348 BULLETIN OF THE UNITED STATES FISH COMMISSION. 



criminals of her brooks and rivers into our innocent waters'? If mere 

 sport is the object of the National Fish Culture Association, perhaps 

 they intend to set a dogfish at the catfish, and enjoy the brutal pleasures 

 of a one sided conflict." 



The writer then lets out that he is speaking in the sporting interest 

 and not in the interest of food for the people when he says : " Of course, 

 if the brute does not rise to fly, it will cause less annoyance to anglers 

 of the right sort; but over here it might change its habits and acquire 

 a passion for black gnats or March browns. As to its edible qualities, 

 the catfish is said to resemble the eel, and that is saying enough. We 

 have a sufficiency of eels, and need not reinforce our 'food stuffs' with 

 catfish." 



The time of Spawning of Oysters in Ehode Island. — The fol- 

 lowing note is by Eobert Pettis, of Providence, E. I., and dated August 

 11, 1885: "The native oysters of Providence Eiver and Narragansett 

 Bay, so far as I know, have all done spawning for this season. They 

 began to spawn this year about the 18th of June (at least that was the 

 date when I noticed the first ones that had spawned), and about the 25th 

 of July they had all finished and the native Providence Eiver oysters will 

 not spawn again this season. I can furnish you with all you may want 

 of them for $5 per barrel. At present the meats of them are very thin 

 and poor and not very good for eating or cooking. 



" The oysters planted in this river and bay from Virginia and Maryland 

 go in and out of their spawn several times during the season, but the 

 native Providence Eiver only once. The natives are what we get our 

 seed from in Providence Eiver. The spawn from the Virginia and 

 Maryland oysters planted here I do not think amounts to anything, as 1 

 do not think- that any spawn except the native grows in this river." 



Weekly comparison of the inspections of shad and herring in the Washington market during 

 March, April, May, and June of 1879 to 1885, inclusive. 



SHAD. 



