46 COMMISSIONERS OF INLAND FISHERIES. 



heavy storm which occurred at that time was probably responsible for 

 their non-appearance. After the first ones had been caught, the 

 catch increased very slowly and it was not until May 13 that any 

 large catches were made in the off-shore traps, but on May 11a con- 

 siderable catch was made well up the bay at Coddington Cove. On 

 the sixteenth of May the fish were so abundant that the shipments 

 were limited in order not to glut the market. The fish were quite 

 abundant from this date until the fifth of June. From this latter 

 date the catches decreased, the " run " ending June 22d, and by the 

 twenty-eighth of June shipping was made from the pounds only. 

 The last shipment from these was made about July 20th. 



Mackerel. — The first appearance of mackerel on the coast of the 

 United States in 1910 was near April 1st, at a point about sixty 

 miles off from Old Point Comfort, Va. At this time some of the 

 mackerel boats went out from Newport and reported them well 

 off-shore and very "wild." The first caught in Rhode Island waters 

 were two large ones taken April 23d near Seal Rock. The next catch 

 was sixteen, also very large, taken at the same place. The first 

 large shipment from Newport was on May 16th. On June 4th the 

 mackerel were observed to be schooling near Brenton's Reef Light 

 Ship, but were still reported very "wild." The best fishing was 

 between this date and June 25th. The mackerel were at no time very 

 abundant, and the season ended near the last of July. 



The first " tinker " made its appearance near the first of July, but 

 they did not appear in any numbers until July 28th, and the catches 

 continued quite good until about August 1st. 



A number of good catches of "bull's eye" or chub mackerel were 

 made July 28th, and later. 



Butter Fish. — The first catch of these fish was on April 22d. A 

 number of light catches were then made from this date until May 3d 

 when many barrels of them were caught. As in general with other 

 fishes no very large catches or runs were reported this season. 



Squiteague or Weakfish. — One six-pound fish in good condition was 

 caught off the Third Beach, Newport, April 9th. On June 20th the 



