252 BULLETIN OF THE UNITED STATES FISH COMMISSION. 



tutions, and often out of reach of government officers. The method of 

 personal visitation I could extol very highly from personal experience 

 and from close examination of results of that kind of work performed 

 by others, but the present purpose has been to treat solely of the col- 

 lection of material by mail. 



U. S. Fish Co^tmission, 



Washington, D. C, December 10, 1882. 



NOTES ON THE MENHADEN FISHERY. 



By OSCAR O. FRIEDLAENDEIC. 



[Letter to Prof. S. F. Baird.] 



Very large bodies of menhaden appeared on the Long Island coast 

 between Fire Island and Rockaway Inlet last week, and all the boats 

 did well. They were evidently driven in by sharks, as all the steamers 

 caught lots of them. On Wednesdaj 7 our steamer, the Leonard Bright- 

 man, caught 11 shares, none less than 8 feet long, among 180,000 men- 

 haden. We must have had last week not less than 350 sharks at the 

 works. The destruction of these ferocious fish by the menhaden fleet 

 during the season must be between 20,000 and 50,000, which should not 

 be lost sight of. Steamers fishing between Barnegat and Harrifurt re- 

 port fish all along the coast. I shall be pleased to furnish you a full 

 report of catcbes at the close of the season. 



My theory that the menhaden leave one locality for another to find 

 better feeding ground seems now generally adopted. Between Cape 

 May and Harrifurt, where the largest bodies of fat fish are found, they 

 remain in spite of great numbers of steamers going there regularly to 

 load up. Captain Church's steamers, especially the Humphrey, had a 

 regular harvest there, loading up twice a week for three or four weeks 

 past. If you determine to issue a circular regarding the seines, it strikes 

 me that you may include not to commence fishing before May 15. Some 

 opponents of the menhaden interest seem to believe that the spawning 

 season commences about April 1 and extends to June. I differ with 

 these gentlemen on that score on account of the poor quality of the 

 menhaden caught early in May, but to satisfy these gentlemen and not 

 to hurt our interests too much I do not doubt but all northern factories 

 would submit to a recommendation from you not to open before May 15. 



36 Broadway, Xew York, September 11, 1882. 



