BULLETIN OF THE UNITED STATES FISH COMMISSION. 439 



1-2S C'AT<;iI OF !>iIIAI> fIV €OIVIVE€TIClJT FOR 1S85. 



By KOBEKT B. CHALKER. 



The statistics and otlier information about the catch of shad in the 

 State of Connecticut for the year 1885* are as follows : 



POUND FISHERIES. 



From the luoutli of the Conuecticut Eiver to New Haven Harbor: 



15 traps iu Say brook 44, 400 



22 traps in Westbrook 52,700 



12 traps iu Clinton 26,000 



13 traps in Madison 8, 400 



7 traps in Guilford 1,500 



7 traps iu Branford 6, 500 



3 traps in East Haven 1, 800 



Total shore fisheries 141,300 



RIVER FISHERIES. 



Thames River, hauling-seines 300 



Connecticut River and tributaries : 



Hauling-seines 25,300 



Gill-nets : 



15atSaybrook 13,500 



18 at Lyme 14,400 



10 at Brockway's Ferry 7, 000 



7 at Comstock's Ferry 0,300 



9 at Essex 7,200 



73,700 



Quinepiac River, 6 hauling-seines 3, 500 



Housatonic River : 



16 hauling-seines 33,600 



54 gill-nets •.. 17,000 



50,600 



Total river fisheries 128, 100 



Total catch of shad in the State 269,400 



This year's catch in the Thames is about double that of 1884, and has 

 been gradually increasing for nine years, while in the Quinepiac the 

 catch is only about one-half as great as in 1884. In the Farmington 

 E,iver, a branch of the Conuecticut, there were taken in hauling-seines 

 3,400 shad, which are included in the report on the Connecticut. 



The fishermen on all the rivers of the State report that the pollution 

 of streams by factories and sewerage is yearly destroying great quan- 

 tities of young lish of all kinds, especially shad. One net owner on the 

 Hoasatonic says that he has seen " a.ton of young shad at one time float- 

 ing down the river." It is the opinion of shore fishermen that the con- 



For catch in 1886 see Fish Commission Bulletin for 1886, page 297. 



