46 



REPORT OF COMMISSIONER OF FISH AND FISHERIES. 



77. Table showing daijs of first appearance in abundance of menhaden, alew'wcs, sciij), and 

 hlaefish, at Traquoit tceir, tince 18')9. 



Tear. 



1850 

 18li0 

 iHlil 

 18(52 

 l(-(i3 

 ]fc!C4 

 ]&Gj 



i8(;o 



11-G7 

 ISliS 

 18K9 

 1870 

 1871 



Blue-fish. 



May 16 



May 15 



May 17 



May 13 



May 15 



May 17 



May 16 



Mav 15 



May 14 



May 10 



iSlay 17 

 ilay 



May 24 



Irregularities of movements slioicn hy returns of Waquoit ivcir. 



78. The returns of Waquoit weir, which was rented in 1871, by the 

 Massachusetts commissioners of inland fisheries, for the purpose of get- 

 ting exact statistics on the subject of pound fishing, show how uncertain 

 and irregular are the movements of the menhadeu and their capture in 

 any fixed locality upon the shore. April 21, 1871, C,000 were taken ; 

 April 23, 13,300; May 1, 17,420; May 5,35,920; May 9, 10,020; May 

 10, 10,800; May 11, 14,945; May 13, 14,200; May 15, 7,300; May 10, 

 000; May 18, 1,280; May 19, 1,040 ; May 20, 7,C0O ; May 22, 6,100; May 

 23, 26,000; May 24, 2,205; May 25, 780; May 31, 40,300; June 1, 

 13,2G0; June 10, 7,540; June 14, 27,300; June 16, 93; June 17, 19. 

 In 1805, from April 21 to May 15, were taken 175,300, and from May 10 

 to June 2, 35,800; in 1866, between these dates, respectively, 213,730 

 and 104,780; in 1807,82,680 and 121,000; in 1808, 45,706 and 79,020; 

 in 1869, 66,680 and 79,030; in 1870, 152,590 and 255,340; in 1871, 

 136,005 and 99,250.* 



South sJiore of Cape Cod. 



79. At Hyannis, Mass., writes Mr. A. F. Lathrop, they appear in May 

 in small numbers, the greatest season of plenty occurring in June. 

 They work along the shore line and into the sounds, bays, and rivers. 

 Their ai)pearance is regular and certain, and they disappear in a body 

 about the 1st of October. 



Capt. Eeuben C. Kenney, of Nantucket, Mass., states that they appear 

 in the vicinity of that island about the 1st of May, or a little earlier if 

 the season be favorable. They appear to come from the direction of 

 Sandy Hook and the coast of New Jersey. They are most abundant in 

 June and July, and begin their return in October, all disappearing in 

 November. 



Capt. Josiah Hardy second, of Chatham, Mass., writes: — "The men- 

 haden seen here are on their route to the eastern shores, coming from 



* Repdrt of tbe Massacliusetts Comrcigsiouers of Inland P'isheries for 1871, and Re- 

 port of United States Commissioner of Fisb and Fisheries lb7I-'7'2, pp. 174-17C. 



