84 REPORT OF COMMISSIONER OF FISH AND FISHERIES. 



as tbey Lave done, we shall Lave to send to California to get a mess of 

 fish." * 



At Waquoit weir, near Wood's Hole, Mass., the number of menhaden 

 taken in 1865 was 211,100; in 18GG, 318,510; in 18G7, 203,740; in 18G8, 

 124,72G; in 18G9, 145,710; in 1870, 407,930; in 1871, 235,270.t 



On the north side of Cape Cotl, in Massachusetts, there are 19 weirs; 10 

 of these were estimated to have yielded in 187G 1G,236 menhaden, giv- 

 ing an average of 1,G24 to a weir, making an aggregate for the whole 

 of about 32,480. On the south side of Cape Cod, in 187G, were 22 weirs; 10 

 of these yielded 1,827,729, and the total yield is estimated at 4,000,000. 

 The number of weirs in Martha's Vineyard Sound is 9; 6 of these 

 yielded 1,395,270, and the total yield is estimated at 2,093,000. The 

 number of weirs in Buzzard's Bay is 30 ; the yield of 11 in 1876 was 

 54,878,000, and the total yield is estimated at 162,000,000. The total 

 amount taken in the weirs of Massachusetts is estimated at about 

 170,000,000. 



The returns of the catch of these same weirs in 1877, as given in the 

 Report of the Commissioners of Inland Fisheries, is as follows: 



Weirs 1,770,136 



Gill-nets 81,256 



Seines 600,198 



While the estimate given above is perhaps too large, the returns cited 

 are probably much too small. 



On the coast of Rhode Island. 



107. Mr. Edwin A. Perrin, postmaster, Pawtucket, R. I., puts the 

 catch of the five drag-seines there owned, at 2,500 barrels. 



Mr. Daniel T. Church writes : " There are no fish in Narragansett Bay 

 so plenty as menhaden if we take several years as the standard, but if 

 we should take years as they come and name each year separately it 

 would be different. For instance, during 1871, 1872, and 1873, scup ap- 

 peared in Narragansett Bay in immense quantities. There is no doubt 

 in my mind that there has been, during the years named, more of them 

 than menhaden. But, for a number of years preceding, scup were scarce. 

 A few years since squeteague were more plenty than menhaden, for 

 the bay seemed to be full of them from near Providence to Point Judith, 

 and from Seconnet to Somerset. Menhaden, as an average, have been 

 plenty in Karragansett Bay for the last ten years ; but not far from ten 

 years back they were scarce, and some of the fishermen left the business 

 on that account. It is my opinion that the blue-fish were so plenty as 

 to destroy the menhaden in large numbers. It was seriously feared that 

 they were to disappear ; but since blue-fish, sharks, and horse-mackerel, 



* Testimony in regard to tlie present condition of the lisberies, taken in 1871. 

 <Report of U. S. Commissioner of Fish and Fisheries, 1871, pp. 39, 40. 



t Report of Massachusetts Commissioners of Inland Fisheries for 1871, and Report of 

 United States Commissioner of Fish and Fisheries, 1871-'72, p. 17G. 



