442 BULLETIN OF THE UNITED STATES FISH COMMISSION. 



On the lOtli of December, 1885, Mr. Hessel sent over upwards of 

 7,000 Clupeoids, coasisting almost entirely of shad. In a half-gallon 

 jar, selected at random from the mass of the fish and preserved in al- 

 cohol, I have counted 48 shad, catalogue No. 37401 , ranging in length 

 from 4 to 5 inches. Thirty-four shad, No. 37403, in another jar, varied 

 in length from 3^ to 5 inches. Another jar contained 17 shad, No. 37404, 

 measuring about the same as the preceding. The total number of shad 

 selected is, therefore, 107. With them were received 13 specimens of 

 the glut alewife, Clupea cestivalis, jSTos. 37402 and 37405, varyiug in length 

 from 5 to 5J inches. 



On the 10th of November, 1885, Mr. Hessel sent over a shad, No. 

 37368, measuring 4J inches in length. On July 24, 1885, we received 

 from the carp ponds a shad measuring 2f inches in length, No. 37406. 



Shad have been obtained in the United States carp jionds before last 

 year; for example, on November 6, 1880, we received a lot, of which I 

 preserved 23 individuals. No. 26419, ranging in length from to 6| 

 inches. There has not, however, been such a multitude of shad in the 

 carp ponds until last year, as far as our observation goes, and we are 

 justified in believing that this mass is the result of an experiment by 

 Col. M. McDonald, in April, 1885, at which time about 10,000 young 

 shad were introduced into one of the ponds. 



The shad taken in the carp ponds in November of last year represent 

 about the maximum size of the species at the time of the fall migration, 

 as will be seen from reference to the vspecimens mentioned below. 



On September 20, 1874, Dr. J. D. Hyer sent to the Museum a shad 

 taken in the Potomac at Washington, No. 15238, measuring 6a inches 

 in length. These November shad, taken in the carp ponds and in the 

 Potomac, correspond in size with individuals sometimes taken in the 

 river in the spring. On the 26th of April, 1884, the Fish Hawk ob- 

 tained 2 shad, No. 37030, at York Spit, measuring 5J and 6| inches in 

 length. 



Shad of smaller size are also found in the Potomac late in the fall. 

 On the 26th of October, 1881, Col. M. McDonald obtained some speci- 

 mens. No. 29092, of which 12 are preserved, the smallest measuring 3 

 inches and the largest 4 inches in length. These in all probability rep- 

 resent a late spawning of the species, and the larger examples previ- 

 ously referred to an earlier one. 



In connection with this examination of the shad from the carp-ponds 

 I have again studied a bottle of "whitebait" received from New York 

 Bay in May, 1878, and find that 8 of the fish. No. 21258, are Clupea 

 cestivalis, ranging in length from 3f to 4| inches, and 2 are shad, Clupea 

 sapidissima, No. 37400, measuring 4 inches and 4j|- inches, respectively. 

 I mention this here in order to bring out the tact that the time at which 

 shad may be found in salt water is subject to great variation. 



U. S. National Museum, 



Washington^ D. C, January 4, 1880. 



