICHTHYS PANTOSTIGMIUS Jordan & McGregor. New species. ap a0 1 ny ’ : Cl . ts , fo. WE ube 7 ¥ 14 A, 4 i i + i ut ; ' tv ye i . 7 7 Report U. S. F.C, 1898. (To face page 284.) ‘OBO 7B UePIOP AGIT1S SADOWZ ‘saloads Mau pue snuas Maly PLATE 5. PLATE 6. (To face page 284.) Report U. S. F. C. 1898. CANTHERINES CAROLAZ Jordan & McGregor. New species. Report U.S. F. C. 1898. (To face page 284.) PLATE 7. OBA 78 UePIOF OGNNYIH YNIYNZV ‘saioads Mau pur snued MAN ee Orne ON INVESTIGATIONS BY THE UNITED STATES FISH COMMISSION IN MISSISSIPPI; LOUISIANA, AND TEXAS, IN 1897. By BARTON WARREN EVERMANN, Pu. D., Ichthyologist of the United States Fish Commission. put RA he fe SS eae a ¢4 . CMCTRKY TALE CATE TA TT Pe eae ee rAPPRE tp upttl Kl Chad) EE. PAS IOP ere ae - % a | A Si aus bi Per iE we. Tir seis ch 7” Je-way 1 Wl. Sides tbh, dD, +e PLAN * REPORT ON INVESTIGATIONS BY THE U. 8. FISH COMMISSION IN MISSISSIPPI, LOUISIANA, AND TEXAS, IN 1897. By BARTON WARREN EVERMANN, PH. D., Ichthyologist of the United States Fish Commission. INTRODUCTION. In the present paper are embodied reports upon three distinct inves- tigations, viz: 1. An examination of the waters in southwestern Mississippi in the vicinity of the mouths of Pearl River, for the purpose of determining their general character, what fishes they already contain, and whether additional species may be advantageously introduced into them. This investigation was made at the instance of Hon. Robert C. Davey, Rep- resentative in Congress from the second district of Louisiana, Hon. A. Baldwin, of New Orleans, and other gentlemen of that city, who take an interest in keeping up the supply of game and food-fishes of that region. ‘2. An investigation of the catfish industry of the Atchafalaya River, Louisiana. Representations had been made to the Commission by the fishing firms of Morgan City, through Hon. Robert F. Broussard, Rep- resentative in Congress from the third district of Louisiana, that the catch of catfish had greatly decreased within the last few years. It was requested that an investigation be made as to the fact and cause of the decrease, and that recommendations be made as to the remedy. 3. Upon the recommendation of Hon. 8S. B. Cooper, Representative in Congress from the second district of Texas, an examination was made of the Sabine and Neches rivers with reference to their fitness for shad. These various investigations were carried on under the immediate direction of Professor Evermann, who was assisted in the field work by Mr. Fred. M. Chamberlain and Mr. H. hk. Center, both of the division of scientific inquiry of the U. 8S. Fish Commission. The party left Washington April 13, 1897, arriving at New Orleans the next day. On the 15th they went to Baldwin Lodge, Mississippi, at the mouth of Pearl River, where investigations were carried on by the entire party until April 18, and by Messrs. Chamberlain and Center for one day longer. On the 19th Professor Evermann went to Morgan City, and at once went on board the fishing tug Shamrock for a trip through those portions of the Atchafalaya River and its connecting lakes and bayous 287 288 REPORT OF COMMISSIONER OF FISH AND FISHERIES. in which catfish fishing is carried on, returning to Morgan City on the 21st, where he remained until the 24th. Messrs. Chamberlain and Center reached Morgan City on April 20, and the next four days were devoted to examining the fish which were being prepared for shipment in the three fish-houses of that place. Collections were also made in the waters about Morgan City. On April 24 Professor Evermann went to New Iberia, at Mr. Brous- sard’s request, to examine Lakes Tasse and Peigneur, in that vicinity. Mr. Chamberlain joined him on the evening of the 25th, when both proceeded to Beaumont, Tex., where they spent one day, and then proceeded to Lufkin, Tex. After spending one day at Lufkin, examining the Neches and Angelina rivers, they went to Logansport, where the Sabine River was examined April 29. From Logansport Mr. Chamberlain went to Melville, La., where he spent four days examining the catfish handled there, while Professor Evermann went to Athens, Ga., to examine a site for a proposed fish-hatchery at that place. Mr. Center remained at Morgan City compiling the statis- tics of the catfish fishery at that place until April 27, when he returned to Washington. Professor Evermann returned to Washington May 4. On May 7, Mr. Chamberlain completed his inquiries at Melville and the investigation was brought to a close. During the conduct of these investigations we were the recipients of numerous courtesies from various gentlemen, who by their kindly and intelligent interest contributed in no small degree to the successful completion of the work. Thanks are especially due Hon. Robert F. Broussard, Hon. A. Baldwin, and Mr. Edward G. Schlieder, of New Orleans; Messrs. Edgar Bass, John Dalton, and Manuel Coguenhem, of Morgan City, and Mr. Charles Larson, of Bayou Chéne, La. SOUTHWESTERN MISSISSIPPI. The object of the investigations in this region was to determine the general character of the waters, the species of fishes inhabiting them, their abundance and habits, and the desirability of introducing other species of food or game fishes. Baldwin Lodge, on the Louisville and Nashville Railroad, 39 miles northeast of New Orleans, was the center of our operations. This place is within a short distance of the mouth of the Pearl River, where it empties into Lake Borgne. _The surrounding country is, in the main, low, level, and subject to overflow; much of it is tide marshes and bayous, narrow channels or creeks; ponds and lakes are numerous. Bayou Isle aux Pois (or Campbell Bayou) runs immediately in the rear of Baldwin Lodge, opening into Pearl River on the west and into Grand Plains Bayou at the other end. It is about 90 feet wide and 12 feet deep. Its shores, except at Baldwin Lodge, are low and marshy, and overgrown with marsh grass and a few bushes. Grand Plains Bayou connects with this bayou to the eastward and extends several miles to the north and east. It is of the same general character and of about INVESTIGATIONS IN MISSISSIPPI, LOUISIANA, AND TEXAS. 289 the same size. Several other bayous connect with it, one of them being known as Lagoon Bayou, which is the outlet of two small lagoons. Its shores and those of the upper portion of Grand Plains Bayou are higher and more liberally supplied with water willows and other woody vegetation. Near its mouth Pearl River divides into several branches, known as West Pearl River, Middle Pearl River, etc. Opening into West Pearl River is Black Bayou, which is much frequented by anglers. It is about 40 feet wide, 5 to 15 feet deep, and several miles long. Its shores are low and marshy and covered with a dense growth of marsh grass. In the water was a rank growth of water vegetation, consisting of Ranunculus, Myriophyllum, Anacharis, Potamogeton, Nymphea, and Nuphar, both of the latter in bloom. Another bayou opening into Pearl River is known as Mulatto Bayou, which flows through the Sea Glen plantation, several miles north of Baldwin Lodge. The land along the greater length of this bayou is considerably higher than along the other bayous mentioned. At Sea Glen the ground is 5 to 15 feet above the water, and is covered with groves of magnificent pecans and a few magnolias. Many of these trees are of immense size, and the oaks are rendered unusually beau- tiful by the great mats of Polypodium growing upon their trunks and larger branches; and the masses of Tiilandsia usneoides, or long moss, hanging in long, graceful festoons, form a rich drapery to the branches. Pearl River has several outlets or mouths, all opening finally into Lake Borgne. This lake is approximately 25 miles long by 10 to 12 miles wide, the greatest length extending in a northeast and southwest direction. It is a very shallow body of water, the average depth prob- ably not exceeding 8 feet. South of Baldwin Lodge a depth of 18 to 20 feet is found, but it rarely exceeds 9 feet. The country surrounding Lake Borgne consists almost entirely of low tide marshes, with rank growths of marsh vegetation, but scarcely any bushes or trees, and is intersected and cut up by numerous narrow channels or bayous. Our visit to this region was at the time of the great flood of the Lower Mississippi, and the basin of the Pearl River was also somewhat affected. The water in all the bayous visited was deeper than usual, owing to backwater from Pearl River. Southern winds continuing for several days frequently have the same effect. At this time the water in all these bayous was practically fresh, and even Lake Borgne was not strongly brackish. In the late summer and fall, however, the water is much shallower. Ordinarily it begins to grow brackish late in April or May, and gradually increases until the fall rains set in, when it becomes gradually less brackish, and during a portion of the winter and early spring it is comparatively fresh. At this time various fresh-water species of fishes extend their range even down to Lake Borgne and its connecting bayous. Among them are large-mouthed black bass, catfish, warmouth®or “ goggle-eye” perch, gaspergou, buffalo, gar, and sunfish. During the drier season the opposite result is noticed. The fresh-water species are driven farther F. RB. 98 19 290 REPORT OF COMMISSIONER OF FISH AND FISHERIES. toward the interior, while the lower portions of the bayous are invaded by many species of salt-water and brackish-water fishes, such as red drum, sheepshead, mullet, flounder, croaker, needlefish, black drum, speckled sea-trout, porpoise, dogfish, pipefish, and the like. That portion of Mulatto Bayou lying above Sea Glen usually remains practically fresh throughout the year. 4k sae seer 94 inches. ..-|)-5-:-.-- Spawning condition. -| Slightly de- veloped. Spent. Do. Do. Slightly de- veloped. Spent. -..| Slightly _de- veloped. Spent. 0. INVESTIGATIONS IN MISSISSIPPI, LOUISIANA, AND TEXAS. 295 Table showing size, sex, and spawning condition of blue catfish, elc.—Continued Length. 124 inches .-|---.------ 14 inches. --. 114 inches -. 10} inches -- 154 inches -- 14 inches. --- 13, inches -. 14inches. 14 inches. 11 inches. 10 inches. --- 12 inches. - .- 153 inche3.- -- 134 inches. -- 143 inches- -- 123 inches... 124 inches. .. 13 inches. --. 13 inches. --- 11 inches. --. 17 inches. --- 2034 inches- -- 144 inches. -- 19 inches. --- 21 inches. -.. 193 inches. -- 17 inches. --. 164 inches- ..|- 23 inches. .--- 15 inches. ..-- 17 inches. --- 134 inches. -- 154 inches... 104 inches... 22 inches. -.-. 20 inches. .--. 19 inches. --.- 16 inches. --- 10 inches. - -- 214 inches. - 15 inches. --- 13 inches..-. 264 inches... 16 inches. .-.-.- 164 inches. -. 21 inches. --. 164 inches. - - 19 inches. --- 204 inches. - - 19 inches...-- 94 inches. --. 124 inches... 18 inches.... 16 inches...-. 134 inches. -- 19 inches. ... 163 inches... 15 inches. ... 184 inches... 174 inches..- 224 inches. -. 27 inches.... 20 inches.... 20 inches.... 164 inches. -. 15 inches. - .- 18 inches. -.- 18 inches. .-. 13 inches. --.. 24% inches. -. 154 inches... 15 inches. ... Spawnin Weight, Spawning Sex emnidiiare Length. pounds Sex. condition. Female ...| Partially de-|| 17 inches. ... veloped. 144 inches. ..|.--.------ Male.....- Spent. 164 inches -.- Male....-- Do. 264 inches... Male....-- Do. 31 inches. --. Mialeses=-- Do. 124 inches... Male....-- Do. 124 inches... Male.....- Do. 14inches..-.. Female - Do. llinches.-.-. Male....-.- Do. 21inches...-. Male...-.-.- Do. 20 inches.... Female - Do. 14h inches... Male....-.- Do. 14inches...-. Female Do. 15inches....|. Female Do. 16inches.--. Do. 16 inches. --. Do. 154 inches. -- Do. 10inches...-. x Do. 144 inches... Female - Do. 144 inches... Female --.| Ripe. 16 inches. --. Female -..| Spent. 17 inches. --- Female -. Do. 214 inches- -. Female Do. 13hinches. .- Female Do. 14h inches. . ipe. 154 inches... 14inches.... 13 inches. -.. 17 inches. --. 14inches..-.-. 16inches.... 2 184 inches. .- Female Spent. 13 inches. .-- Female 0. 