REPORT OF COMMISSIONER OF FISH AND FISHERIES. 



Ill 



steamers. Tliose most cousi)icnous for their numbers are those \vhich, 

 like menhaden, swim at or near the surface; among these are blueflsh, 

 bntter-tish, mackerel, shad, and alewives. Deep-water bottom species, 

 like cod, haddock, etc., were obtained in only small quantities, but the 

 bottom fishes inhabiting shallow water, like skates and flounders, were 

 taken in comparatively large quantities. Many of the species were 

 represented by only a single specimen, and of most of the others only 

 a few individuals were caught. 



The total number of fish taken with the menhaden was 94,795, of 

 which 93,893 may be classed as food-fish, although over 8G,000 of one 

 kind belonged to the menliaden family and are considered suitable for 

 the manufacture of oil and guano. Omitting these, the number of 

 food-fish obtained was 0,990, an average of less than 7 fish to a set; 

 including them, the average was about 87 food-fish to a seine haul. 



The most numerous fish, next to the menhaden, were the alewives, or 

 river herring; these were usually taken among schools of menhaden. 

 Of the 80,898 reported by the agents, nearly half were caught at one 

 haul in Boston Harbor, and most of the others were taken by the same 

 vessel on the coast of inTcw England. 



Blueflsh were taken on numerous occasions, and the aggregate catch 

 was 2,274. The largest number taken at one haul of the seine was 

 140, in Chesapeake Bay. Shad, which figure rather prominently in 

 the returns, were mostly caught in a few hauls on the Maine coast, 

 in company with alewives and other fish; the records show a cntch of 

 1,810 fish. Among other fish taken in noteworthy numbers were 

 butter-fish, mackerel, squeteague, sharks, fl.ounders, skates and rays, 

 Spanish mackerel, and croakers, of which from 100 to 800 were taken. 

 The sharks destroyed numbered 388, of which the dogfish and dusky 

 shark were most numerous. Following is a statement of the quantities 

 of diilerent kinds of fish taken and the average number obtained at each 

 successful haul of the seine: 



The ])ro]iibition of menhaden lishing within certain distances of the 

 shore is a prominent leature of the legislation advocated by some who 

 believe in restriction of the industry by governmental or State authority. 



