82 REPORT OF COMMISSIONER OF FISH AND FISHERIES. 



About May 1 the shore nets on Long Island and along the southern 

 coast of New England began to take their first mackerel, which 

 appeared latest and continued longest at the eastern end. The fish 

 which reached New York from this region were either in spawning con- 

 dition or nearly ripe. 



MENHADEN. 



On November 1, 1894, a number of menhaden, which were evidently 

 very nearly in spawning condition, were received at Wasliington 

 from Cape Charles City, Va., having been captured outside of the 

 capes of Chesapeake Bay. Evidence had previously been obtained 

 pointing quite conclusively to the occurrence of a late fall spawning 

 season for this species in at least part of the area covered by its distri- 

 bution. These specimens furnished additional testimony to the same 

 effect, and called attention to what seemed an excellent opportunity to 

 secure more definite information on the subject. Dr. W. E. Wolliaupter 

 was accordingly detailed to investigate the matter, and proceeded at 

 once to Cape Charles City, where he was joined by the launch Petrel^ 

 which was fally equipped to carry on whatever inquiries might be sug- 

 gested by the circumstances. The work was continued in the lower 

 Chesapeake Bay until near the middle of December and was vigorously 

 prosecuted during all of that time, the examinations covering both 

 shores of the bay and including an inspection of the fish brought in by 

 the menhaden steamers. Subsequently Dr. Wolhaupter's observations 

 were extended to the coast of North Carolina in the neighborhood of 

 Beaufort. Although unsuccessful in obtaining spawning fish or in 

 locating the spawning-grounds at this season, he was able to add many 

 important facts to our knowledge of the habits of the species. 



Dr. Wolhaupter is led to conclude that during at least the latter 

 part of October, all of November, and the early part of December no 

 large body of menhaden enters Chesapeake Bay for spawning or other 

 purposes. During more or less of this period, however, largo numbers 

 are present on the outer coast between the capes of the Delaware and 

 Cape Lookout, North Carolina, evidently making their way southward. 

 At times, owing to weather conditions, the presence of enemies possibly, 

 and other causes, small quantities may be driven a short distance into 

 the bay, where they are sometimes caught a few miles inside of the 

 capes. A thorough examination, however, of a number of the creeks 

 and rivers emptying into the bay to which the menhaden resort in the 

 spring failed to disclose any, and only a few scattered ones, of relatively 

 small size, were found along the bay shores. All the large specimens 

 seen came from outside the bay and were obtained from the steamers. 

 In the majority of the larger females dissected the ovaries contained 

 large and well-defined eggs, round and free, but opaque. No milt 

 could be secured by ordinary jiressure on the body of the males, but 

 the handling of these fish, as a rule, generally caused some milt to ooze 

 out. Most of the fish measuring lOi inches long seemed nearly ready 

 to si^awn, but there was no way of measuring the length of time which 



