406 BULLETIN OF THE UNITED STATES FISH COMMISSION. 



Specimens sent. — I send you by exi)ress a package containing men- 

 haden feed, stomaclis, and spawn, collected by Mr. Frank Fowle, en- 

 gineer on porgy steamer Geo. H. Bradley, of New Bedford. There are 

 three samples of spawn taken from the menhaden, .one from off Shinne- 

 cock, Long Island, May 25, 1880 ; one from Gardiner's Bay, Long Island, 

 June 26, and one from Fort Pond Bay, Long Island, July 1. He saved 

 the largest and ripest. In some cases he found that he could squeeze 

 the spawn out. I send also the spawn of an unkowu fish, supposed by 

 some of the fishermen to be menhaden spawn. It came up in the seine 

 from the bottom. While in Fort Pond Bay, July 1, Mr. Fowle noticed in 

 the forenoon quantities of red feed at the surface of the water which 

 the menhaden were eating eagerly. He saved some of it by skimming 

 it from the surface of the water and straining. In the afternoon of the 

 same day the feed sank below the surface, as also did the menhaden. He 

 caught some menhaden, and upon oi)ening the stomachs found some 

 of the feed almost alive, so that it could be positively identified. Mr. 

 Fowle states that he never saw this feed so abundant at any other time 

 or place. He feels confident that this is genuine menhaden feed, and 

 together with Captain Abbe, of the same steamer, is anxious to hear from 

 you regarding it. Several of the porgy steamers have been eastward 

 this season, but I hear of few menhaden being taken north of Cape Cod, 

 although fishermen arriving here have reported schools of menhaden 

 seen along the coast of Maine. — July 6, 1880. 



Mackerel abundant. — Mackerel continue A'ery abundant herea- 

 bouts. Over a hundred boys and men were fishing for them this forenoon 

 in the immediate vicinity of Parson's salt wharf. East Gloucester. Last 

 evening Eocky ISTeck Cove was full of the fish. Some good-sized ones 

 are taken, but most of them are small. In the nets at Eastern Point a 

 considerable quantity of No. 2s was taken. In the Squam Elver they 

 are plentiful, with blue-fish chasing them. Off Eastern Point yesterday 

 afternoon Captain Babson tells me that horse-mackerel were very nu- 

 merous, schools of mackerel hugging the shore in their endeavors to 

 escape their enemies. Captain King, of schooner Eeporter, from the 

 eastward, reports mackerel solid all along from here to the Bay of Fundy. 

 Large mackerel are becoming more jdenty. He says that mackerel, 

 sharks, and horse-mackerel are very numerous, as is natural when so 

 many fish are found. He saw no feed swimming, though what fish were 

 taken had herring shrimps in their stoma<-hs. — July 15, 1880. 



FiSH-TRAPS. — On Saturday, with Captain Martin, I visited the fish- 

 traps, 8 in number, along the shore westward of Eastern Point. All 

 are floating traps similar to Webb's patent trap at Milk Island. Their 

 location is as follows: Two on the west side of Kettle Island; one oppo- 

 site the island, on the main shore; one on the west side of Egg Eock, 

 Off Manchester; two on the east side of the entrance to Manchester 

 Harbor, and two small traps on the west side of Misery Island. I have 

 obtained facts about the fish taken in these several traps, and find that 



