REPORT OF COMMISSIONER OF FISH AND FISHERIES. 67 



prepared for the board of World's Fair managers of that State. In 

 January tables showing the extent of the fisheries of Maryland and 

 Virginia were, by request, forwarded to Mr. S. G. Brock, chief of the 

 Bureau of Statistics of the Treasury Department. For Mr. J. B. 

 Baylor, of the United States Coast and Geodetic Survej", a statement 

 was prepared in December showing the output of the oyster fishery of 

 Maryland, Virginia, ISTorfch Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia, and 

 eastern Florida. In November a series of very detailed tables cover- 

 ing the oyster industry of Maryland was forwarded to Mr. B. Howard 

 Haman, who had requested this information in behalf of the Baltimore 

 Board of Trade and the State bureau of labor statistics. Statistics of 

 the -fisheries of Ohio were furnished to Hon. Daniel J. Ryan, of the 

 Ohio board of managers of the World's Fair, in July. Numerous other 

 requests for data Avere also received, and complied with when the 

 interests of the office would permit. 



NOTES ON COMMERCIAL FISH AND FISHERIES. 



Continuing the practice which has been followed in previous reports 

 of the division, attention will be here drawn to some features of the 

 commercial fisheries which seem of sufticieut interest and importance to 

 warrant mention. These notes have been furnished to the Commission 

 by its agents and correspondents or are suggested by the discus- 

 sions in the public prints. Among the branches referred to are the 

 mackerel fishery, the whale fishery, and snapi^er fishing on the Bank of 

 Campeche, the last named possessing great interest. Other fisheries 

 that attracted more or less attention during the year and are fully dis- 

 cussed in the regular reports of the Commission are the salmon fishery, 

 the fur-seal fishery, and the Pacific cod fishery. 



POMPANO AND SPANISH MACKEREL IN CHESAPEAKE BAY. 



The pompano {Trachinotus caroUnns) is of constant occurrence in 

 tlie lower Chesapeake, but rarely appears in great abundance. The 

 bay represents the northern limit of commercial fishing for this fish. 

 In 1891 there was a remarkably numerous run of pompanoes in that 

 part of the bay adjacent to its mouth. According to Mr. J. E. N. 

 Sterling, of Cape Charles City, Va., the catch with pound nets and 

 seines on the shores of Northampton County alone was between 20,000 

 and 25,000 pounds. The inquiries of the agents of the office disclosed 

 a yield of 93,700 pounds in the Chesapeake, with a value to the fisher- 

 men of $9,520. In the following year the catch was much less, the 

 Northampton County fishermen taking less than 5,000 pounds, according 

 to Mr. Sterling, although there was said to be a large quantity in the 

 bay which kept offshore out of reach of the nets. 



The lower Chesapeake is now the most important fishing-ground 

 for Spanish mackerel, although its productiveness is much less than 

 formerly, owing, it is supposed, to the capture of large quantities of 

 fish prior to or during the spawning season. The principal part of the 



