THE SEA FISHERIES OF EASTERN NORTH AMERICA. 167 
sulting from the herring alone. For the 750,000,000 actually captured 
we may suppose that this was not more than one-fourth of the total num- 
ber in the river during the season, which would give 3,000,000,000 for 
the Potomac River orly. From Florida to the Bay of Fundy, without 
any reference to Dominion waters, we may safely assume the number to 
beatleast one hundred fold, a calculation probably far within bounds, five 
times that amount and more, possibly, being the more reasonable. We 
have, therefore, 300,000,000,000, representing a weight of not less than 
200,000,000,000 pounds. The progeny of these herring in their various 
stages of growth from the first year to the fourth, may certainly be es- 
timated at twice the aggregate weight of the parents, or 400,000,000,000 
pounds, giving us 600,000,000,000 pounds of fish along our coast of this 
one species. It may safely be assumed that at present not more than 
one-tenth of 1 per cent. of these fish now inhabit the waters specified, 
or only 600,000,000. 
I have made no reference to the adult and young of the shad, the 
tailor herring, the gizzard shad, the striped bass, the various Cyprin- 
ide, and other fishes running in from the sea at about the same 
time with the other fish, and tending to swell the aggregate in the 
waters. But I think it will be readily understood what a loss we have 
experienced, not only in the way of direct food, but in the inducements 
to other fishes to come within our reach; and in the Dominion in the 
numbers of anadromous fish. 
It is, therefore, very encouraging to believe that, even though from 
the changes in the physical condition of the land, water, artificial ob- 
structions, &c., we may not look for the old-time abundance, we may 
yet hope for a very considerable increase; even if we get back to one- 
fourth the original supply, we may well be satisfied. 
A comparison of the statistics of the number of shad and alewives 
caught in the Potomac River in a single season of six weeks’ time, and 
salted, to the extent of 995,000 barrels,* with those of the sea herring in 
any part of the world, will show the insignificance of the latter; while 
the fishery on the Potomac during the period referred to equaled the 
total yield of the Scottish salmon fisheries in 1873, prosecuted through- 
out the year, and employing 15,000 boats and 45,594 men, and equaled 
nearly twice the entire number of barrels of the sea herring put up in 
the Dominion of Canada in 1876. 
*It is proper to say that the accuracy of Martin’s figures has been disputed by some 
recent writers, Even if they are, however, twice as large as the fact would justify, 
the generel argument would not be invalidated. 
