244 BULLETIN OF THE UNITED STATES FISH COMMISSION. 



133.— EXTKACTS FKOOT A EEPOKT OF B^fVESTECJATEONS ©F THE 

 SHAS> FSSiaEKSES AIVfi> RIVEKS SOIUTIB OF CMAKS^ESTOIV, S. €., 

 'iVITia A VIE^V TO ESTABtiBSBIEIVG STATIONS FOK ASiTSFlCIAl. 

 PISOPAGATION. 



ISy T. B. FERGUISOIV. 



I arrived iu tlie Lookout at Savannah during the afternoon of March . 

 20, 1883. The fishermen and fish-dealers in Savannah reported a great 

 scarcity of shad during the season botb in the Savannah and neighbor- 

 ing rivers from which the market derives its sujiply. Shad were sell- 

 ing readily at from $1.50 to $2 jier pair. • 



In order not to lose time I decided to make the examination of the 

 Saint Mary's Eiver before proceeding to the Saint John's so ran up the 

 river as far as the town of Saint Mary's, a place of about 1,000 inhabi- 

 tants, where we arrived at 4 o'clock, March 21. Engaged a pilot to 

 take the steamer up the river, and left Saint Mary's about an hour later 

 with a strong flood-tide runuing, and reached Clark's Blufi", a distance 

 of about 30 miles, at 7 o'clock. 



At this point I interviewed Mr. Pierson, who keeps a store at the Bluff, 

 and learned from him that the fish were very plentiful this season, but 

 not so much so as a few years back. He takes an average of 100 shad 

 a day in his gill-net, and in the immediate neighborhood there are 

 a number of gill-nets fished. The hoop-net was iu use at this point a 

 few years ago and many shad were taken in this manner. This net is 

 operated by dragging at the side of the boat. Its use has been almost 

 entirely sui^erseded by the introduction of the gill-net. The nets used 

 at this point were of 5-inch mesh, about 11 feet deep, and 65 yards in 

 length. 



An admirable location for a haul seine is reported at Brick Landing, 

 about a mile above Clark's Blufl". This reach of the river is a favorite 

 place for the shad, and most of the fishermen of the neighborhood drift 

 their nets in this locality. !No doubt, at small cost, a haul might be 

 cleared and large numbers of shad takeu. Soon after our arrival a drift 

 was made with the gill-net with which the steamer was snpi)lied, and 

 although it was not properly rigged for this special locality several shad 

 nearlj" ripe were taken. The males were quite ripe. We overhauled, 

 in addition, the catch of two other boats, and found males predominat- 

 ing; a few ripe females and spent fish were taken. The water of the 

 river showed G5° F. at this date, indicating a good temperature for 

 shad hatching. A large female sturgeon, measuiing 7 feet 11 inches, 

 with roe fully developed, was taken in our gill-net. 



A few miles up the river is King's Ferry, which is 8 miles from 

 the station of the Jacksonville division of the Savannah, Florida, and 

 Western Railroad. We learned that a tramwaj^ runs from the station 

 to this point. ISTo doubt, this would be a good locality to establish a 

 station either with the Lookout or Fish Hawk, unless, i^erhaps, it was 