134 inches. -. Male...... Do. 134 inches. -. Female Slightly de.| 124inches... veloped. 13 inches. --.. Female Spent. 16inches.... Female - Do. 134 inches... Female --- Do. 264 inches... (2) Do. 163 inches. -- Female -- Do. 22 inches... - Female -.- Do. 134 inches. -. Female Do. 124 inches... Female Do. 1linches.... Female -..| Ripe. 143 inches. -- Female Spent. 114 inches. -. Male....-.- Do. 164 inches. -- Female Do. 16 inches. ... Female Do. d. Female Do. TGanchesesee| tases Male....-- Spent. Female --- Do. 1 SAMCHEN Sse |e=5 see Female Do. Male.....- Immature. 154 inches. ..|.......---| Female. Do. Female -..| Spent. ein Ches ==) sos —eesee Female Do. Male?...--. Spent? 18 inches. ---. 3.50 | Male...... Do. Female .-.| Spent. 17 inches.... 3.25 | Female - Do. Male sess. 0. 16inches- --- 3 Male...-.- Do. Female -..| Spent. 41 inches.... 48 Female Ripe. Female - Do. 30 inches.... 17 Female ...| Spent. Female ...| Half ripe. 31inches.... 22 Female - - Do. Male... .- Spent. StinChesremalseecce =a Female ...| Ripe. Male....-- Do. 204 inches. -- 6.50 | Female Do. Female - Do. 24 inches. ... 10.50 | Female Half ripe Female --.| Ripe. 29 inches.... 14.25 | Female Spent. Female ...| Spent. 224 inches... 8.13 | Female Ripe. Female Do. 204 inches. -. 6.5 | Female . Do. Female - Do. 17 inches.... 35135) Males... Spent. Female Do. 20 inches.... 5.75 | Female Ripe. Female Do. 28 inches. --. 13.25 | Female Spent. Female - Do. 25 inches. .-. 10.50 | Female ...| Half ripe Female -..| Half ripe. 3linches.... 19.88 | Female ...| Spent. Female -..| Spent. 17 inches. --. 2513; Malersccc. Do. Female Do. 15 inches. ..-- 2 Female ..- Do. Female Do. Se 296 REPORT OF COMMISSIONER OF FISH AND FISHERIES. Table showing size, sex, and spawning condition of blue catfish examined at Melville, La., May 2 and 3, 1897. Weight, Length. pounds. 16 inches. ... 2. 25 15 inches.... 1.75 20inches.... 5. 25 15inches.... 1.75 17 inches.... 3 184 inches. -- 3.50 15 inches. ... 2. 50 23 inches.... ff 211nches.... 6. 50 224 inches. .. 6. 50 15 inches. ... 2 20% inches. .. 5 19inches.... 4 173 inches. .. 2.75 17 inches. ... 2.75 18 inches. ... 3. 50 15 inches.... 2 15 inches.... 2 18 inches.... 3.50 16 inches. ... 2.25 164 inches... 2.25 17 inches.... 2.75 15inches.... 2 20 inches.... 5 QOINCHES sole em meals 19} inches...|.........- SIAN CHES fae slnewicie eae QLe INCHES! ac cise malaise PoAMCHES: so |sanewiecctes BOMICHOSS 2 21. |-7-ceee ee 1Bitnches=—:-|. coos see 17 inches. ...}- 18} inches. 17 inches.... 26 inches. ... 19 inches.... 2linches.... 30 inches. -... 22 inches... IDINENOS Se Se < eae nics 22 PATI 1G) Bas BRP aece LT AMNCHES ow sal oan eee Winches... ~ 2) .2-<.sese. PS NNICHESE macaw ieee ASANCHOS sce | esse ote TOPINCHOS= =. | cece =e er LTMNCHES 2 32) ab cece cee 2DANGHOSEE. ol sece scence 18inches....|...- 21 inches. - 22inches....|.... z 16inches..<<|-s.<<=.s62 Table showing size, sex, and condition of goujon examined at Morgan City, Spawnin Sex SonAton. Malovcs sac (2) Male...... (?) Male...... Ripe. Female ...| Spent. Female ... Do. Male-ceds= Male...... (?) Female ...| Spent. Female Ripe. Male...:.. Do. Malenattes (3) Female Spent. Female Do. Male. 2=< (?) Female Spent. Female Do. Female Do. Female Partly de- veloped. Maleccsen: (4) Female Spent. Male...... (2) Male ness (%) Male=..-<< (%) Male... (?) Female Spent. Female Do Female Do Female Do Female . Do. Female Do Female Do. Male........ Do Female Do. Female Do Female - . Do Female Ripe. Female ...| Spent. -| Female Do. Male... (2) Weight, Spawnin Length. pounds Sex agnauean 1Oimeheseye =| seas sa asia Male. --s-> (?) 15} inches.).%<| 2.2 =e NACL cc cee (%) 144 inches...|.....-.-<. Male...--- (?) 164 inches ..|.....-...- Female Spent. 164 mches...|.......... Female .. Do. 1Ginches: = <.|-~...-s=s- IMAG ence (?) 2d 1NCHOS..- -\bor es cace Male-cscss (?) 15ANCHES > c= «| exe aeeeee Female Spent. 1Sinches-- =: ||..-senssee Male.....- (?) T5anGhes |< -7-\'ncie aera are Male...... (#) Lbiinches.---|>sscccece- Female ...| Spent. 18 inches q 17inches.... a 19 inches. --.|. A 15 inches... E 16 inches. -.. : Ainehess.=-|s—sc< sees Male... (?) 144 inches. ..|......--.. Mate.chece (?) ZOIMNCHES,. «2. ceeccels sce Male-.-be4 (?) 1Se INCHES E..||[---ee See Female ...| Spent. 17 nches?s |e eeoas Female Do. Jb inches; -<.|sessenee ee Female Do. I3sinches...|n-o-ece 558 Male. ce (%) 14} inches... 52-.2sc5e: Female Ripe. 14) inches:e. |z-m-ssekiee Malet. (2) 1s nches se o-|cnseeeees Female Spent. 1osinches--|-----sacee Female Do. 13einches:¢.|/--255ce8e2 Male:--ss- (?) UB Rte) 13's pees | Pe eo (?) 163 inches (2) WAincehese ss. ||so2s secre (?} 153 inches Not ripe. 163 inches Do. IS; ches ss. -|ss5ecasee7 Female Do. 214, inches. =. \<.25 ae4 52 Males iss (*) 1anches.-. .|- 5255.05 Female Spent. Wan chese sac... =eciees Female Do. Issinehes = 3|)5-Ce2be Female . Do. 144 inches...|---..-..-. Female Not ripe. IGimches-o=clssece eo Male:.c... (?) 154 inches...|...-:..... Female Spent. 144 inches...|...-...-:- Male.....- (?) 14inGHER:=.2-|ss7=Sess ee Female Spent. ASTHCHGS eros oseeeaee Male....-.- Not ripe 20 inchess-=.|s=s-seeeee Female ...| Spent, ATs INCHES! R-| (55 ieee oer Female 0. 18 inches... =. |-ac000 055 Female Ripe. iGuinches:<..|s<2asee2ee Male...-.- (?) 1sinches. ~-<|s- <6 ...| Female .-.| Spent. IS inches.s--|sssseesnee Female . Do. 234 inches Hemale ...| Ripe. 19anches=*.;|2ssc0.8ees Female ...| Spent. 184 inches...|........ Female ... Do. 22-24, 1897. La., April Weight, Length. pounds. QB ICHES: = ..|cconcnseee SL INCHERSsas|s 25.2 cee 30 inches. ... S8inehessa.-\--- eens 28inches.2=-|2---ses2 26:inch6s: J2.|2-.. ieee QE iINGHOA= - 5 slows crceees BUMNCHEB cc] esc csee seis ZUPINCHES sc |oeuseeee ee 25 inches.... 9 Sex. Female ... Female ..- Female ... Female ... Female -.. Female .. - Female -.. Female ... Spawnin Weight, Spawning poration: Length, pounds Sex condition. Ripe. 29 inches. ... 14 | Female Spent. Spent. 224 inches. - . 74, Female Ripe. Do. 25 inches. ... 10 | Female Do. Do. ISjinehes-s2\4-.csese! Male ....5.- Immature. Do. 28 inches.... 44 Female Spent. Half devel- || 36 inches. -.. i} Female Ripe. oped. 28 inches. ... Female Do. Ripe. 34 inches.... 69 Female Spent. -| Spent. 34 inches.... 2 Female ...| Ripe. pe. 18 inches..-.. Femaie ...| Spent 0. INVESTIGATIONS IN MISSISSIPPI, LOUISIANA, AND TEXAS. 297 Table showing size, sex, and condition of eel catfish examined at Morgan City and Melville, La., April 22 to May 6, 1897. i Spawnin Spawnin,s Length. Sex. Sadar Length. Sex. aonditions 13} inches...| Female............--. Ripe. 18 inches...| Female........-.-.... Ripe. 11} inches.. | Female.....---......- Spent. 1dinches-. || Hemale..- 2... sens Do. 17 inches. .-..| Female.....-....-..-- Do. Ta aniches=:: |" Males 5.2.2.2. 222 --- Do. 134 inches.-..| Female............--- Do. 16inehes---|) Hoemale: =n. ccces=c-< Do. Summary. Sex. Spawning condition. Total = as = see ‘ ber ar- : Species. es Sex not : Condi- reat Male. |Female.| deter- | Spent. | Ripe. aoe Tinie tion not Pre mined. * Jevident. oped. Blueicatese=s ese sa cee seins 374 126 227 21 257 32 17 18 50 Goujone asses aesess taaeeto 42 2 40 0 18 22 1 1 0 Mel catioasseener sees eeee 8 1 7 0 3 5 0 0 0 While exact measurements were made of only about 424 fish, several hundred more (perhaps 2,000) were examined more or less carefully, particularly with reference to their size. [rom these observations, as well as from the measurements recorded in the preceding tables, it is evident that a very large proportion of the fish now handled are com- paratively small and young fish which have not yet attained that size which puts them at their maximum value. A few specific instances may be noted. Ten yellow cats dressed 83 pounds; one lot of 48 and another lot of 49 blue cats dressed 100 pounds, while another lot of 40 dressed only 50 pounds; in another case 70 blue cats were required to dress 100 pounds. According to one of the dealers, in 1884 from 14 to 20 of the smallest fish were sufficient to dress 100 pounds, while the larger fish were much more abundant than now and weighed each from 60 to over 100 pounds rough. He says the size began to decrease four years ago, but the greatest decrease has been during the last two years. It is evident from these facts that these fish are being caught before they have reached that size which would render them of the greatest commercial value, and that some restriction should be placed upon the fishery with a view to regulate this matter. At Melville the yellow cat or goujon was less common than at Morgan City. Mr. Chamberlain saw only about a dozen examples, all of which were ripe females. From the above tables it will be seen that we examined and made notes upon 374 blue catfish, of which there were 227 females, 126 males, and 21 indeterminate. Of the total 374, 32 were in full roe and ripe, 17 contained roe partially developed, 18 were immature, 50 indetermi- nate, and 257 were spent fish. Omitting the 18 immature and the 50 indeterminate, we have 306 fish of which 257 (or 84 per cent) were spent fish, 32 (or about 10 per cent) were ready to spawn, while 17 (or about 54 per cent) were not quite ready for spawning. 298 REPORT OF COMMISSIONER OF FISH AND FISHERIES. So far as the investigations of a single season may be relied upon, these results indicate that the spawning season of the blue catfish in the Atchafalaya River is a prolonged one, but that the majority of the fish spawn in March and April. The testimony given by the fishermen agrees closely with these results. They report finding fish in full roe as early as the last of February and as late as the first of June, though all admit that the majority of ripe fish are taken in March or April. The total number of goujon examined was 42, of which all but 2 were females. Of the 2 males, one was an immature fish and the other was fully ripe. Of the 40 females, 18 (or 45 per cent) were spent fish, 1 was about half developed, 1 was immature, while 22 (or 55 per cent) were ready to spawn. This indicates for the goujon a somewhat later spawning season than for the blue cat, of which about 84 per cent were done spawning. The few eel cats examined showed that about 38 per cent had already spawned and that 62 per cent were ready to spawn. The number of spotted cats examined was not sufficient to enable any conclusion to be drawn as to its time of spawning. Basing conclusions as to the time of spawning period upon investi- gations extending over only a brief portion of a single season is not altogether safe. Accurate results can only be obtained from observa- tions extending over two or more seasons. All that can be said, there- fore, in this report, is that the strong probability is that the great majority of catfish in Atchafalaya River spawn in March and April, the period from March 15 to April 30 being the most important. Method of handling the fish.