88 REPORT OP COMMISSIONERS OF INLAND FISHERIES. 



to support the generally accepted opinion that the squeteagiie 

 spawns in inlets, sheltered coves, at the mouths of rivers, and in 

 similar places. 



The spawning time of the squeteague is usually considered to be 

 about June 1; this opinion is based on the fact that some of the 

 squeteague which come in at that time have ripe roes. This season 

 (1907), however, owing to an exceptionally late spring, all marine 

 life was much retarded in its seasonal development, and no squeteague 

 with ripe roes were seen by the writer until after June 20, while they 

 seemed to appear in the greatest numbers about the first of July. 

 Therefore, if the specimens taken at the Experiment Station came 

 from eggs which were spawned naturally in the cove, they could 

 hardly be much over 40 days old and were probably less than 30 

 days old, since the chances are that they would have been hatched 

 from eggs spawned at the time when spawning squeteague were 

 present in the greatest numbers, vvhich, in Narragansett Bay, seems, 

 this year, to have been during the first week of July. The spawning 

 in the coves would probably have taken place after, rather than 

 before, the mature fishes appeared in the water of the bay outside. 

 It will not be far from the truth, then, if the age of these young 

 squeteague found in the cove be placed at between 20 and 30, days, 

 and perhaps nearer the former time than the latter. 



Two other specimens were later taken from the rearing bags, on 

 the following dates: Specimen 25 mm. in length, found on August 8, 

 in a bag which had been in the water for 12 days; specimen 29 mm. 

 in length, taken on August 13, in a bag which had been in the water 

 for 15 days. This latter specimen indicates an increase in length 

 from about 4 mm., or less, up to 29 mm. during a period of not more 

 than 15 days, and of course it may have been a somewhat less time. 



The following are the sizes of squeteague taken by Eigenmann, 

 and the dates and places of their capture: 



Specimen 32min. long, taken at Indian Point, July 5, 1900. 

 Specimen 41mm. long, taken at Indian Point, on the same date. 

 Specimen 70mm. long, taken at Indian Point, on the same date. 



