16 REPORT OF THE COMMISSIONERS OF INLAND FISHERIES. 



Tautog 



have been plenty on the fishing grounds in the bay, but not so plenty 

 on the ledges outside until late in the season. About the middle of 

 October, when they had gone out of the rivers, they were so plenty 

 that one fisherman caught from 200 to 250 in number in about four 

 hours fishing. This lasted for about three weeks. 



Scup 



the past season in their approach to our coast came more freely into 

 the Bay. While the outer traps caught much less, those inside caught 

 enough more to swell the shipments beyond that of any previous year 

 of which we have record, excepting that of 1889. They remained in 

 our waters all the season and furnished abundance of fishing. With 

 the schools that came here in May were large numbers of small fish, 

 and they caused the fishermen much trouble to separate them. This 

 was done by large mesh netting that would allow the small ones to 

 pass out. 



It was thought that from 1,000 barrels they would save but about 

 50 barrels of large scup. 



It was a great sight to see the millions of these little fellows turned 

 from the traps every morning for near three weeks. 



This is reported as the experience of all the traps from Point 

 Judith to Seaconnett. 



Surely the presence of these small scup in such immense numbers 

 this year would justify the theory that it will be followed next year by 

 largely increased numbers of the larger ones, and there can be little 

 question of the soundness of this reasoning. 



But an unusual depletion of their numbers from natural agencies 

 that are at work, unseen and unknown, while they are absent from us, 

 may, as it often has, disappoint us. 



Herring. 



These fish that are the earliest comers of all anadromous fishes 