— Each fisherman visits his lines daily, or twice a day if possible, passing from hook to hook in his pirogue, taking off the fish and putting them in live-boxes where they are retained until the tugboat arrives on its regular collection trip. Each of the three companies at Morgan City has a tugboat for this purpose, valued at $2,000 to $3,000. Each tug carries in tow a large live-box called a live-car or fish-car, into which the fish are put when received from the individual fisherman and in which they are retained until they are needed for dressing. The car is usually 25 to 30 feet long, 6 feet beam, and is divided into several compartments. The maximum capacity is 40 to 50 boxes of 300 pounds each. The captain of the tug, as agent for the company, buys the fish from the fishermen. The fish are measured in a box 14 by 14 by 3 feet. This measuring-box rests upon the live-car over the particular compartment into which the fish are to be put, and when the box is full the hinged bottom is released and the fish fall into the car. "SSD 092770, Report U. Seeaemieoa: ( oO Tace page 3 0.) PL ATE 7 2 ‘ ea uf! a . | > ae ths i PUBLICATIONS OF THE UNITED STATES COMMISSION OF FISH AND FISHERIES AVAILABLE FOR DISTRIBUTION ON MARCH 1, 1899. The publications of the Commission consist of an annual report and annual bulletin, which are congressional documents; a certain number being allotted to each Senator and Member of the House of Repre- sentatives, and a small quota assigned to the Commission. Each vol- ume is made up of separate papers treating of the different subjects germane to the work of the Commission, and a small edition of each of these papers is issued in pamphlet form in advance of the bound volume for distribution to those who are specially interested in the subject- matter. BOUND PUBLICATIONS. Of the bound publications the earlier volumes are out of print, and all the copies allowed this office have been distributed. A few copies of the following volumes can be furnished: ANNUAL REPORTS. Designation. eae eae | Pages. Plates. PAT GER Vice soe aoa ae gale a scena ee Soho cisaseeee a cent Ran 1887 1891 | LXITI+900 112 BXaValGe sone Seta eee oe ke SM te, 1888 1892 CXX VIII+ 902 90 ENGVALL eis 2 Saicmathatslaaeie's oc saactdhae eae atts salgeeaicte 1889-91} 1894 664 67 EXOV EDS Sitsas seca Mmm niaeie aise ee ae te easeeeeecscer 1892 1894 CCIV +528 47 PRATER eis sie ctaicie ies an emer aeie See ci ciseactcce ce toteeeae 1893 1895 484 35 PRONG ae ee as ae I oe ie ae a os ca ha ccking wees 1894 1896 718 28 SXSNG Te wis Se Se ways cma meisncie aca llciac biecie cere s capmcte 1896 1898 672 62 MONON fatto s ake edna cot oh cctculecaawtciesesnenics 1898 1899 CLXXX1I+350 | XXI+37 ANNUAL BULLETINS. VO] MeV AWE er earns tee aececceinceene 1 sanceuctoutiacts 1888 1890 IX+494 74 POT eee eratete era tac ata etc nineties cee soeece mes Ss 1893 1894 VII+462 41 NEWAL Shidods AU Sg AR See Dee DAE Eee een eee 1896 1897 VIII+ 428 944+ XL PROV Ae mee teet teeta haan Se loculn bbe caeesinsadctt 1897 1899 V1I+436 314+ XXII PAMPHLET PUBLICATIONS. Each pamphlet has a serial number, which appears on the left in the accompanying list. The missing numbers are out of print and can not be supplied. 313 314 REPORT OF COMMISSIONER OF FISH AND FISHERIES. Serial No. 3. 4, 15. 134. 137. Report on the condition of the sea fisheries of the south coast of New England in 1871 and 1872, by Spencer F. Baird. Report for 1871-72, 1, pp. I-xLl1, 1873. Report of the Commissioner for 1872 and 1873.—A. Inquiry into the decrease of the food-fishes.—B. The propagation of food-fishes in the waters of the United States, by Spencer F. Baird. Report for 1872-73, 11, pp. I-ci. 1874. Report of the Commissioner for 1873-74 and 1874-75.—A. Inquiry into the decrease of the food-fishes.—B. The propagation of food-fishes in the waters of the United States, by Spencer F. Baird. Report for 1873-74 and 1874-75, Ill, pp. VU-LI. 1876. . Report of the Commissioner for 1875-76.—A. Inquiry into the decrease of food- fishes.—B. The propagation of food-fishes in the waters of the United States, by Spencer F. Baird. Report for 1875-76, Iv, pp. 1*-50*. 1878. . Cheap fixtures for hatching of salmon, by Charles G. Atkins. Report for 1878, Vi, pp. 945-966 (including 15 figs.). 1880. . Report of the Commissioner for 1877.—A. Inquiry into the decrease of food- fishes.—B. Propagation of food-fishes in the waters of the United States, by Spencer F. Baird. Report for 1877, v, pp. 1*-48*. 1879. . The carp and its culture in rivers and lakes, and its introduction into America, by Rudolph Hessel. Report for 1875-76, 1v, pp. 865-900 (including 6 figs.). 1878. . The winter haddock fishery of New England, by G. Brown Goode and J. W. Collins. Bulletin for 1881, 1, pp. 226-235. 1882. . Popular extracts from the investigation of the Commission for the scientific examination of the German Seas, by H. A. Meyeret al. Report for 1879, vu, pp. 525-557 (including 17 figs.). 1882. . List of dredging stations of the U. S. Fish Commission from 1871 to 1879, inelu- sive, witli temperature and other observations, by Sanderson Smith and Richard Rathbun. Report for 1879, vil, pp. 559-601. 1882. . Report of the Commissioner for 1880.—A. Inquiry into the decrease of food- fishes.—B. Propagation of food-fishes in the waters of the United States, by Spencer F. Baird. Report for 1880, VII, pp. XVII-XLVI. 1883. . Report of the Commissioner for 1881, by Spencer I. Baird. Report for 1881, IX, pp. XIII-LXxI. 1884. . Report on the construction and work in 1880 of the Fish Commission steamer Fish Hawk, by Z. Lu. Tanner. Report for 1881, 1x, pp. 3-53, plates I-XVIII (inelnding 3 figs.). 1884. . Annual report on the electric lighting of the U. 8S. F. C. steamer Albatross, December 31, 1883, by G. W. Baird. Bulletin for 1884, rv, pp. 153-158 (including 8 figs.). 1884. . The status of the U. S. Fish Commission in 1884, by G. Brown Goode. Report for 1884, x11, pp. 1139-1184. 1886. . Report of the Commissioner for 1884, by Spencer F. Baird. Report for 1884, XII, pp. XUI-LXxI. 1886. . Report on the medusz collected by the U. 8. Fish Commission steamer Alba- tross in the region ot the Gulf Stream, 1883-84, by J. Walter Fewkes. Report for 1884, x1, pp. 927-980, plates I-x. 1886. . Report of the Commissioner for 1885, by Spencer F. Baird. Report for 1885, XIII, pp. XIX-Cx11. 1887. . On the development of the cetacea, together with a consideration of the proba- ble homologies of the flukes of cetaceans and sireniaus, by John A. Ryder. Report for 1885, x11, pp. 427-488 (including 3 figs.), plates I-11, 1887. . A review of the Scienide of America and Europe, by David S. Jordan and Carl * H. Eigenmann. Report for 1886, x1v, pp. 343-451, plates I-1v. 18239. . Report on the medusz collected by the U.S. Fish Commission steamer Albatross in the region of the Gulf Stream in 1885-86, by J. Walter Fewkes. Report for 1886, XIV, pp. 513-536, plate I. 1889. . Report on the work of the U.S. Fish Commission steamer Albatross for the year ending December 31, 1886, by Z.L. Tanner. Report for 1886, xiv, pp. 605-692, plates I-x. 1889. . Report of operations at the Wytheville Station, Va., from January 1, 1885, to June 30, 1887, by Marshall McDonald. Report for 1886, xrv, pp. 793-800, plates I-vI. 1889. . The beam-trawl fishery of Great Britain, with notes on beam-trawling in other European countries, by J. W. Collins. Bulletin for 1887, vu, pp. 289-407 (including 34 figs.), plates I-xx111. 1889. Report of the Commissioner for 1886, by Spencer F. Baird. Report for 1886, XIV, pp. 1X-Lv1II. 1889. Suggestions for the employment of improved types of vessels in the market fisheries, with notes on British fishing steamers, by J. W. Collins. Bulletin for 1888, V1l1, pp. 175-192, plates XvI-xxviI. 1890. PUBLICATIONS AVAILABLE FOR DISTRIBUTION. 315 Serial No. 138. 141. 142. 145. 146. 147. Notes on the fishes collected at Cozumel, Yucatan, by the U. 8S. Fish Commis- sion, with descriptions of new species, by Tarleton H. Bean. Bulletin for 1888, vill, pp. 193-206, plates XXVIII-XXIx. 1890. A report upon the fishes of Kalamazoo, Calhoun, and Antrim counties, Mich., by Charles H. Bollman. Bulletin for 1888, vill, pp. 219-225. 1891. Notes on the fishes from the lowlands of Georgia, with a description of a new species (Opsopeodus bollmani), by Charles H. Gilbert. Bulletin for 1888, vim, pp. 225-229. 1891. Report on the proposed introduction of the Jamaica mountain mullet into the United States, by Tarleton H. Bean. Bulletin for 1888, vii, pp. 443-451. 1891. The transplanting of lobsters to the Pacific coast of the United States, by Richard Rathbun. Bulletin for 1888, vii, pp. 453-472, plate LxxI. 1891. Preliminary report on the invertebrate animals inhabiting Lakes Geneva and Mendota, Wisconsin, with an account of the fish epidemic in Lake Mendota in 1884, by S. A. Forbes. Bulletin for 1888, vii, pp. 473-487, plates Lx x1I- LXxIv. 1890. . On two species of larval dibothria from the Yellowstone National Park, by Edwin Linton. Bulletin for 1889, 1x, pp. 65-79, plates XxllI-xxvil. 1891. . The artificial propagation of sturgeon in Schleswig-Holstein, Germany. Bul- letin for 1889, 1x, pp. 81-90. 1891. . Report upon the pearl fishery of the Gulf of California, by Charles H. Town- send. Bulletin for 1889, 1x, pp. 91-94, plates xxvilI-xxx. 1891, . On certain wart-like excrescences occurring on the short minnow (Cyprinodon variegaius) due to psorosperms, by Edwin Linton. Bulletin for 1889, 1x, pp. 99-102, plate xxxv. 1891. . The fishing-grounds of Bristol Bay, Alaska. A preliminary report upon the investigations of the U.S. Fish Commission steamer Albatross, by Z. L. Tanner. Bulletin for 1889, 1x, pp. 279-288, plates cvili-cx. 1891. . Report upon an investigation of the fishing-grounds off the west coast of Flor- ida, by A. C. Adams and W. C. Kendall. Bulletin for 1889, 1x, pp. 289-312 (including 2 figs.), plate cx1. 1891. 3. The giant-scallop fishery of Maine, by Hugh M. Smith. Bulletin for 1889, rx, pp. 313-335, plates Cx1I-cxvi. 1891. . A contribution to the life history of Dibothrium cordiceps Leidy, a parasite infest- ‘ing the trout of Yellowstone Lake, by Edwin Linton. Bulletin for 1889, 1x, pp. 337-358, plates CXVUI-CXIx. 1891. . Notice of the occurrence of protozoan parasites (psorosperms) on cyprinoid fishes in Ohio, by Edwin Linton. Bulletin for 1889, 1x, pp. 359-361, plate cxx. 1891. . Notes on the king-crab fishery of Delaware Bay, by Hugh M.Smith. Bulletin for 1889, 1x, pp. 363-370, plates CXXI-CxXxIII. 1891. . Report upon a collection of fishes made in southern Florida during 1889, by James A. Henshall. Bulletin for 1889, 1x, pp.371-389. 1891. . Report upon a physical investigation of the waters off the southern coast of New England, made during the summer of 1889 by the U.S. Fish Commission schooner Grampus, by William Libbey, jr. Bulletin for 1889, 1x, pp. 391-459 (including 1 fig.), plates Cxx1v-cLvm1. 1891. - Notes on the oyster fishery of Connecticut, by J. W. Collins. Bulletin for 1889, 1X, pp. 461-497, plates CLIX-CLXVI. 1891. . Report upon the construction and equipment of the schooner Grampus, by J. W. Collins. Report for 1887, xv, pp. 487-490 (including 5 figs.), plates I-xvul. 1891. . Report of the operations of the U.S. Fish Commission schooner Grampus from March 15, 1887, to June 30, 1888, by J. W. Collins and D. E. Collins. Report for 1887, Xv, pp. 491-598, plates I-xvi. 1891. . A review of the labroid fishes of America and Europe, by David S8. Jordan. Report for 1887, xv, pp. 599-699, plates I-xt. 1891. . On some Lake Superior entomostraca, by S.C. Forbes. Report for 1887, xv, pp. 701-718, plates I-1v. 1891. . Report of the Commissioner for 1887, xv, pp. I-Lx111, by Marshall McDonald. 1891. . Statistical review of the ceast fisheries of the United States, by J. W. Collins. Report for 1888, xv1, pp. 271-378. 1892. . Report of distribution of fish and eggs from July 1, 1888, to June 30, 1889. Report for 1888, x v1, pp. 379-394. 1892. . Report upon the investigations of the U. S. Fish Commission steamer Albatross for the year ending June 30, 1889, by Z. L. Tanner. Report for 1888, xv1, pp. 395-512, plates L-Lir. 1892. : - Report of operations at the laboratory of the U.S. Fish Commission, Woods Hole, Mass., during the summer of 1888, by John A. Ryder. Report for 1888, XVI, pp. 513-522. 1892. 316 REPORT OF COMMISSIONER OF FISH AND FISHERIES. Serial 0. 182. Notes on entozoa of marine fishes, with description of new species, part 111, by Edwin Linton. Report for 1888, xv1, pp. 523-542, plates LuI-Lx. 1892. 183. Onthe anatomy of Thysanocephalum crispum Linton, a parasite of the tiger shark, by Edwin Linton. Report for 1888, Xv1, pp. 543-556, plates LXI-LXvII. 1892, 185. The chemical composition and nutritive values of food-fishes and aquatic inver- tebrates, by W. O. Atwater. Report for 1888, xvi, pp. 679-868, plates LXxxXI- LXXXIx. 1892. : 186. Observations on the aquaria of the U. S. Fish Commission at Central Station, Washington, D.C., by William P. Seal. Bulletin for 1890, x, pp. 1-12 (inelud- ing 2 figs.), plates I-Iv. 1892. 188. Observations upon fishes and fish-culture, by Tarleton H. Bean. Bulletin for 1890, x, pp. 49-61. 1892. 189. Notes on a collection of fishes from the lower Potomac River, by Hugh M. Smith. Bulletin for 1890, x, pp. 63-72, plates xv1I-xx. 1892. 