440 BULLETIN OF THE UNITED STATES FISH COMMlSSlOl^. 



structioii of jetties and breakwaters changes the movements of the ghad. 

 The breakwater at the entrance of Xew Haven Harbor has so changed 

 the course of the fresh water from the Quinepiac River that it now 

 nearly all flows east, along the Brauford shore, the result of which is 

 thought to be a greater catch of shad in that vicinity. For instance, 

 the first x^ound eastward caught 3,500 shad the past season, the average 

 yearly catch before the building of the breakwater never having ex- 

 ceeded 500. The construction of jetties at the mouth of the Connecti- 

 cut Eiver causes a distribution of fresh water farther to the westward, 

 and therefore a marked increase in the catch of shad in Clinton and 

 Madison. 



Shad fishing in the Connecticut Eiver commenced about Aj^ril 20, 

 somewhat later than usual, and from that time until May 25 was re- 

 markably good and the shad very large. After that date until the close 

 of the season there was a marked falling off. It was thought that this 

 was caused by the unusually small supply of fresh water in the rivers for 

 that season of the year. The first shad was caught in a gill-net in the 

 Connecticut Eiver, 4 miles from its mouth, on April 18, the temperature 

 of the water that day being 48° Fahr. The same day two shad were 

 caught in a pound 6 miles west of the mouth of the river. As is usually 

 the case, no shad were caught directly at the mouth of the river till six 

 days later. The heaviest run of the season was on May 11 and 12. 

 The highest number caught in one pound was 1,500 at one hanJ. 



The contract price for the season was 20 cents ajnece, delivered at 

 the shipping points. The following are the daily prices per shad at the 

 mouth of the Connecticut Eiver for those not sold by contract: 



Date. 



ApriMS 



April 10-21 



April 21 



April 22 



AprirJ3-27 



April 27-;;9 



April 29-Mayl. 

 May 1 



Price. 



$5 00 

 1 00 

 80 

 70 

 60 

 30 

 25 

 30 



Date. 



May2-5 



May 5-12 



May 12-18 



May 18-20 



Ma\-20-26 



Mav26-June 1. 

 Jiuio 1-20 



Price. 



$0 25 

 30 

 20 

 15 

 10 

 15 

 25 



From May 18 to June 1 few *ould be sold on account of the dull 

 market, and they had to be salted. 



There is only one section in the State from which a regular report of 

 the shad catch has been made during the past six years, and it is within 

 these limits that the greater proportion of the shad of the State is taken. 

 The catch for this section is as follows: 



