6 EEPORT OF COMMISSIONERS OF INLAND FISHERIES. 



The folio ^dng table shows the amount of Fish and Lobsters 

 shipped over the Old Colony Steamboat and Kailroad for the last 

 ten years : 



Year. Fish. Lobsters. Total. 



1886 barrels. barrels. 17,434 



1887 16,657 " 834 " 17,491 



1888 15,033 " 1,161 " 16,194 



1889 19,306 " 2,047 " 21,353 



1890 8,933 " 2,650 " 11,583 



1891 18,032 " 2,204 " 20,236 



1892 26,832 " 3,123 " 28,955 



1893 24,452 " 1,399 " 25,851 



1894 17,769 " 2,392 " 21,161 



1895 24,622 " 2,119 " 26,741 



Total 171,636 " 16,929 " 206,999 



Menhaden. 



For an account of these fish we submit the follomng from Capt. 

 N. B. Church, who has so often kindly furnished us information : 



New York, Dec. 31, 1895. 

 James M. K. Southwick, Esq., Newport, R. I. 



My Dear Sir : Replying to j^our favor of Dec. 27th, regarding tbe menhaden 

 fishery, would say that the catch taken as a whole has been a fair average with 

 the last five years. The fish appeared in Chesapeake Bay later than common 

 owing to very cold weather in that vicinity, and when they did come late in 

 April did not show on the surface so that they could be caught, until about the 

 first of July, when they were caught in large quantities from that time until the 

 close of the season. From the Chespeake Bay up to and including the Delaware 

 Bay the fishing has been good all of the season, in fact it has been the best on 

 record at the latter place, both in catch of fish and yield of oil. Sandy Hook 

 Bay and tributaries has had plenty of menhaden this j^ear, as has also Fire Island 

 Bay, and the fishermen in these places have had a good season. 



You will please notice that these fish have been in the bays, probably owing to 

 the large bodies of blue fish on the coast. In Long Island Sound and vicinity 

 fish have been scarce, no large catches having been made for the season. Rhode 

 Island fishermen have not had good fishing in their waters, except for a few 