190. A review of the Centrarchide or fresh-water sunfishes of North America, by a H. Bollman. Report for 1888, xvi, pp. 557-579, plates LX VIII-LXXII. 1892. 191. Report upon the participation of the U. S. Fish Commission in the Centennial Exposition held at Cincinnati, Ohio, in 1888, by J. W. Collins. Report for 1888, XVI, pp. 869-885, plate xc. 1892. 192. Report of the Commissioner for 1888 [July 1, 1888, to June 30, 1889], ineluding the reports on the division of fish-culture, scientific inquiry, and fisheries, by Marshall McDonald. Report for 1888, xvi, pp. 1x-cxxvul. 1892. 194. Report on an investigation of the fisheries of Lake Ontario, by Hugh M. Smith. Bulletin for 1890, x, pp. 177-215, plates xxI-L. 1892. 195. A report upon the fisheries of Iowa based upon observations and collections made during 1889, 1890, and 1891, by Seth E. Meek. Bulletin for 1890, x, pp. 217-248. 1892. 196. Report of an examination of the rivers of Kentucky, with lists of the fishes obtained, by Albert J. Woolman. Bulletin for 1890, x, pp. 249-288, plate L. 1892. 197. Notes on the streams and fishes of Clinton County, Ky., with a description of a new darter, by Philip H. Kirsch. Bulletin for 1890, x, pp. 289-292 (ineluding 1 fig.). 1892. : 198. Report upon the rivers of central Florida tributary to the Gulf of Mexico, with lists of fishes inhabiting them, by Albert J. Woolman. Bulletin for 1890, x, pp. 293-302, plates Lu-LiI. 1892. 201. Observations on the hatching of the yellow perch, by 8S. G. Worth. Bulletin for 1890, x, pp. 331-334, plate Lx1. 1892. 202. The physical and biological characteristics of the natural oyster-grounds of South Carolina, by Bashford Dean. Bulletin for 1890, x, pp. 335-361, plates LXU-LXVIU. 1892. 203. The present methods of oyster-culture in France, by Bashford Dean. Bulletin for 1890, x, pp. 363-388 (including 2 figs.), plates LXIX-LXXVIIl. 1892. 206. A statistical report on the fisheries of the Gulf States, by J. W. Collins and Hugh M. Smith. Bulletin for 1891, x1, pp. 93-184. 1893. 207. Description of a new sucker, Pantosteus jordani, from the Upper Missouri Basin, by Barton W. Evermann. Bulletin for 1892, x11, pp. 51-56 (including 1fig.). 1893. 209. Observations on the spawning habits of the shad, by 8. G. Worth. Bulletin for 1891, x1, pp. 201-206. 1893. 210. A preliminary report on the aquatic invertebrate fauna of the Yellowstone National Park, Wyoming, and of the Flathead region of Montana, by S. A. Forbes. Bulletin for 1891, x1, pp. 207-258, 1893, plates XxXVII-XLII. 1893. 211. Notes on a collection of fishes from the southern tributaries of the Cumberland River in Kentucky and Tennessee, by Philip H. Kirsch. Bulletin for 1891, XI, pp. 259-267. 1893. 212. Report on the fisheries of the South Atlantic States, by Hugh M. Smith. Bul- letin for 1891, xI, pp. 271-356, plates XLUI-LXXIv. 1893. 214. Report upon the European methods of oyster-culture, by Bashford Dean. Bul- letin for 1891, x1, pp. 357-406 (including 2 figs.), plates LXXV-LXXXVIII. 1893. 215. On the classification of the myxosporidia, a group of protozoan parasites infesting fishes, by R. R. Gurley. Bulletin for 1891, x1, pp. 407-420. 1893. 217. Report of observations respecting the vyster resources‘and oyster fishery of the Pacifie Coast of the United States, by C. H. Townsend. Report for 1889-91, XVU, pp. 343-372, plates 3-12. 1892. , 218. Report on the coast fisheries of Texas, by Charles H. Stevenson. Report for 1889-91, XVII, pp. 373-420, plates 13-27. 1893. PUBLICATIONS AVAILABLE FOR DISTRIBUTION. alt Soy 0. 219. A review of the sparoid fishes of America and Europe, by David 8. Jordan and Bert Fesler. Report for 1889-91, xvilI, pp. 421-544, plates 28-62. 1893. 222, Natural history of the useful aquatic reptiles and batrachians of the United States, by Frederick W. True. The Fisheries and Fishery Industries of the United States, sec. 1, pp. 141-162. 1884. 223. Natural history of mollusks in general, by Ernest Ingersoll. The Fisheries and Fishery Industries of the United States, sec. 1, pp. 687-710, plates 253-258. 1884. 224. Natural history of crustaceans, worms, radiates, and sponges, by Richard Rathbun. The Fisheries and Fishery Industries of the United States, sec. 1, pp. 763-850, plates 260-277. 1884. 225. The fishes of Texas and the Rio Grande Basin, considered chiefly with reference to their geographic distribution, by Barton W. Evermann and William C. Kendall. Bulletin for 1892, x11, pp. 57-126, plates x-L. 1894. 226. The fyke-nets and fyke-net fisheries of the United States, with notes on the fyke-nets of other countries, by Hugh M. Smith. Bulletin for 1892, x11, pp. 299-356, plates LXXII-xcI. 1894. 228. Summary of the fishery investigations conducted in the North Pacific Ocean and Bering Sea from July 1, 1888, to July 1, 1892, by the U.S. Fish Commission steamer Albatross, by Richard Rathbun. Bulletin for 1892, x11, pp. 127-201, plates LI-Lv. 1894. ; 229. List of fishes collected at Sea Isle City, N. J., during the summer of 1892, by H. F. Moore. Bulletin for 1892, xm, pp. 357-380. 1894. 230. Economic and natural-history notes on fishes of the northern coast of New Jersey, by Hugh M. Smith. Bulletin for 1892, xu, pp. 365-380. 1894. 231. On the viviparous fishes of the Pacific coast of North America, by Carl H. Eigenmann. Bulletin for 1892, x11, pp. 381-478, plates xcII-cxvull. 1894. 232. Notes on two hitherto unrecognized species of American whitefishes, by Hugh M. Smith. Bulletin for 1894, xiv, pp. 1-15, plate 1. 1894. 233. Extension of the recorded range of certain marine and fresh-water fishes of the Atlantic Coast of the United States, by W. C. Kendall and Hugh M. Smith. Bulletin for 1894, xiv, pp. 15-21. 1894. 234. Notes on fishes from the basin of the Mackenzie River, in British America. Bulletin for 1894, xiv, pp. 23-25, by Charles H. Gilbert. 1894. 234. An American fish in Finland, by Oscar Nordqvist. Bulletin for 1894, xiv, pp. 27-28. 1894. 234. Two fertile cyprinoid hybrids, by Karl Knauthe. “Bulletin for 1894, x1v, pp. 29-30. 1894. 235. Report upon explorations made in Eel River Basin, in the northeastern part of Indiana, in the summer of 1892, by Philip H. Kirsch. Bulletin for 1894, xtv, pp. 31-41. 1894. 236. Notes on the fresh-water fishes of Washington County, Me., by William C. Kendall. Bulletin for 1894, xiv, pp. 45-54. 1894. 237. World’s Fisheries Congress. Report of the secretary of the general committee, by Tarleton H. Bean. Bulletin for 1893, x11, pp. 1-14. 1894. 238. The assimilation of the fishery laws of the Great Lakes, by G. A. MacCallum. Bulletin for 1893, xu, pp. 17-20. 1894. 239. The decrease of food-fishes in American waters, and some of the causes, by A.M.Spangler. Bulletin for 1893, x1, pp. 21-35. 1894. 240. The sea and coast fisheries, by Daniel T. Church. Bulletin for 1893, xu, pp. 37-38. 1894. 241. Our ocean fishes and the effect of legislation upon the fisheries, by J. M. K. Southwick. Bulletin for 1893, x11, pp. 39-45. 1894. 242. The past, present, and future of trout culture, by W. L. Gilbert. Bulletin for 1893, x111, pp. 47-48. 1894. 243. The relation of scientific research to economic problems, by G. Brown Goode. Bulletin for 1893, xi11, pp. 49-58. 1894. 244, Biological research in relation to the fisheries, by John A. Ryder. Bulletin for 1893, XIII, pp. 59-63. 1894. 245. On the influence of Jight on the periodical depth migration of pelagic animals, by Jacques Loeb. Bulletin for 1893, x111, pp. 65-68. 1894. 246. The investigation of rivers and lakes with reference to fish environment, by B.W.Evermann. Bulletin for 1893, x1, pp. 69-73. 1894. 247. The habits and development of the lobster, and their bearing upon its artificial propagation, by Francis H. Herrick. Bulletin for 1893, x1, pp. 75-86. 1894. 248. The origin of the food of marine animals, by W. K. Brooks. Bulletin for 1893, XIII, pp. 87-92. 1894. 249. Atmospheric and other influences on the migration of fishes, by J. J. Armistead. Bulletin for 1893, x111, pp. 93-99. 1894. 318 REPORT OF COMMISSIONER OF FISH AND FISHERIES. Serial No. 250. 251. Some observations concerning fish parasites, by Edwin Linton. Bulletin for 1893, x111, pp. 101-126, plates 1-8. 1894. On the food of the menhaden, by James I. Peck. Bulletin for 1893, x1, pp. 113-126, plates 1-8. 1894. - Some plankton studies in the Great Lakes, by Jacob E. Reighard. Bulletin for 1893, XIII, pp. 127-142, plates 9,10. 1894. . The aquarium of the U. S. Fish Commission at the World’s Columbian Expo- sition, by 8. A. Forbes. Bulletin for 1893, x11, pp. 143-158. 1894. . Description of the fresh and salt water supply and pumping plants used for the aquarium, by I.8. K. Reeves. Bulletin for 1893, x111, pp. 159-161. 1894. . Observations and experiments on saprolegnia infesting fish, by G. P. Clinton. Bulletin for 1893, x11, pp. 163-172. 1894. . Report on a parasitic protozoan observed on fish in the aquarium, by Charles Wardell Stiles. Bulletin for 1893, xii, pp. 173-190, plates 11, 12. 1894. . Statistical review of fish-culture in Europe and North America, by N. Borodine. - Bulletin for 1893, x11, pp. 193-196. 1894. . Some notes about American fish-culture, by Oscar Nordqvist. Bulletin for 1893, XIU, pp. 197-200. 1894. . Fish-culture in Michigan, by Hoyt Post. Bulletin for 1893, x11, pp. 201-211. 1894. . History and methods of whitefish-culture, by Frank N. Clark. Bulletin for 1893, XIII, pp. 213-220. 1894. . The propagation of black bass in ponds, by William F. Page. Bulletin for 1893, XIII, pp. 229-236. 1894. . Fish and fishing in British Guiana, by J. J. Quelch. Bulletin for 1893, xu, pp. 237-240. 1894. . Fish-cultural investigations at St. Andrews Marine Laboratory, Scotland, by W.C. McIntosh. Bulletin for 1893, x111, pp. 241-256. 1894. . Description of the marine hatchery at Dunbar, Scotland, by T. Wemyss Fulton. Bulletin for 1893, x111, pp. 257-262. 1894. . The past, present, and future of the oyster industry of Georgia, by A. Oemler. Bulletin for 1893, x111, pp. 263-272. 1894. . Deep-water oyster-culture, by Henry C. Rowe. Bulletin for 1893, xin, pp. 273-276. | 1894. . Breeding natural food artificially for young fish artificially hatched, by A. Nelson Cheney. Bulletin for 1893, x111, pp. 277-279. 1894. . What we know of the lobster, by Fred Mather. Bulletin for 1893, x11, pp. 281-286. 1894. . Foul fish and filth fevers, by J. Lawrence-Hamilton. Bulletin for 1893, x11, pp. 311-334. 1894. . Recent experiments in sturgeon hatching on the Delaware River, by Bashford Dean. Bulletin for 1893, x111, pp. 335-339 (including 1 fig.). 1894. . The fisheries of Canada, by L. Z. Joncas. Bulletin for 1893, x111, pp. 341-348. 1894, . The fishing industry of Lake Erie, past and present, by C. M. Keyes. Bulletin for 1893, XIII, pp. 349-353. 1894. . Notes on the Irish mackerel fisheries, by William Spotswood Green. Bulletin for 1893, x111, pp. 357-360, plates 13-16. 1894. . Past and future of the fur-seal, by Joseph Stanley-Brown. Bulletin for 1893, XIU, pp. 361-370. 1894. . Fish nets: Some account of their construction and the application of the various forms in American fisheries, by C. H. Augur. Bulletin for 1893, x11, pp. 381-388. 1894. . The fisheries of Japan, by the Japanese bureau of agriculture, compiled by Hugh M. Smith. Bulletin for 1893, x111, pp. 419-438. 1894. . On pearls, and the utilization and application of the shells in which they are found, in the ornamental arts, as shown at the World’s Columbian Exposition, by George Frederick Kunz. Bulletin for 1893, x11, pp. 489-457, plates 18-41. 1894 . Report on a collection of fishes from the rivers of central and northern Mexico, by Albert J. Woolman. Bulletin for 1894, x1v, pp. 55-66, plate 2. 1894. . Report of investigations respecting the fishes of Arkansas, conducted during 1891, 1892, and 1893, with a synopsis of previous explorations in the same State, by Seth E. Meek. Bulletin for 1894, x1v, pp. 67-94. 1894. . Results of explorations in western Canada and northwestern United States, by Carl H. Eigenmann. Bulletin for 1894, x1v, pp. 101-131, plates 5-8. 