200 NEW YORK STATE MUSEUM 



eyed herring of the Albemarle, the sawbelly of Maine, the gray- 

 back of Massachusetts, the gaspereau of Canada, little shad of 

 certain localities, and the Cayuga lake shad of New York, The 

 recorded range of the branch herring is from the Neuse river. 

 N. C, to the Miramichi river, in New Brunswick, ascending 

 streams to their head waters for the purpose of spawning. The 

 fish is found abundant in Cayuga and Seneca lakes, N. Y., where 

 it has probably made its way naturally. In Lake Ontario, since 

 the introduction there of the shad, the alewife has become so 

 plentiful as to cause great difficulty to fishermen, and its periodi- 

 cal mortality is a serious menace to the health of people living 

 in the vicinity. The belief is that the fish were unintentionally 

 introduced with the shad. In Pennsylvania the branch alewife 

 occurs in the Delaware and the Susquehanna in great numbers 

 in early spring. 



The U. S. Fish Commission, in 1894, obtained specimens at the 

 following localities of the Lake Ontario region. 



Cape Vincent June 21 



Grenadier island June 27 



Mouth Salem river, Selkirk July 25 



Long pond, Charlotte, N. Y. Aug. 17 



Lake Shore, mouth Long pond Aug. 17 



Sandy creek, North Hamlin Aug. 20 



Not a native of Cayuga lake but often found there in large 

 numbers. Known to the fishermen as sawbelly. It is thought 

 to have been introduced into the lakes of central New York by 

 the state fish commission. Large numbers are often found dead 

 on the shores of Seneca and Cayuga lakes. (After Meek) 

 l)e Kay says it api)ears in New York waters with the shad about 

 the first of April, but never in sufficient numbers to form a 

 separate fishery. 



The branch herring, or alewife, is the first of the alewives to 

 a.pi)ear in (jravesend bay; it comes with the shad. It endures 

 captivity well. Nov. ',W, 1897, individuals above 7 inches in 

 length were caught in Gravesend bay, which were probably the 

 young of the year. 



