BULLETIN OF THE UNITED STATES FISH COMMISSION. 101 



Commission. In three years after the planting they returned to find 

 their spawning-grounds. Of the planting of 1880,400,000 were released 

 in the Chattahoochee, at Iceville, near Atlanta, it was not expected 

 thai these fish could pass up further than Columbus till fishways were 

 placed at the obstructions at that place, The fry constituting this plant 

 were reported to me as being the Connecticut Eiver shad. It is well- 

 known that the Connecticut River shad will take the bait, and the sports- 

 men can find in the Northern markets tackle for shad fishing. The 

 South Atlantic shad do not take the bait. True to their instincts, shad 

 appeared in 1883 in the Chattahoochee Eiver below Columbus, and were 

 ta ken with the hook and bait. It is therefore reasonable to suppose that 

 the fish thus taken were of the planting of Iceville in 1880. Of the 

 1,800,000 shad planted in 1881, 1,000,000 were released in the Ocmiilgee 

 at Macon. The fish, of course, were due on their return in the spring 

 of the present year. I have recently visited Macon and made careful 

 investigation in regard to the expected return of these fish, and I am 

 pleased to say that I have not, been disappointed. While there was no 

 particular arrangement for catching shad — and hence the catch was 

 light — still they must have appeared in large numbers, as a sporting 

 gentleman informed me that full-grown shad were taken in consider 

 able numbers, the fishermen standing on the bank of the stream and 

 capturing them with the dip-net. I mention these facts to show with 

 what facility a barren river can be impressed by liberal plantings oi 

 the shad fry." 



Shad in October. — Mr. E. G. Blackford, writing under date of Octo- 

 ber 31, 1884, says : 



" I have to report the surprising fact that a large catch of shad has 

 been taken off Truro, Mass.* I received q uite a lot October 29, and 

 have telegraphed for 300 more." 



Under date of November 18, he adds : 



"In reference to the shad that were in this market from the 5th to the 

 10th of November, our examination of them gave the following results : 

 The stomachs of every specimen were empty, except in one instance, 

 where a small quantity of gelatinous chyme was noted. The ovaries 

 and sperraarii\s were all small and immature. The largest specimen 

 weighed 6 pounds, and the smallest 2 pounds. Their edible qualities 

 were equal to any shad that are caught in the spring. One of our cus- 

 tomers, Judge Shipman, expressed himself as believing that they were 

 as good as any shad he ever ate. I can also bear personal testimony to 

 their excellence, having tried one at a dinner party. Mr. C. R. Miller, 

 editor of the New York Times, also expressed himself in the same 

 terms." 



*The ocean temperature at Eace Point, just north of Truro, was 43° to 49° during 

 that period.— C. W. S. 



