REPORT OF COMMISSIONERS OF INLAND FISHERIES. 



131 



season. They decrease considerably in numbers the latter part of 

 July and August. They increase again the latter part of August and 

 September, and finally disappear in October. 



In 1905 the large run of squeteague first appeared off Newport on June 14. 

 The first specimen taken in Providence River in 1905 was at Gaspee 

 Point on June 16th. A catch of 70,000 pounds was made June 16th, 

 1905, by a Gloucester schooner off Block Island. 

 The following is the record of sqvieteague taken off Newport: 



In 1906, the first reported squeteague was a straggler, taken May 4. Two 

 days later, a half-barrel was taken. The big run was about June 10. 



In 1907, two squeteague were caught May 21. On June 18, a few were 

 reported, but the main run did not arrive until June 24. The largest 

 reported catch was on June 27, when 300 barrels were taken in one 

 haul off Newport. Fishing remained good for some weeks later. 



In 1908, two squeteague were caught on May 7. The first barrel reported 

 was taken June 6. June 11, the largest run arrived. 



In 1909, a few large squeteague were taken May 19. The main run began 

 about June 17. 



Catch of Squeteague in Soup Traps off Newport, 1905-1909. 



It is the common opinion of the fishermen that the scarcity of squeteague 

 in Narragansett Bay in certain years, particularly in the summer of 

 1908, has been caused by the firing of heavy guns in the target practice 

 at Fort Greble about the first of June, vi'hen the fish are entering the 

 mouth of the Bay. A committee of the U. S. Bureau of Fisheries now 

 has the matter under investigation. (See Report of R. I. Fish Com., 

 39, 1908, 12.) 



Habitat: Coast and still- water fish, running up tidal waters. Immense 

 schools on surface have often been seen. 



Reproduction: Probably spawns around bays and inlets and at the 

 mouths of rivers. The eggs are buoyant, 1-28 inch in diameter, and 

 hatch in two days in water of 60° (Brice, Report of U. S. Fish Com., 

 XXIII, 1897, 224). The spawning season in Rhode Island waters is 