1894. . Report of the Commissioner for the fiscal year ending June 30, 1892, including the reports on the divisions of scientific inquiry and fisheries, by Marshall McDonald. Report for 1892, xvi1l, pp. vu-ccly. 1894. PUBLICATIONS AVAILABLE FOR DISTRIBUTION. 319 eat oO. 284. Report upon the investigations of the U.S. Fish Commission steamer Albatross for the year ending June 30, 1892, by Z. L. Tanner. Report for 1892, xvi11, pp 1-64, plate A. 1894. 288. Notes on the fishes of western Iowa and eastern Nebraska, by Seth E. Meek. Bulletin for 1894, xiv, pp. 133-138. 1894. 288. List of fishes inhabiting Clear Lake, California, by Charles H. Gilbert. Bulletin for 1894, xv, pp. 139-140. 1894. 288. Notes on the fresh-water species of San Luis Obispo County, Cal., by David S. Jordan. Bulletin for 1894, xiv, pp. 141-142. 1894. 289. On the appliances for collecting pelagic organisms, with special reference to those employed by the U. S. Fish Commission, by Z.L.Tanner. Bulletin for 1894, xIv, pp. 143-151, plates 9-12. 1894. 290. The salmon fisheries of Columbia River, together with a report upon physical and natural history investigations in the region by C. H. Gilbert and B. W. Evermann, by Marshall McDonald. Bulletin for 1894, xiv, pp. 153-168, plates 13-15. 1894. 292. Notes on fishes collected in Florida in 1892, by James A. Henshall. Bulletin for 1894, xIv, pp. 209-221. 1894. 293. Notes on a reconnaissance of the fisheries of the Pacific coast of the United States in 1894, by Hugh M. Smith. Bulletin for 1894, x1v, pp. 223-288. 1894. 294. Feeding and rearing of fishes, particularly trout, under domestication, by William F. Page. Bulletin for 1894, xrv, pp. 289-314. 1895. 295. Report upon investigations in the Maumee River Basin during the summer of 1893, by Philip H. Kirsch. Bulletin for 1894, xiv, pp. 315-337. 1895. 296. A statistical report on the fisheries of the Middle Atlantic States, by Hugh M. Smith. Bulletin for 1894, xiv, pp. 339-467. 1895. 297. The fishes of the Colorado Basin, by Barton W. Evermann and Cloud. Rutter. Bulletin for 1894, xtv, 473-486. 1895. 297. A list of species of fishes known from the vicinity of Neosho, Mo., by Barton W. : Evermann and W. C. Kendall. Bulletin for 1894, xtv, pp. 469-472. 1895. 298. Report of the Commissioner for the fiscal year ending June 30, 1893, including the reports on divisions of fish-culture, scientific inquiry, and fisheries, by Marshall McDonald. Report for 1893, xIx, pp. 1-138. 1896. 300. The American lobster. A study of its habits and development, by Francis Hobart Herrick. Bulletin for 1895, xv, pp. 1-252, plates A-J and 1-54. 1896. 301. A preliminary report upon salmon investigations in Idaho in 1894, by Barton W. Evermann. Bulletin for 1895, xv, pp. 253-284. 1896. 302. Notes on an investigation of the menhaden fishery in 1894, with special refer- ence to the food-fishes taken, by Hugh M. Smith. Bulletin for 1895, xv, pp. 285-302. 1896. 303. The fishes of the Neuse River Basin, by Barton W. Evermann and Ulysses O. Cox. Bulletin for 1895, xv, pp. 303-310. 1896. 304. Notes on intensive pond culture at Sandfort, by S. Jaffé. Bulletin for 1895, xv, pp. 311-316. 1896. 304. Notes on the rearing of yearling trout at Sandfort, by S. Jaffé. Bulletin for 1895, Xv, pp, 317-819. 1896. 304. Fish-cultural methods at the Agricultural School at Freising. Anonymous. Bulletin for 1895, xv, pp. 320-321, plate 55. 1896. 304. The course of instruction of the Bavarian Fishery Association. Anonymous. Bulletin for 1895, xv, pp. 321-324. 1896. 305. Report on a reconnaissance of the oyster-beds of Mobile Bay and Mississippi eon, SrOnary by Homer P. Ritter. Bulletin for 1895, xv, pp. 325-339, plates 56-63. 1896. 306. A list of fishes and mollusks collected in Arkansas and Indian Territory in 1894, by Seth Eugene Meek. Bulletin for 1895, xv, pp. 341-349. 1896. 307. The sources of marine food, by JamesI. Peck. Bulletin for 1895, xv, pp. 351-368. 1896, plates 64-71. 1896. : 308. Contributions toward the improvement of the culture of salmonoids and craw- fish in small water-courses, by Karl Wozelka-Iglau. Bulletin for 1895, xv, pp. 369-378, plate 72. 1896. 309. A review of the history and results of the attempt to acclimatize fish and other water animals in the Pacific States, by Hugh M. Smith. Bulletin for 1895, xv, - pp. 379-472, plates 73-83. 1896. 310. Report upon the work of the U. S. Fish Commission steamer Albatross for the year ending June 30, 1893, by Z.L. Tanner. Report for 1893, x1x, pp. 305-341, plates 15-18. 1896. 311. Report of the representative of the U. S. Fish Commission at the World’s Co- lumbian Exposition, by Tarleton H. Bean. Report for 1894, xx, pp. 177-196, plates 1-5. 1896. 320 REPORT OF COMMISSIONER OF FISH AND FISHERIES. Berial oO. 312. Report upon ichthyological investigations in western Minnesota and eastern North Dakota, by Albert J. Woolman. Report for 1893, x1x, pp. 343-373, plate 19, 1896. 313. The food of the oyster, clam, and ribbed mussel, by John P. Lotsy. Report for 1893, XIX, pp. 375-386 (including 4 figs.). 1896. 314. Establishment of stations for the propagation of salmon on the Pacifie Coast, by John J. Brice. Report for 1893, x1x, pp. 3887-392. 1896. 315. Report of the Commissioner for the fiscal year ending June 30, 1894, including the reports on the divisions of fish-culture, scientific inquiry, and fisheries, by Marshall McDonald. Report for 1894, xx, pp.1-175. 1896. 316. The Russian fur-seal islands, by Leonard Stejneger. Bulletin for 1896, xv1, pp. 1-148, plates 1-66. 1896. 317. Remarks on the movements and breeding grounds of the fur-seal, based on observations made while on the United States naval patrol of Bering Sea in 1894, by John J. Brice. Report for 1894, xx, pp. 573-577. 1896. 318. A report upon salmon investigations in the head waters of the Columbia River, in the State of Idaho, in 1895; together with notes upon the fishes observed in that State in 1894 and 1895, by Barton W. Evermann. Bulletin for 1896, xv1, pp. 149-202, plates 67-72. 1896. 319. The artificial propagation of the rainbow trout, by George A. Seagle. Bulletin for 1896, Xv1, pp. 237-256, plates 88-94. 1896. 320. The artificial propagation of salmon on the Pacific Coast of the United States, with notes on the natural history of the quinnat salmon, by Livingston Stone. Bulletin for 1896, xvi, pp. 203-235, plates 73-87. 1896. 321. Report upon the operations of the U. S. Fish Commission steamer Albatross for the year ending June 30, 1894, by Z. L. Tanner and F. J. Drake. Report for 1894, xx, pp. 197-278, plates 6-8. 1896. 322. Description of a closing tow net for submarine use at all depths, by C. H. Townsend. Report for 1894, xx, pp. 279-282, plates 9,10. 1896 323. The whitefishes of North America, by Barton W. Evermann and Hugh M. Smith. Report for 1894, xx, pp. 283-324, plates 11-28. 1896. 324, A report upon the fishes of the Missouri River Basin, by Barton W. Evermann and Ulysses O. Cox. Report for 1894, xx, pp. 325-429. 1896. 325. A review of the foreign fishery trade of the United States, by Charles H. Stevenson. Report for 1894, xx, pp. 431-571. 1896. 326. The ichthyological collections of the U. 8. Fish Commission steamer 4lbatross during the years 1890 and 1891, by Charles H. Gilbert. Report for 1893, x1x, pp. 393-476, plates 20-35. 1896. 327. An annotated catalogue of the fishes known from the State of Vermont, by Barton W. Evermann and W. C. Kendall. Report for 1894, xx, pp. 579-604. 328. A report upon the fishes of southwestern Minnesota, by Ulysses O. Cox. Report for 1894, xx, pp. 605-616. 1896. 329. List of publications of the U. S. Commission of Fish and Fisheries from its establishment, in 1871, to February, 1896, by Charles W. Scudder. Report for 1894, xx, pp. 617-706. 1896. 330. Deep-sea explorations: A general description of the steamer Albatross, her appliances and methods, by Z. L. Tanner. Bulletin for 1896, x v1, pp. 257-428 (including 76 figs.), pls. I-xL. 1897. 331. Report of the Commissioner for the fiscal year ending June 30, 1895, including the reports on the divisions of fish-culture, scientific inquiry, and fisheries, by Marshall McDonald. Report for 1895, xx1, pp. 1-123. 1896. 332. Report upon the investigations of the U. S. Fish Commission steamer Albatross for the year ending June 30, 1895 (abstract), by F. J. Drake. Report for 1895, XXI, pp. 125-168. 1896. 333. Notes on Biscayne Bay, Florida, with reference to its adaptability as the site of a marine hatching and experiment station, by Hugh M.Smith. Report for 1895, XXI, pp. 169-191. 1896. 334. The transplanting of eastern oysters to Willapa Bay, Washington, with notes on the native oyster industry, by C. H. Townsend. Report for 1895, xx1, pp. 193-202, plate 1. 1896. 335. Description of a new species of shad (Alosa alabame) from Alabama, by Barton W.Evermann. Report for 1895, xx1, pp. 203-205. 1896. 336. A check-list of the fishes and fish-like vertebrates of North and Middle America, by David Starr Jordan and Barton Warren Evermann. Report for 1895, xx1, pp. 207-584. 1896. 337. Report of the Commissioner for the fiscal year ending June 30, 1896, including the reports on divisions of fish-culture, scientific inquiry, and fisheries, by John J. Brice. Report for 1896, xx11, pp. 1-145, plates 1-10. 1897. Seri PUBLICATIONS AVAILABLE FOR DISTRIBUTION. 321 2 No. 338. Report of the representative of the U. S. Fish Commission at the Cotton States and International Exposition at Atlanta, Ga., in 1895, by W.de C. Ravenel. Report for 1896, xxu, pp. 147-167 (including 3 figs.), plates 11-21. 1897. 339. Notes on the extension of the recorded range of certain fishes of the United 340. 341. 342. 343. 344, 346. 347. 348. 349. States Coast, by Hugh M. Smith and William C. Kendall. Report for 1896, XXII, pp. 169-176. 1897. Notes on the food of four species of the cod family, by William C. Kendall, Report for 1896, xx11, pp. 177-186. 1897. The fisheries of Indian River, Florida, by John J. Brice et al. Report for 1896, XXN, pp. 223-262, plates 22-60. 1897. Report on the fish and fisheries of the coastal waters of Florida, by John J. Brice. Report for 1896, xxl, pp. 263-342. 1897. Report of a survey of the oyster regions of St. Vincent Sound, Apalachicola Bay, and St. George Sound, Florida, by Franklin Swift. Report for 1896, xx11, pp. 187-221, plate 21. 1897. Report of the Commissioner for the fiscal year ending June 30, 1897, including the reports on divisions of fish-culture, scientific inquiry, and fisheries, by John J. Brice. Report for 1897, XXII, pp. I-CLXxI. 1898. Artificial propagation ot the Atlantic salmon, rainbow trout, and brook trout. Report for 1897, xx111, pp. 27-101 (including 14 figures), plates 12-20. 1897. Artificial propagation of the black bass, crappies, and rock bass. Report for 1897, xx11I, pp. 159-177 (including 2 figures), plates 43-49. 1897. Notes on the edible frogs of the United States and their artificial propagation, by F. M. Chamberlain. Report for 1897, x x11, pp. 249-261 (including 6 figures). 1397. Oysters and methods of oyster-culture, with notes on clam-culture, by H. F. Moore. Report for 1897, xx111, pp. 263-340 (including 6 figures), plates I-XVIII. 1897. . The fishes of the Klamath River Basin, by Charles H. Gilbert. Bulletin for 1897, x vil, pp. 1-13 (including 6 figures). 1898. . A report upon salmon investigations in the Columbia River Basin and elsewhere on the Pacific coast in 1896, by Barton W. Evermann and Seth Eugene Meek. Bulletin for 1897, xvu, pp. 15-84 (including 6 figures), plates Land 2. 1898. . The fishes found in the vicinity of Woods Hole, by Hugh M. Smith. Bulletin 1897, Xvil, pp. 85-111 (including 1 figure), plate 3. 1898. . Report of observations made on board the U. S. Fish Commission steamer Albatross during the year ending June 30, 1896. Report for 1896, xxi, pp. 397-386. 1897. . Observations upon the herring and herring fisheries of the northeast coast, with special reference to the vicinity of Passamaquoddy Bay, by H. I’. Moore, Ph. D. Report for 1896, xx11, pp. 387-442, plates 60-62. 