470 BULLETIN OF THE UNITED STATES FISH COMMISSION. 



133 MOVEMENTS OF MENHADEN— CATCH OF HERRING. 



BY ISAAC II. GRANT. 



[From a letter to Prof. S. F. Baird.] 



I have raade extensive inquiries as to the return of menhaden to this 

 coast, and believe that, in general, there is no ground for the report, 

 though a few have been caught at different localities. Near Bristol, 

 Me., quite a large quantity was caught in a weir. At the mouth of 

 Weekeag River, South Thomaston, three menhaden were caught in a 

 herring weir, but no schools of menhaden have been seen, to my knowl- 

 edge. The movements of these fish are watched here with much in- 

 terest, as their departure from Maine waters has entirely changed the 

 manner of obtaining bait. Our fishermen now depend almost entirely 

 upon herring caught in the numerous weirs which have been built in 

 the coves and sheltered waters along the coast. For these they pay 

 from 40 to 60 cents per bushel. Many large hauls are obtained in these 

 weirs, 200, 300, and often 400 bushels of herring oftentimes being taken 

 in a night. After the fishermen have been supplied, the surplus is sold 

 to the "sardine" factories, which have small steamers running about to 

 collect them. 



White Head Light Station, 



Spruce Head, Me., September 25, 1883. 



124.— MOVEMENTS OF MACKEREL. 



By S. J. MARTIN. 



[From a letter to Prof. S. F. Baird. ] 



I have been requested by many mackerel fishermen to call attention 

 to the statement of Capt. David Plummer, master of the ship H. S. 

 Sanford, dated New York, August 28, 1883. He says : " On my late pas- 

 sage from Bath to this port, on the 23d instant, in latitude 40° 24' long- 

 titude 67° 40', just on the edge of the soundings, with a temperature 

 of water at 70°, showing that we were within the influence of the Gulf 

 Stream, we were for several hours surrounded by large schools of mack- 

 erel." 



The fishermen are of the opinion that the large mackerel may be stay- 

 ing in those warm waters instead of going further north. It is of 

 immense importance to the mackerel fishermen to know where the fish 

 can be found. They Mould at once proceed to those waters if they could 

 be confident that the fish seen by Mr. Plummer were really mackerel. 



Gloucester, Mass., September 1, 1883. 



