HISTORY OF THE AMERICAN MENHADEN. 81 



1870, less than 75,000; while in 18GG, the first year of the work, only 

 about 35,000 barrels were taken. Jndson Tarr & Co. think that tbey 

 are more plenty than ever before, but not so numerous inshore. 



Mr. Edward E. Race, of East Booth Bay, JVJe., reports, November 5, 

 1877, the total catch for the season in that vicinity at 150,000 barrels, or 

 51,948,000 fish. 



Mr. W. A. Abbe, manager of the Pemaquid Oil Company, states that 

 the season of 1877 was a poor one, both in tlie number aud quality of the 

 fish taken. The company's fleet of five steamers took during the season 

 over 01,000 barrels (20,000,000 of fish), yielding about 127,000 gallons of 

 oil and 1,800 tons of guano. The fishing began oft" Gloucester, thence 

 extended to the coast of Maine, and ended off Provincetown. Some of 

 the steamers fished for other parties after the close of the Provincetown 

 season off Newport and Sandy Hook, but the catch was insignificant. 



The three steamers owned by Edward T. Debloistook, in 1877, on the 

 coast of Maine, 26,049 barrels (9,000,000 offish). 



Mr. George Devoll, of Fall Eiver, Mass., fishing in 1877 for the Nar- 

 ragansett and Atlantic Oil Works in Maine, caught from his steamer, the 

 Chance Shot, about 12,000 barrels of menhaden. 



In 1877, Gallup & Holmes took 52,000 barrels of fish on the coast of 

 Maine and at Provincetown, besides 8,000 barrels caught aud sold 

 further west. These fish yielded 120,000 gallons of oil and 1,500 tons 

 of guano. 



On the coast of New Hampshire. 



105. Mr. Chandler Martin, of Whale's-Back Light, near Portsmouth, 

 N. H., in his communication of February 23, 1874, reported that the fish 

 were diminished January 9, 1875 ; he writes that they were more abun- 

 dant in 1874 than for ten years previous, and that they are probably not 

 afl'ected by the fisheries. 



Mr. W'iuslow P. Eayrs, of Nashua, N. H., calls attention to the rapid 

 diminution of the pogies in that vicinity, attributing it to the extensive 

 operations of the oil-factories and to the pollution of the waters by the 

 refuse dye-stuffs and chemicals from the factories. * 



On the coast of Massachusetts. 



106. Mr. W. W. Marshall estimates the catch of gill-nets at Eockport, 

 1877, at 1,000 barrels. The fisheries at Newburyport are described 

 below. 



According to Mr. Babson the pogies are more numerous about Cape 

 Ann than any other fish except herring and mackerel. He thinks they 

 have decreased somewhat during the past ten years and keep more off 

 the shore. Statistics of capture are given elsewhere. 



* Report of the Commissioaer of Fish aud Fisheries for 1871-72, p. 136. 

 6 P 