1897. . The salmon fishery of Penobscot Bay and River in 1895 and 1896, by Hugh M. Smith. Bulletin for 1897, xvi, pp. 113-124, plates 4 and 5. 1898. . Descriptions of new or little-known genera and species of fishes fromthe United States, by Barton W. Evermann and William C. Kendall. Bulletin for 1897, XVII, pp. 125-133, plates 6-9. 1898. . Notes on the halibut fishery of the northwest coast in 1896, by A. B. Alexander. Bulletin for 1897, xvu, pp. 141-144. 1898. . The herring industry of the Passamaquoddy region, Maine, by Ansley Hall. Report for 1896, xx11, pp. 443-489. 1897. . Statistics of the fisheries of the interior waters of the United States, by Hugh M. Smith. Report for 1896, xx11, pp. 489-574. 1898. . Notes on the fisheries of the Pacific coast in 1895, by William A. Wilcox. Report for 1896, xx11, pp. 575-659. 1898. : . Proceedings and papers of the National Fishery Congress. Bulletin for 1897, XVI, pp. 145-371. 1898. . Proceedings of National Fishery Congress. Bulletin for 1897, xvi1, pp. 147-168. 1898. - Methods of plankton investigation in their relation to practical problems, by Jacob Reighard. Bulletin for 1897, xvu, pp. 169-175. 1898. . The importance of extended scientific investigation, by H. C. Bumpus. Bulle- tin for 1897, xvil, pp. 177-180. 1898. . The utility of a biological station on the Florida coast in its relations to the commercial fisheries, by Seth E. Meek. Bulletin for 1897, xvu, pp. 181-188. 1898. . Establishment of a biological station on the Gulf coast, by W. Edgar Taylor. Bulletin for 1897, xvi, pp. 185-188. 1898. F. R. 98 21 322 REPORT OF COMMISSIONER OF FISH AND FISHERIES. Serial No. 369. Some notes on American shipworms, by Charles P. Sigerfoos. Bulletin for 1897, XVII, pp. 189-191. 1898. . An economical consideration of fish Parasites, by Edwin Linton. Bulletin for 1897, x vu, pp. 193-199. 1898. . The fish fauna of Florida, by B. W. Evermann. Bulletin for 1897, xvu, pp. 201- 208. 1898. . The lampreys of central New York, by H. A. Surface. Bulletin for 1897, xvi, pp. 209-215, plates 10 and 11. 1898. . The protection of the lobster fishery, by Francis H. Herrick. Bulletin for 1897, XVI, pp. 217-224. 1898. . The Florida commercial sponges, by Hugh M. Smith. Bulletin for 1897, xvu, pp. 225-240, plates 12-31. 1898. . On the feasibility of raising sponges from the egg, by H. V. Wilson. Bulletin for 1897, x vl, pp. 241-245. 1898. The Hudson River as a salmon stream, by A. Nelson Cheney. Bulletin for 1897, XVII, pp. 247-251. 1898. . A plea for the development and protection of Florida fish and fisheries, by James A. Henshall. Bulletin for 1897, xvu, pp. 253-255. 1898. . International protection for the denizens of the sea and waterways, by Bushrod W. James. Bulletin for 1897, xvu, pp. 257-263. 1898. . The restricted inland range of shad due to artificial obstructions, and its effect upon natural reproduction, by Charles H. Stevenson. Bulletin for 1897, xvu, pp. 265-271. 1898. . The green turtle and the possibilities of its protection and consequent increase on the Florida coast, by Ralph M. Munroe. Bulletin for 1897, xvu, pp. 273- 274. 1898. . Some factors in the oyster problem, by H.F. Moore. Bulletin for 1897, xvu, pp. 275-284. 1898. . The oyster grounds of the west Florida coast; their extent, condition, and peculiarities, by Franklin Swift. Bulletin for 1897, xvi, pp. 285-287. 1898. . The oyster and oyster beds of Florida, by John G. Ruge. Bulletin for 1897, XVII, pp. 289-296. 1898. . The Louisiana oyster industry, by F.C. Zacharie. Bulletin for 1897, xvu, pp. 297-304. 1898. . The oyster bars of the west coast of Florida, their depletion and restoration, by H.A.Smeltz. Bulletin for 1897, xvi1, pp. 305-308. 1898. . Notes on the fishing industry of eastern Florida, by John Y. Detwiler. Bulletin for 1897, x vu, pp. 309-312. 1898. . Oysters and oyster culture in Texas, by I. P. Kibbe. Bulletin for 1897, xvu, pp. 313-314. 1898. . The methods, limitations, and results of whitefish culture in Lake Erie, by J. J. Stranahan. Bulletin for 1897, xvi, pp. 315-319. 1898. . A brief history of the gathering of fresh-water pearls in the United States, by George F. Kunz. Bulletin for 1897, xvi, pp. 321-330. 1898. . The red-snapper fisheries; their past, present, and future, by Andrew F. Warren. Bulletin for 1897, XVII, pp. 331-335. 1898. . Some brief reminiscences of the early days of fish-culture in the United States, by Livingston Stone. Bulletin for 1897, xv11, pp. 337-343. 1898. . The relations between State fish commissions and commercial fishermen, by W. E. Meehan. Bulletin for 1897, xvu, pp. 345-348. 1898. . Possibilities for an increased "development of Florida’s fishery resources, by John'N. Cobb. Bulletin for 1897, xvi1, pp. 349-351. 1898. . The utility and methods of mackerel propagation, by J. Percy Moore. Bulletin for 1897, Xv, pp. 353-361. 1898. . The large-mouthed black bass in Utah, by John Sharp. Bulletin for 1897, xvu, pp. 363-368. 1898. . Florida fur farming, by J.M. Willson, jr. Bulletin for 1897, xvu1, pp. 369-371. 1898. . The fresh-water pearls and pearl fisheries of the United States, by George F. Kunz. Bulletin for 1897, xvu, pp. 373-426, plates I-XXII. . Report of the Commissioner for the fiscal year ending June 30, 1898, including the reports on divisions of fish culture, scientific inquiry, and fisheries, by George M. Bowers. Report for 1898, XXIV, pp. I-CLXXXI, plates I-xxI. 1899. . Report on mackerel investigations in 1897, by J. Perey Moore. Report for 1898, XXIV, pp. 1-22. 1899. . Report on fishes obtained by the steamer Albatross in the vicinity of Santa Cata- lina Island and Monterey Bay, by Charles H. Gilbert. Report for 1898, xxiv, pp. 23-29, plates land 2. 1899, PUBLICATIONS AVAILABLE FOR DISTRIBUTION. 323 Serial No. 401. 402. 403. 404, Notes on the extent and condition of the alewife fisheries of the United States in 1896, by Hugh M. Smith. Report for 1898, xxiv, pp. 31-43. 1899. Report on the oyster beds of Louisiana, by H. F. Moore. Report for 1898, xxiv, pp. 45-100, plate 3. 1899. The shad fisheries of the Atlantic coast of the United States, by Charles H. Ste- venson. Report for 1898, xxiv, pp. 101-269. 1899. List of fishes collected at the Revillagigedo Archipelago and neighboring islands, by David Starr Jordan and Richard Crittenden McGregor. Report for 1898, XXIV, pp. 273-284, plates 4-7. 1899. . Report on investigations by the U.S. Fish Commission in Mississippi, Louisiana, and Texas in 1897, by Barton Warren Evermann. Report for 1898, xx1v, pp. 285-310, plates 8-36. 1899. . List of publications of the U.S. Commission of Fish and Fisheries available for distribution*on March 1, 1899. Report for 1898, xxIv, pp. 311-327. 1899. . Report upon exhibit of the United States Fish Commission at the Tennessee Centennial Exposition in 1897, by W. de C. Ravenel. Report for 1898, xxiv, pp. 329-339, plate 37. 1899. 324 REPORT OF COMMISSIONER OF FISH AND FISHERIES. INDEX TO LIST OF PUBLICATIONS Serial No. Acclimatization of fishin Pacitic States.... 309 TAAMB ATO Kc esteem Sacer coat marae cite 162 Albatross, description of ...----.----------- 330 electric lighting of..-.....-.---- 73 explorations in Bristol Bay .--.- 161 Pacific Ocean .- 130, 180, 228, 284, 355 fishes collected by.-.----.------ 326, 400 ichthyological collections of --.. 326 MCEGUSD > seem ae asec ee memes 118, 129 WOLD OL; dace cecce secession eee 30, 1 180, 228, 284,310, 321, 332, 355 Albemarle region, North Carolina. fishes of. Alewife fishery of United States -..--.-..--. 401 WANGXANGOL VA. Dasari ohare see ee Cece 359 America, fish- Trike iscanesseds akodedSe 254, 255 HISHES Ole eee ee ae eee eer 336 Aymericanifishiin Hinland 2-5. cess sees eee 234 lobster, natural history of ..---.- - 300 ship-worm, notes on ....-.-.------ 369 waters, decrease of food-fishes in. 239 Antrim County, Mich., fishes of.-----..-.-- 141 Apalachicola Bay, sur vey OL Se. s6s2esecee se 343 Appliances for collecting pelagicorganisms. 289 Aquaria at Central Station...-..---.-..--.- 186 World’s Columbian Exposition - 253 SSE aTiU, supply and pumping plants Msed Lome jase cee te eeecea newest saesesete 253 AT HANNAS HANGS Ol a poes cess ss eee sees 280, 306 MOUSKS'Of-j.5 25. emacs ease ee 306 PATIMIStOAU seh oo oe te nce cesecc oss seems ae = 249 Artificial food for young fish 2222-2 isce 264 PAT kins iCharlesi(Gis-tzcevece ces ebee saneeee 21 Atlanta Exposition, report on.......--..-.. 338 Atlantic coast fishes, range of -..-...--.-.- 233 salmon, propagation Oi cadese Ss ahee 346 shad fisheries . -.... oe eiote ree artclale 403 AD Watel, Wil Ose acc eos acne 234 Fish, acclimatization in Pacifie States.....-. 309 Fish and tishing in British Guiana .....--. 260 Hish:ceaase Of TOvers=.. = --16- eee eee ee 268 chemical composition of....-...--.--. 185 Fish Commission publications, list of .-... relations to fishermen.... 392 Fish-culture at St. Andrew’s Laboratory, Scotland: 2c oceewec a: iccmae csi eeereeee 261 Fish-culture in America ...-..------. 254, 255, 391 ITO POs sor === 5a 254 Germany 304 Michigan 256 ponds .... 27, 259, 294, 319, 346, 347 observations on....-...-...--. 188 TEPOTUON ooo oo-isese see ee 176, 192, 283, 298, 315, 331, 337, 344, 398 MOVIN EO --e)e eee eee 75 Fish-cultural methods at the Agricultural Schoolat Mreising -\2 2 seca ee eee ees 304 Fish-cultural stations for Pacific coast .... 314 Fish, distribution by U.S. F. C.in 1888-89.. 179 Fish epidemic in Lake Mendota ..-.--..--.- 147 Mishfeverse. cn ccssene cee poe eee eee eenee ee 268 PUBLICATIONS AVAILABLE FOR DISTRIBUTION. Serial No. Wish, food Of ----..---.-.. es. --.0-------= 264 Fish hatchery at Dunbar, Scotland ..-..---. 262 HOCAUION) Of(a5 anaes eee 333 Fish Hawk, construction of...------------- 70 Trial i} fee She mbeccose ane 70 Fish hybrids, fertility of ....-.-.-.--------- 234 migrations, influences on -..-..----- 245, 249 nets, construction of..........-.------ 275 parasites, occurrence of.--...--.------- 164, 165, 183, 250, 253, 370 propagation, report on ..-..----.------ 4, 15, 17, 25, 62, 65, 108, 115, 134, 176, 192, 283, 298, 315, 331, 337, 244, 398 TARGING Olesen euseee 27, 259, 294, 319, 346, 347 Fisheries, biological research in ....-.----- 244 Congress -...--------.----- 237, 363, 364 fOr Ale WIG e> =< selene a= alse =a === 401 haddoclkeeaeeanecenesse ees 31 Lt iil? ShSsceeebe es coadeeoecoe 359 LIGHIBIE (HS 65525 eCnenesaeeaos 356, 360 Trish mackerel.........------ 272 IM estieH ee eseseaeeeenocene saee 373 THEME GI, ebemeboscpdenrosnoe 306 Ted suappeks- sees saae ae 390 DION Me oe ees oeraeelcicsina 3 290, 357 Bhadlsaeses ote eso eae tee 403 maintenance Of. -.-.-----..------ 226 Ol Candade. jess nese Seen 270 WMloridae.2-4---- 341, 342, 377, 386, 393 Gulf States cee seeeee eee 206 Indian River, Florida ....-.-- 341 Interior waters ..---.--.----- 361 Sapa seen see cee ee sete 277 WGAK GUE MIG se eo tas em sme e 271 Ontarignessot cose el 194 Middle Atlantic States...---- 296 New England coast .-.-.-.--- 3 Paciico COast s-< ees ee aeenne = 293 Sea and coast:-----+--=-=->--- 240 South Atlantic States....-.-. 212 LOMAS Seen e cee Cesceecce cals 218 Wmnitedi States. ce n= <== 177 Fishermen, relations to Fish Commission.. 392 Fishery laws of Great Lakes.......-------- 238 IG TRIBIT ON So aaear eto ose mocesgesoos 241 trade, foreign, of United States.... 325 Fishes and fishlike vertebrates of North and Middle America ..-....--..--- 336 Fishes, artificial feeding of.........---.--.- 294 collected by Albatross..--.-.----- 326, 400 SIG GGE GIA) Beem onpnne eSoren aces saDee 4, 15, 17, 25, 62, 65, 108, 115, 134, 239 GritOZORT Oba tee eee tenn case neeee emia 182 TCU: (On onicecseoeceeueooddcde 294 food! fOr eceoe ease a= a ose cecisem 264 influenced by light.-....------.-..- 245 in vicinity of Neosho, Mo......--.-- 297 nutritive values of ..-..-----.----- 185 observations on .--.----..---.-.--.. 188 PLOvechion Of sesse- ee aes =e - oe 378 C(EETUNS GPE 4 arsonboscisee se sgh oeeceees 294 Tan ORS Se ib bedhoesuntsasescuer 231 Winhes OLeAMOrica- tees esos. see em eeteiats 336 Ay ansAsasene eet eee meee a 280, 306 Atlantic coast, range of-.--------. 