III. The Survey of Rhode Island Fishes 



A. AREA COVERED 



The area of this investigation (Fig. 1) encompasses the eastern 

 ends of Fisher's Island Sound and Long Island Sound, Block Island 

 Sound and Rhode Island Sound. Coastal streams and rivers are 

 included as far as the limit of tidal influence. The salt ponds of 

 Rhode Island were also studied. Since many of the larger Rhode 

 Island fishing vessels fish on the edge of the continental shelf 

 beyond Block Island, species found in these waters are included. 



B. MATERIALS AND METHODS 



At the inception of this project five-gallon containers of ten per 

 cent formalin were placed at the Point Judith Co-op Dock, Point 

 Judith; Tallman and Mack Trap Dock, Newport; and Bindloss 

 Dock, Stonington, for the preservation of unusual fish species 

 taken by the trawl and trap fishermen off the Rhode Island coast. 

 During the summer of 1957 additional containers were located at 

 Clark's Dock, Jerusalem, and on the dragger Jane Dore. The latter 

 location provided the greatest number of specimens. 



In addition to periodic visits to the docks to observe fish un- 

 loading operations, frequent trips were made on trawl vessels as 

 well as to the fish traps in order to collect specimens. During the 

 summer and fall of 1957 cooperation with a group of haul seiners 

 operating in the vicinity of Watch Hill provided some specimens. 

 Collections were made at the mouth of the Pawcatuck River with 

 a fifty-foot minnow seine with ' _ { inch mesh. 



Through the cooperation of the Rhode Island Division of Fish 

 and Game two gallons of rotenone were obtained and used in small 

 tidal pools of Winnapaug Pond at Weekapaug. Several very 



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