358 BULLETIN OF THE UNITED STATES FISH COMMISSION. 



they have been increasing perceptibly. The other hsh mentioned are 

 nothing bnt the common river fish. 



EFFECT OF DAMS. 



There is no question that the building of the dams necessary to feed 

 the canals i^ut a stop at once to shad fishing; all our correspondents 

 agree that after the Kanticoke dam was finished, in 1830, no shad were 

 ever caught above it. As to the effect of the dams on the shad fishing, 

 the following extracts from Hazard's Eegister are of interest: 



1829. May 9, page 304. "Lewistown, Pa., May 2. It is stated that 

 shad are caught in much greater abundance below the dam at North 

 Island, in the Juniata, than has ever been known at any previous time. It 

 is supposed that the dam in the Susquehanna, immediately above the 

 mouth of the Juniata, has the effect of directing their course up the 

 Juniata. The dam at North Island retards their further passage, and 

 the consequence is that the people further up the Juniata are deprived 

 of the luxury of fresh shad which so abundantly falls to the lot of their 

 neighbors a few miles lower down. But we must be content with these 

 little deprivations by the promise of the immense advantages which are 

 to accrue to the country from the canal." 



1830. May 8, page 301. The Sunbury Beacon of Monday the 2Gth of 

 April, says : " ISTot less than from four to five thousand shad were caught 

 on Saturday last within a quarter of a mile below the dam. Upwards of 

 five hundred were taken by one dip-net, and several others averaged 

 two and three hundred each. We understand that several hundred 

 were caught with dip-nets yesterday." 



1831. May 14, page 318. From the Wyoming Herald: "Wilkes 

 Barre, May 6, 1831. While the raftsmen complain of the Nanticoke dam, 

 the boys find in it a source of amusement. The bass which ascend at 

 this season in great numbers, stopped by the dam, offered fine sport. 

 Indeed, hooks, half a dozen at a time without bait, are lot down and 

 suddenly drawn up often with two or three bass hooked by the side." 



And on the same page, from the Susquehanna Democrat: "A short 

 time since great quantities of bass were caught in a small eddy formed 

 in the river directly below the abutment of the Nanticoke dam. The 

 fish api)arently lay there in schools, and by drawing hooks through the 

 eddy numbers were caught. On Thursday and Friday last a number of 

 fine shad were caught in the same way. One man drew out nine in one 

 day, and sold them for 50 cents each. This is the first instance within 

 our knowledge of shad being caught with a hOok. We mention the fact 

 as one altogether ne-w, as Avell as to say to the down-river folks, our 

 market has not been altogether destitute of shad, though many a gen- 

 tleman's table has." 



We are informed that to-day the shad manage to get over the Co- 

 lumbia dam, only to be received iu nets spread for them at the head of 

 the sluice-way by a pack of scoundrels, among whom, if we hear cor- 