233 ‘British Gniang 5-3-2. oss-ese-5 260 CWaNFOTNIA Boas oo = Sree eee ceer ase 288 @andd We cccn canes seeee eee cs cere se 282 Colorado River. csss-— sess an 297 Columbia River! s2-os-- 5-sc2= += 5-1 290 Cozumel, Yucatan-.....-..-..-.--- 138 Cumberland ‘River: .--e-<--=- =. - 211 MUGIMRIVOr eee cece aoe co anc aesase ces 235 Wloridas:sc-sc-- 167, 198, 292, 342, 371, 377 GS CONPID Seer eee eae e sees == === 142 TOTP CRE in eh ae Bee aCe 235, 295 Hindianh CE enn ybonyie seaacles i= iar sia 306 MOWG ee chee eer nateie oth nic cemcn's 195, 288 RMGnUMC Keys esos eos es 196, 197, 211 HlamathVniyers so. sce5.csecc< See 351 Mackenzie River’... .2:.::----=--- 234 MM SING ee ah soee tenia ce Soecee betes. 236 IVIGXICOMRULEE Ue eee eee cance. 279 Michigan eesti econ. acc. ac 141 Minnesota Missouri Missourt River-t sees < oe eer seme lata == 211 TUERENG | eige) einan ee OLCe coc SSE 225 WnitediStates <222252---------e5 339, 358 MermOlbeeeerereeceacnesneeessee 327 Woods Hole, Mass ......--------- 353 Fishing-grounds of Bristol Bay, Alaska... 161 off Florida coast .-----.- - 162 vessels, improved types of .--...--.. 137 Florida, biological station for-.-.-.------- 333, 367 commercial sponges. --...--------- 374 fisheries .........--- 341, 342, 377, 386, 393 fishes of.,... 167, 198, 292, 341, 342, 371, 377 fishing-grounds off..........--.--- 162 Hubs ya olen) pesenqeneceeEcocagcs 396 PLCCN WWE IN ance r ae ee eee 380 oyster-grounds of .-...-..--. 382, 383, 385 Food-fishes in American waters, decrease of 239 ood for yOUnM HSH anne mer seasons sea 264, 294 Ol COdee=t = 2s 340 marine animals 248 MIO TA OMe oye a tcietn os rele sintatala)a)atts 251 oyster, clam, and mussel -.--------. 313 sources Of marine ....--.------------- 307 Forbes) SecA sseece ccecc sess Sacce 147, 174, 210, 253 France, oyster-culture in........---.-.----- 203 Fresh-water pearls of United States . 278, 389, 397 sunfishes of North America .. 190 Mrog-culture ---. 520 ..c0-202---ceesen=-=- === 348 aL LON EL SV WODNY SS ses seine me net ie alate atamingetn ie 261 Fur farming in Florida.........------------ 396 Fur-seal, breeding-grounds of 317 Wis lOLysOinen semen eee essa 273 islands, RUSSIA. .s62- se —a se =a 316 MOVOMENES! OF aoe ee = ase etere mele 317 Fyke-net fisheries.....-.------------------- 226 nets, description of........-.---..-.-- 226 Geneva Lake, invertebrate animals of. -- --- 147 Georgia, fishes of.....--....-...----.--.---- 142 oyster industry of........-...----- 262 German Sea, scientific examination of... --- 40 Germany, artificial propagation of sturgeon Nk aa aa Mer aclelis Hicsipe Ch OoOG 151 fish-Culiure dM cecem essence 304 Gilbert, Charles H ... 142, 234, 288, 290, 326, 351, 400 Qulbertwelnseesasctec esses eee se ar eeeeee 242 GoodeGa Brow --e-eesecese sees aba 31, 75, 243 Grampus, construction and equipment of... 171 investigation off New England (COP TU eScaseoteescanasbasgoessss 168 WORKS Oba merece ateis ss ne saat 172 Great Britain beam-traw] fishery ...-.-.--- 132 Great Lakes, fishery laws of -...--..------- 238 plankton studies in .......--- 252 Green turtle on Florida coast 380 Green, William Spotswood..-.-.-..-..--------- 272 Gulf of Mexico, biological station for..-.---- 368 Gulf States, fisheries of .-.......-----.----- 206 Guumlenya Be Race eee ease ea erates eller 215 Haddock fishery of New England...--..---. 31 Halibut fishery of northwest coast..--...-. 359 EE ML JEN ys eadaeaorcecenedesonsnenocesces 360 Henshalls sames7A.-s-s-sss- 5-6 cs=<-2--o5 sop seee 297 Missouri River, tishesot, jeesceess-osesesee 324 Mobile Bay, oyster beds of...........-..-.. 305 Mollusks, natural history of -.............-. 223 of Arkansas and Indian Terri- LOLY <2- 22 = cares eee ees 306 Montana, ann ar oo2-omann-nae oon seen 210 Montery Bay, fishes!0fs-=---25ssees see eeee 400 Moores Boe acceodeaaeseaes 229, 349, 356, 381, 402 Moore, JjPerey = -<-22252-:- s2scn- 323 North Carolina; fishes \0f 22-- --5-4-es=5--2e5 303 North Dakota, fishes ote: -42~a-r0csenseure 312 Northwestern United States and western Canada, explorations in ....-....--..----- 282 Nordoivist,Ostareceet se eee~ este see eae 234, 255 Notes on fish-culture in Germany-.-..-.-..-- Observations upon fish, etc.....--.......-.- 188 | Ocean fishes and effect of legislation upon Pot (yet eae ar ens 3S ose-ccoscee ons 241 Oenmlen Aes = sense ses nee a eee 262 Oystoricnltnne:- sce ceceas saimce saat ee eee 263, 349 IN HULONGs 22 tensa = case 214 INTaNCCS = anes eee 203 WexAs eee eee eae 387 Kit) 0) IMBC ee RCOOR RE nO cose oP cme 313 grounds of Florida ......----- 382, 383, 385 MONS a aeeseeo eke see 402 Mobile Bay and Missis- sippi Sound ......-.-- 305 South Carolina 202 industry of Connecticut ..........-- 169 Georeia eeeses eee 262 Louisiana. sss s=. + ----see-eese 365 in Great Lakes 252 iPend) culture; NOLES ON: 2522 45> aes - = 30 IPOstpHOyiiase- (at Sab oe vs medals cements bees 256 PUBLICATIONS AVAILABLE FOR DISTRIBUTION. Serial No. Potomac River, fishes of.....-....-.-------- 189 Propagation of bass...-.--..-...--------- 259, 347 CLAMS) os S Sec aeeeeeee ye! 349 food-fishes, report on. . --.-- 4, 15, 17, 25, 62, 65, 108, 115, 134, 176, 192, 283, 298, 315, 331, 337, 344, 398 AOR Se -- -ne oe aaa 348 OYSUCISS-- ee seaee eee 349 Salmon eo 45- ses eere 346 WNOUbi 2225 seein area 346 IBroLection on fishes: ..---oss4seee eee eee 378 Psorosperms on short minnow ...--.------- 154 Publications of U.S. Fish Commission, list Olean eet te race sates jee Se ener ane 9, 406 QUIBICHN Side sate sce eee ae eee te 260 Quinnat salmon, natural history of-...--.--- 320 Rainbow trout, propagation (Oi Adecngcaccs 319, 346 Rathbun, Rie [eri Ri ROSIN 5 os ee 41, 146, 192, 224, 228, 283, 298, 315, 331, « 337 Ravenel Wide Cea east secede pans sie 338, 407 Red-snappersishenestec.eecee ase sila canna 390 ROB MER Wha Saicoeese ee Cac oceess alate eines 253 Reighard ed ACOM Wace ses = ea ani ae 252, 365 Report of Commissioner..-.-..----.--.----- 3,4, 15, 17, 25, 62, 65, 108, 115, 134, 176, 192, 283, 298, 315, 331, 337, 344, 398 Reptiles, natural history of 222 Revillagigedo, fishes of.......------- an 404 Rio Grande Basin, fishes of......----------- 225 RiGterw Hye Sas aast onus coe mee eee asona 305 Rock bass, propagation of...-....-.-------- 347 IO ys all CAS es See ee ee eae ee 263 Rue ohn Gass sacha seas cecae dees siaee 883 ALOT OOM sem eae ass araasne ree cae wneses 297 Laie dn Ie ec sooocscnsod sec E HOO SrS 181, 244 Russian fur-sealislands....-..--..--------- 316 St. Andrew’s laboratory, Scotland, fish-eul- UDP RO See eee ae ae eee 261 St. George Sound, survey of...---.--.------ 343 St. Vincent Sound, survey of....---------.- 343 Salmon fisheries, Columbia River-.-.-......-- 290 Penobscot Bay-.....------ 357 hatehing apparatus)... .-.22-0<02 =< 21 PEON OUNRAVOL sees asne «cease ne 376 investigations in Columbia River.. 290, 301, 318, 352 investigations in Idaho..........-. 301, 318 Salmonoids, culture! Ofse- <2 - oo. a5o25c5- ese 308 Salmon, propagation of....-.-..----.----- 320, 346 stations on Pacific coast.......---- 314 Sandfortfiish-culture.at.....-..<.2.----ces< 304 Santa Catalina, fishes of.......----.------.- 400 Saprolegnia infesting Shee sea toes eee se 253 Scallop fishery OtMiain@ve-sen seo sees case sec 163 Scienidw; TEVIGW: Of... . sacs once ww omnes cnn 127 Scientific examination of the German seas- 40 inquiry, eee GMa-sccossechoesas 176, 2, 283, 298, 315, 331, 337, 344, 398 Ee enane Bi ab aaa oe cap EE aaaran 243, 366 Schleswig-Holstein, Germany.-.------..--- 151 Seudder, Charles Rp te See ca a res a 329 Sea aNocorasmusheriesieca. -—cccceeess ccc ees 240 fisheries of the eopet of New England. - 3 Dea SOMG iy WASHES OL & ences ees etircis oc === 229 SearlenGeorporAs. =. ccsccscceccs cscc- sc ses 319 SealewalliamePranceae ces scccae cea semese< ce 186 Shad fisheries of Atlantic coast....---..--- 403 new species of-..--..-.-..-.--..---... 335 BANE OO leer tee aiae te eatin erence ss os 379 Spawane habits Ot. sacs-ccm4-226n=- 209 SHALP OUNE Sa o- aa oc ese meen asics scisccc.e cic 395 Shipworm, noteson .......... Sosocoedcsssce 369 SISBLLOONs CHALIOS) b aanascenien oa cneber ewan 369 Smeltz, TE, SASS SE arse wae wmaiee selene ese 385 Smugh, bah Meee ec enccee 163, 166, 189, 194, 206, 212, 226, 230, 232, 233, 277, 283, 293, 296, 298, 302, 309, 315, 331, 333, 337, 339, 353, 357, 361, 374, 401, Smith, Rudegiaiie en we Ca eee. 4i South ’A tlantie States, fisheries of.......... 212 South Carolina oyster grounds.-.......-...- 202 Houbhiwick, JM Ke esc. ose ccisievesccesms 241 Spangler, gS ME eae SOR a SiS 3 239 Sparoid fishes, review of....--.....-..----- 219 Sponges, commercial, of Florida..........-- 374 327 Serial No. Sponge culture.................. sencecesesc 375 natural history Of¢ <2... cease a=e == 224 Stanley-Brown, Joseph ......--.-----.----- 273 Statistical inquiry, report on........--..--- 176, 192, 283, 298, 315, 331, 337, 344, 398 Status of U.S. Fish Commission ........--. 75 Stevenson, Charles 7 Stejneger, Leonhard... --.<--sccsccssmeeane 316 Stiles, Charles Wardell ..--...-.---.------- 253 Stove mlm Sstonees. - festa eee aes 320, 391 Stranahan, Sf se ee ee 488 Sturgeon propagation .....- seas oeeeieweoeee 151, 269 Sucker, description of a new ..-----.--..--. 207 Sunfishessteview Of. 92. ose -ees tae eee 190 Stig COG Ral a lw: Coe etianpoasoertarnean=syedonciac 372 Swit wHraniclin i 2.0 acne ee cer eae aaaee 3438, 382 Tanner, Z.L.. 70, 130, 161, 180, 284, 289, 310, 321, 330 Ravlor, Wie Md Gar 2-5 scenes eres tacos 368 Temperature and other observations of the eSBs) Commission! see. e= == cise ee 41 Tennessee Centennial Exposition ....-...--- 407 Tennessee, HSNESlOLs =< c. 0.0.4 Ani CXXXIX, CXLVI, CLXV. Albemarle: Sound ses sees anscne Sa eeaseaes LVII Shad Fisheries- ---..- 170-173 Mil6wat@ros. <0 cosas cee weno aee ese ana as 34 Catch, Comparative Statistics. 4243 AT SOG oe oe eee eS ae 36 Fisheries considered by States 34 by Waters 38-42 of United States in INS Gi eS ee eo 31-43 of United States in 1896, Boats, Appa- ratus, and Prop- ertyemployedin.. 35-36 of United States in 1896, Persons em- ployedan2s-n-=2=- 35 Alewives as Food-fishes ----.-- .-- SSS 34 SA VETaS OE TCO see s- nase s oe 34 or HiverHerrineses:----22--= 33 SIZCOf= =: Seen ne ee eck 34 takenin United Statesin 1896, quantity and value of -----.- 37 TSCGAS Balts 3-525. -5-sesce55 34 AMiloxandor Alibi es- 3 oe etea coe CXLVIII Algae on Louisiana Oyster Beds.------- 94 Alligator Gattnse- 22 eee ones ee ooeor ae 304 Alosa sapidissima ..---<......-»----- CXXXVII ‘Alpena Station: .-----2<<-3------2----- LXXXI UMTS A AT EV ONE cance ee mene ee eee cecee 135 FAMOUS OLBS annonce nea enone teense 306 mebulosus 52. -cs2-ocseecca—-- 306 American Seal Herd and Pelagic Seal- YD ee tes Sea ee ne ee ee eee CLX1V PAMIAICAI as - == oe et ete oe nat ene ces 302, 304 Amphisticus argenteus ---.-..---------- 25 Anacharis-.... as pe eae eek A 289 IANIAROSCOP LIN RlVeleocee sean nena ae see eee 267 Aneuillachrysyipa ----- cose enna soe 308 Anisotremus davidsoni --.-...---.-.---- 278 Iiterriuptus = .=------>-=--= 278 Aphredoderus sayanus ---.-.----------- 309 Aplodinotus grunniens ---.------------- 310 Page. Amorzonwatrichidus.-.sscisscasn se =aae ee 217 retrosella:s. <= |: 3. 25ecvesce-e see 277 Apomotis symmetricus ------.----..---- 310 Appomattox River, Shad Fisheries of- - 185 Appoquiniminks Creek)- 22. e.esss5ese5=== 222 Appropriations for Commission -------- XXIX Aquarium at Central Station ----_------ LXIII Nashville, Tenn----- XX XIX, 336 Omaha Exposition----- XXXVII Archosargus probatocephalus-.---.------ 310 Argyrosomus nigripinnis.--..---------- CXLII Artificial Food for Young Fish --------- XLII Hatching of Mackerel ----.-- CXXXI Propagation, Value of-------- x ASHE POO RIVE? ses a= eaceselseeaenseases sh 141 Assignment and Distribution of Fish and Wigess.-s220.s8 Seessst oaees oeeas= CV-CVII Atchatalayashily Clkesa=-aee ene aoe eee 290 Atherinopsiaftinis'—-<-.---2-- -2=-=--=-s-= 25 Atherinopsis californiensis -----.------. 25 Atkins @harlesiG.s so.ce5-22ss == eee eee XLII Ab Lan bic Sal MOn= seen e eeeeee eee XLII, XLITI Details of Distribution CIX Averruncus sterletus ---..