376 REPORT OF COMMISSIONER OF FISH AND FISHERIES. 



20. The most that is found in them that seems to be their food, is a 

 small seedlike-looking substance called by fisherman brit. 



21. They spawn in southern waters, it is supposed. 



22. They go in schools, and not in pairs. 



23. We cannot answer that here. 



24. We presume warmer than the water here. 



25. In shallow water it is supposed. 



31. A sort of spider is found on the back of the fish, near the fin, the 

 spider having a tail that looks like moss. 



32. Whales live on them and sharks and bluefish devour them. 



33. Never have known anything like disease appear among them. 



34. They are caught with seines and nets. 



35. The seines are 150 fathoms long and 20 fathoms deep. Nets 20 

 fathoms long and 4 deep. 



36. The vessels used in taking them are sailvesselsof 50 tons burden, 

 and small steamboats of 100 tons. 



37. Ten myn are wanted for oue vessel, and one seine. 



38. They fish all day. 



39. They are taken equally well on flood or ebb tide. 



40. The wind has no perceivable effect upon them. 



41. There are, in this district, about 25 vessels, with 5 men to each. 



42. The fish are caught here for oil and mackerel bait. 



43. There are two small oil-factories here, one owned by J. C, Condon 

 (of whom I get this information) and oue by J. 0. Mayo. 



44. Condon makes 50 barrels and Mayo 25 per year. 

 45 and 46. Their factories could produce much more. 



47. Sixty cents per barrel of 200 i^ouuds of fish. 



48. Cne barrel fish will make (ordinarily) three gallons of oil. 



49. One tou of scrap will make 30 gallons oil. 



50. The first fish that come in the spring will produce but one gallon 

 oil to a barrel of fish. 



51. In October a barrel of fish will produce from 4 to 5 gallons oil. 



52. The northern fish yield four times as much oil as sontliern. 



53. About twenty years ago, a woman living at Buck's Harbor, in 

 Brooksville, was frying some of the fish to eat, and observing how very 

 full of oil they were, suggested to her husband that it would pay to try 

 them out for the oil, and he having an eye to interest, tried the experi- 

 ment, by using their washboiler to try them and their tub for a press. 

 In this way they made one barrel of oil, carried it to Boston and sold it 

 to a Mr. Eben Philips, an old oil-dealer, who at once saw money in the 

 enterprise, and so furnished these people with nets, kettles, and a press 

 for their next year's business, the product of which was eight barrels of 

 oil. After that, others seeing their prosperity, went into the business, 

 which from that has grown to its preseut amount. 



54. The oil is marketed mostlv in Boston. 



