INTBODUCTION. 



The foUowino- TTISTOIJY OF THE MENHADEN, having been pre- 

 l)ared for tlie tiftli annual report of the Commissioner of Fisheries for the 

 year 1877, makes no claim to completeness for the subsequent years, though 

 much of the history of the season of 1878 was added while the book was 

 passing through the press. In this SPECIAL edition of the work it has 

 been thought desirable to add, in the form of an Introduction, an account 

 of several interesting observations recently made, and to include the re- 

 ports of the Oil and (xuano Associations down to the present time. 



The most important phase of the subject is the complete absence of the 

 menhaden, in 1879, from the waters of Cape Cod, resulting in a total 

 failure of the very important lisheries on the coast of Maine. More than 

 forty steamers went into the Gulf of Maine in July, to return in a few 

 weeks without wetting their nets. The total catch for 1879 was one hun- 

 dred barrels of fish, taken by one of the steamei-s in July, in Casco Bay. 

 ]Mr. R. E. Earll, who visited the Booth Bay region in September, thus 

 describes the general distress which is the result : " The total absence of 

 porgies is causing no little loss to all interested. The shore fishermen have 

 lost fully half of their time and over half of their usual catch from not 

 being able to get any porgies to fish with, while the ' George'smen ' from 

 Cape Ann have Ijeen driven far out of their way, going even to Rhode 

 Island and Connecticut to obtain their usual supply of porgy bait. Some 

 have ventured to seek bait here, in the 'hedges' and traps of the river 

 fishermen, and have frequently taken river-pilots and gone far up the 

 Kennel)ec, often waiting fully a week before getting their supply. The 

 oil and guano factories had gone to considerable expense in getting ready 

 for the season's work, and their property is entirely idle. The factory 

 hands and steamers" crews have been thrown entirely out of emplovment, 

 and are perhaps less able than any of the other classes interested to bear 

 such a loss. The general prosperity of the porgy fisheries, for some yeai-s 

 past, has drawn to them a large class of workmen from other occupations. 

 Some, in ujoving into this region, liave Iniilt for tJiemselves small houses, 

 and have been depemling on the summer's work for the means to pay for 

 them or to comi)lete them. ( >t liers have spent tlieir entire means in getting 

 their families located, and almost none have money laid u]) to carrv them 

 through the winter, and but little employment can be had from this time 

 forward. Tliey were all on liatid to Ix'gin work the first of June, and kept 

 waiting, in the ho})e tiiat the lisii would ' strike,' until late in August. 

 When they at last gave up the idea, it was too late to engage in any other 

 occn]»ation. A few of them have gone out in small boats to • hook ' for 