------- CXLYVI, 27, 29 INGATR RAE ooh wh a\0 (0) en Seon ees eae 282 IBalbcoc kristy cece ee eeece eee as XCV Baird: Spencer ---2s=-2--¢se--4-2-—=~= 108 Baird Stationicecs ceccmae seca ene XCIIil Baker Lake, Washington--.-.--.-.-. CXX XIII Banana Bay Ole sie. a> soaks = sees ees 75 Barataria Bay: so: -2 20-2 a ee ce- eee oe 69 Barish a5 ok Sere ces eee eee ae hee 310 IBATTACUG So 2-2 oo cosa te eens ae eee CXL Barricading Salmon Stream---------.-- XxXI BartlettsS3.P’cos-ascoss= 5 ------ een 27, 284 Brook Trout -.-.-.---- BrG Bi SBN 1H no. Sd DANY7I | COCO) Ena yee Ee tek ee Se nee ee 302, 307 Tex Vill, Es XeReks eke koe | (Clonal SG lphE 6a = sean ae eee 93. LXV. Gk kX DX. KOT | (Clupanodon coruleus=--=- ----- 9 --— ee 25 Distribution of------ OXGV-O GV | Clapea hareneus 22 nena eee 34 Broussard. Obert hy ee ssa sea eee 287, 288 pallaslin sss. 5 os. -ee een ae ee 25 IBTO Wii sia eet cn ee senna aera omeaeeee LXII | Coastal Streams of Washington, Ore- Brown ChOMasse=--s-s-seeosere a aesee ns if fon, and California-.---- --8---7---= CXXxXVI Bryan Point Station -----..-..------------ Texel Cobb, ohmeNee--- ese a- CXLVII, CXLVIII, 106 IBA ey fg Obras n eee hee eean Sameer eee XLIV | Cod, Details of Distribution-----.------ CXXII Bulletins issued by Division of Statis- hatching at Gloucester Station ---- L tics and Methods of the Fisheries-. CXLVII Woods Hole Station-. LIV Islrbreyoy eile ly Olea sas aes ee eee ss XVII, CXLIV landed at Boston, Mass-----..-.---- CLI Buzzards Bay Shad Fisheries----------- 261 Gloucester, Mass ------ CXLIX @abbare Rechts ---se=-asaaa natn ene 68)|. Cod propagation: --5-—-—¢- 4) --==-— eae IX, LIT Calico Basseses. pense ae se eee neon eae 310)| (Corswells ly Mic 222252 22a CXLVII, CXLVIII Oalifornini bay. - ves. 22s se---se een 64.5) (Cohansey Creek: += 5 2a naan 239 Gantherines carols --2--- ~-=-- === nena 281 | Cold Springs Station, Georgia ---.----. XXVII Cape Fear River and Tributaries, Shad Collecting Cod Eggs- -------------------- L MiShetted) Ole ee sac eee ane 157-163 | Collections and Reports-.--------------- CXLVI Gane hieiistiy WWW is hee eee ae ee PAVE @oOllIng; daNWieesee seen a= see eee XXV Cape Vincent Station --...------------ XLVIII | Columbia Dam, Influence on Shad Fish- Car and Messenger Service ----------- XXXIV OPIOS Coe soe ecn en eee 2 ee eee eee ee 225 Carangoides orthogrammus ---.--------- O77. | Combalhee iver 24-5 .n2s65 = set ee 141 (Opi rabe iki tags joy atsee BBs os ee ee 2771 Common Butralo-fish2- sss. -en-=seme eens 307 Mmarcimahls sos se—=e eae seen 217 Bullheady...202 22.0 see 306 Carcharhinus platyrhynchus- ----..---- 274 Mullet 22202 oe ae ees 309 Gagco Baye foes eee noe so san ee enner aces 264 Names of the Herrings - ------ 34 Oaspian Wako leessestes teh ese ee ae noe XLV | Conch, as an Enemy of the Oyster - ---- 91 Catawba or Wateree River ---.--------- 145' | Congaree Rivers----- --2---~-<--=---—ere> 145 —~=* INDEX. 343 Page. Page. Conley, lM Sesto te lectse oecsaeeeeact ese LIII | Edisto River, South Carolina-------- XXXIII, Connecticut River, Shad Fisheries of__ 253-257 XXXIV, LVI, 142 Connecticut, Shad Fisheries of --------- ea eu abso: 3. eb eee eae ee Sa 292, 293, 305 Contentnea River :.-2-5-5-<-24- GAS 165=166-1 67 heey 10 DStbers.£. 6! ee ete ss ee LV Conways disssce5 cess XXXVII | Eggsand Fish, Distribution and Assign- Coregonus williamsoni -----.-_------ CXXXIII mentioless—5 ea CV-CVII Gorlisas CiG.2 22 eee race eee ooo ane L Furnished for Distribu- @oryphrena equisetis. ..-.-2-..--2+/.-+--- 27 tion, Statistics of -... XI, XII Crabs planted in Pacific Waters ----- SOCK LT. Mlassoma, Zonatumyss55. 22. sse-5-5 se-—- 310 XO RAVE MMA VOr/ =o ao < So = ee ce eee eee 216 Crap Brook Stabiony]-.5-=-4) cee eae EEA Rlliwah ope 258 baie a ae as ee cee ae 34 @nanetowil Bayicscsace ccs ana eoos aise eee GPa Bul Wwithe (22s. 55s ets See ee 34 @nappie s-2-se5sus25e 52 <5 XXXIII, LXXXIV, | Embassichthys bathybius- ---..--.------ 28, 29 PEXGXEe Vi) ako VA LOM) Bam bioteca jackson e- 22. 22224 aceon 281 Details of Distribution --------- CXXI | Embryological Studies of Mackerel---- 4 Crevasses, Effect on Louisiana Oysters. 94| Enemies of Fish -..-....-.--... XLVII, LX VIII @roaiketiy. eee eee ene a eee detente 310 OV STOR soe cette ts eee 91 Croatan and Roanoke Sounds, Shad 1Biarcantslati S Res na afed aml gM UE eee a A ee 34 WISHOTICS Ole! So ee anos eee eae 169) |) Brmeranlissmordam::- +22 52.5-2. 52. 25 Cusk landed at Boston, Mass -.---.----- CLI | Entomacrodus chiostictus ---..--------- 284. Gloucester, Mass-_----- CEE | PHOpsetia JONGant = 9s se oe ae 28 @yenet, Muanunchy e232 Ses eas LIII | Epinephelus analogus- ---.------..------ 278 @yroscion nebulosusi-=2 = - 22 = ee eee 310 (abrifOnrmishesasssaecsssee. 278 Cyprinodon variegatus-.--.-..------------ 309 | Erwin Station, Tenn-----.------ XXVI, LXVII Darling Pond) s)2tecq=sess2eclaesesee soe XLV | Etheostoma jessie..--- ---.-.=2---------- 302, 310 MARIO. = 62 oso- fe acseae ass -ae ee ene 310 | Eupomacentrus flavilatus .---..---.---- 282 Dean P2020 2 ea asee ee eee eee ae LXXXV letuCOntUs ees ae es 282 Decrease of Salmon in Alaska--------.- xx PECtiireonUMs wees eee 282 Delaware Bay and River, Shad Fish- Hiaponmio bis heros eases eae ee ee 310 SMiesOle fac sees ee owen os 220-222, 230-240 Delaware River, Shad Fisheries of--_-- 22) Delaware Shad Fisheries-...----.------- 218-222 Statistics of Fisheries of... CLXXI Dermatolepis punctatus..-.---...------ 278 Detroit River, St. Clair River,and Lake St. Clair, Statistics of Fisheries of. CLXXIV IDiCd Ghuby SGVix — 5 222k S225 Se oteawsisse= 281 Distribution and Propagation of Food- shes\s-o5.-5-s3-3 XXXI-CXXII of Fish and Eggs, Statis- TICK OLS seen eee ee XL, XLI Summaryiofse5 255-2 - 0205 XII ables .22e. 2-25-65 CV-CXXII Division of Fish-culture----.--.--------- VIII report. XXXIJI-CXXII Inquiry respecting Food- Pishesie cs sie wt bac ks Inquiry respecting Food- fishes and the Fishing- grounds, report. CX XIII-CXLVI Division of Statisticsand Methods of the XIV Fisheries, report---.--- CXLVIIL- CLXXV Dolly Varden rout son. asss-4- oss eee XCV Dorosoma cepedianum....-.---.-------- 302 exile,A-8 5s 92, 308 Dougherty, We Wisc --s0 55 soe oes ees XCVII Downing, S..W-=---.--- LXXIX, LXXXI, CII Drift Nets in Shad Fisheries ------- 202, 207, 246 Dram Baye Sass a eee ee et 63 Drtm Bay OWS. .2-= 2-65, 52-64 6 -neeseace 59 Mrumiish W.-W. o ss ccrane aeons CXXIV as an Enemy of the Oyster--.- 91 DneckiOreek. 222 sucess os ee 222 Duluthistation= 22. 525222-24.- cence see LXxXXI PV BODMOOIW 2. ios ores es XXVIII Eastern Oysters on Pacific Coast------.-. XIV Mastisansicorba yy. .2ctes Seek een ee oe 58 Hehidnamocburna).alscssncs-55-cen= = o258 275 Evergreen Lakes, Colorado ----------- XXXIV MVerMmann gs Wise ce soe eee ee eee XV, CXXVH, CX XXII, CXXXV Evermann, B. W., report on Investiga- tions in Mississippi, Louisiana, and ITN aS Shee his ss a Sh ne ae ae be 283-310 iVoplitesivinidis.o-.keke pes 2s 278 Px oceetus Volitans== oct. --ohe tee 27 Exonautes xenopterus ---.----=- -.------ rf Expenditures at Nashville Exposition - 339 Exposition at Nashville--.-...---.---.-- XXIV, XXXVI, 329-339 Omaliay ieee pPRene Vie Neko de VALE EER POSIDLONSae20 = seeeeee es ae XXIV, XXXVI Extension of Fish-cultural Work --.--- Vill Extent and Condition of Alewife Fish- eries of United States in 1896_-....---- 31-43 Extent of Shad Fisheries in 1896.-__._--- 114-122 Halsemouthi Bay sese.s secon. sees eeeeea ene Farallone Islands, Lobsters planted Near 2A. chase eee eee esos XXXII arming toniniversc:.---ssoses- CXXVIIL Massachusetts, Shad Fisheries of-.--..- 200-260) INGChesuRiVer=225. 2 ue ane= os: 2 ech aeeeee 301-803 Massachusetts, Statistics of Certain Welumbitm ite ces Se ee 303 MIShSTIGS OL 204. soe occ s eee Eee CLES BM) Neosho! Stabionis. 4-5) eros nan eee LXXXV Mattaponi: Rivero: 222222222 -doaeee eee 188 | Nets used in Alewife Fishing. -.-...__-- 34 Mayeliorring 32) 222 oi.2 ange ene 34 | Neuse River and Tributaries, Shad MeDonald(Cad=boxie2 ee anes see LI Hishenies Ol eS te cee es ee eee 163-168 McDonald Marshalilecs see sa anes sees o 109,111 | New England Sportsmen’s Association. XX VI McGregor, R. C.,and Jordan, D.§., on New Hampshire, Fish Hatchery in_.... XXVI Fishes from Reyillagigedo Archipel- Statistics of Certain agoand Neighboring Islands-.--..--.-.. 273-284 2 Fisheries of ---... CLXVII MeGGitite: (FE OD ig eon sot teens ce oecede ete XCIX | New Jersey, Shad Fisheries of -_-__--_- 228-241 Mead cA Disa. cctoeoan tenets bee boy nae CXLIV Statistics of Certain Fish- Medialuna californiensis-.-..........--..- 279 SLIOsiObe =. {eee tee CLXX Meehan Wi bososs2 os soo eee eee Le REE TV | NG wi Stations css. 2 oe eee ee XXVI Melichthys bispinosus- ---....--..--------- 280 | New York Bay, Shad Fisheries of ------ 243 Moelongona 22. 2ns/- 5.8 ate eesce hee CXXIV | New York, Shad Fisheries of -_-.__----- 242-249 Menhaden sic 802. seesce ek cee esos 34 Statistics of Certain Fish- Menidia peninsule. <--... s2---- --s-sse 309 eries Of-4. 224 sso ene ee CLXIX Menippe mercenaria --.-....-..----.---.-- 92) |\JNine-mile Bayou ue --5 52. 2s eee ee 52, 54 IMerenosiaiaa 222 ce2he 52) see ees TREK y Nisseqnagte River sesens ee eee nee 249 Morrmitnac iivers 26. soc. cote eesenee 262 | North Carolina, Shad Fisheries of ----- 155-176 MesoOpus PRetiOSUSa ss srassaceke sees se oe Zon PNOTRNEAStUNLVEL. sont enorotee eae eeee ae 160 Meyer, Adolphs 222euslcsennceee CXXIII, 47,51 | Northville Station _.........-.... IX, LXXVIII Michel sohmnet ells 2 los 26 - eae eure 47 | Northwest Jack Williams Bay --------- 58, 59 Microzobius}rulosus) 225 ssecss s-scee sees 310 | Notes on the Extent and Condition of Micropogon undulatus--....--..-._----.- 310 Alewife Fisheries of United States in Micropterus salmoides.......-..-..---.- 310 1896, by. Hueh My Smiitho=--eess eee 31-43 Microspathodon bairdii---.....-.-------- 282 | Notropis chamberlaini ----..-----.------ 307 dorsalis;: == 2.202425 282 lowisians 35-0242 50) eee 308 Microstomus paciicus!:-.-222--..--2 == 28, 29 notemigonoides -..-...-------- 302, 308 Mierationsiof Shad sis e202 ft as 106 UK ok lo asntmaeces esas sees 307 Mispillion Creeks sso secon see ao ae eee 221 VeNTStUS! 2-5. \Gcsew ec cee hae 302, 308 MISSISSI ppl Gants Seen se sens sues 304) PNa phar sce. Us 52562 ee ac eee 289, 303 Mississippi, Louisiana, and Texas, In- Nt hings OG. ae ee CXLIII vestigations in 180% = 2-2-2222. ones 2852510) )) Ney phiea lo 5. 2.2 so e-- ow ansek eee 289, 303 MMISSISSIPDUSOUNG 2pe-c-5sesee oeeee anes 66 | Ocean Shore of New Jersey, Shad Fish- Mobjack Bay, Shad Fisheries of -------- 180 ePriesiOL..- 22s =. naaw sateen ce mote ee ee 240 Mollienisia latipinna .......-..-.---.---- 09) (Ocmuleece iRiver: so4-s-24-- 22 s2e—-- soe 135 Montana (Grayling s-5-0- see. ee ee XE |} Oconee River 22228 2 5.20. 5 eee 136 Monterey Bay and Santa Catalina Is- Ogeechee Rivero. ssc m onan seeee eee 136 HANG ISHES MTOM Annee et ee o-ae oe 25-79) OldenbureG: blo ao: naaeeeee cee eee XCVIII Moore, H. F. XIV, XXVI, CXXIII, CXXVII, 47 | Omaha Exposition ... KXXV, XXXV, XXXVII, on Oyster-bedsof Louisiana 45-100 XXXIX Moore, J. Percy ---------- XVI, CXXX,CXLIII | Oncorhynchus gorbuscha --..-.-.....--.-- XIX on Mackerel Investiga- kisubeh.sa---= XIX, CXXXIII TIONS MAO eee ee 1-22 metkat 222-5 so 225 Sap Xen Mortality among Brood Cod at Woods XXVII, CXXXII, CXXXIII 18 Ro} Cay a ee ere le So See ee es CXLIV tschawytscha -.....-.--. XIX, Moser J eierson Hos. oe one eee eee XVIII CXXXIII, CXL Mud Gab 532 ees cus een see eae 506)| (Opelousas! Cab ju. ccsec2 5255 esos 306 Muderassiisland ssi 2222502 ce be ene sees 65 | Operations of Steamer Fish Hawk...--. XXIV Mugil: cophalis so 50.23) eee eee ee ea 309 | Ophichthus triserialis_---..------------. 274 CUPGIIG (2 lee a oS et See 75 | Ophiodon elongatus- ---.---------------- 26 Murderkal"Greckes. sine ss ese estes ane 221 | Opsopceodus emiliz -......--.------=---- 302, 307 Museum of Comparative Zoology, Pub- Ostrea luridaz ..-ccesie-etstgosseneuede a CXXVI lications.of 2 2--8a