BULLETIN OF THE UNITED STATES FISH COMMISSION. 207 



March 6 examined 58 shad taken in same three gill-nets. Found 5 

 ripe fish from which were taken 100,000 eggs, which were also placed 

 in the river between Brick Yard and King's Ferry. 



Of the localities examined thus far, I think that either King's Ferry 

 or Brick Yard would be the best point for establishing a shad-hatching 

 station. Captain Fisher commenced operations on January 5, and 

 caught 9 shad at Brick Yard Landing on January 18. He will continue 

 to oi)erate until April 15, if the fishing warrants it. I was informed 

 that on March 9, 1877, some of the fishermen on the Saint Mary's caught 

 as many as 126 shad in two hours' fishing. The net used was a bow 

 net, 11 feet deep, 8 feet wide, and 2-inch mesh. 



Satilla EiVER.— On the 7th of March 1 left King's Ferry for Fer- 

 nandiua, where I expected to receive further orders. Eemained at this 

 point until the 11th, when I received a telegram instructing me to go to 

 the Satilla River and examine it for evidences of shad. 



Accordingly I left Fernandina on the 11th for Saint Mary's, Ga., for 

 the purpose of ascertaining the route to Satilla, and to secure the serv- 

 ices of a guide. This having been accomplished, I left Saint Mary's 

 on the morning of the 13th by road for the Satilla Eiver, where I arrived, 

 at Jefferson, about 28 miles above Brunswick, at 1 o'clock. Procured 

 a boat and went down the river, but found no shad fishermen at all. 

 Interviewed a man named Henry Thomas, who told me that he had 

 been living on the river about thirty years, and before sawmills were built 

 on the river they used to get 25 or 30 fish from bow-nets in a night's 

 fishing, but that now shad were so scarce they were unable to do any- 

 thing in that line. 



George Scott informed me that he has not seen a shad taken on the 

 Satilla for six or seven years. They caught nothing but trout and bream 

 in their bow-nets ; the river was too full of logs to fish gill-nets. Captain 

 Richardson expressed the same views. 



Returned to Saint Mary's on the 14th, and proceeded to Fernan- 

 dina to report the result of my investigations. Received telegraphic 

 instructions to remain at Fernandina until arrival of the steamer Fish 

 Hawk, which was due there the 18th. 



Fish Hawk work. — Fish Hawk arrived in the morning of the 18th 

 at 7 o'clock, and on the 19th she went up the Saint Mary's River to 

 King's Ferry and selected a position at that point for trying to catch 

 shad and secure eggs, but the fish in this run of shad at that time were 

 very "hard." 



On the 20th, I went up the river as far as Calico Hill, where I fished 

 all night, but caught nothing but male shad. Returned to King's Ferry 

 on the 21st and joined the Fish Hawk. Found a telegram instructing 

 me that as soon as Fish Hawk was located to proceed to Washington 

 and report. I accordingly left on the 22dj and arrived in Washington 

 on the morning of the 24th. 



