26 COMMISSIONERS OF INLAND FISHERIES. 



Scwp. — (Stenotomus chrysops). — The first reported catch of scup 

 in Rhode Island waters in 1913 came as usual from traps off Point 

 Judith and consisted of about a bushel. These were brought into 

 Newport on April the 14th. Four days later, April 18, the first of 

 these fish were taken off Newport. The catch of scup reached the 

 "barrel-lot" stage off Point Judith April 20th, and about the same 

 date one firm off Newport caught two barrels. From this time on the 

 number of scup increased rapidly and by May 9th, the usual empound- 

 ing began. Good catches continued throughout the month of May, 

 and a few were being caught as late as the latter part of June. The 

 main run was over about May 31 and by June 18 there was little 

 shipment except from pounds where thousands of barrels were still 

 retained. The most conspicuous points about the 1913 season were 

 the number of days in which the run continued, the large size of 

 the fish and also the presence of great quantities of small ones. One 

 firm was obliged to dump two traps to get rid of the small scup and 

 thus make room for the market sized ones. An mteresting item and 

 one which bears on the question as to where the scup go at the 

 approach of cold weather was the takmg of a good sized scup off 

 Jamesto\sTi in February and also one at High Hill Pomt m the 

 Sakonnet River in the month of March. The extent of the run of 

 scup as compared with that of previous years may be seen in Table 

 VII on page 28 of this report. 



Mackerel (Scomber scombrus).- — The first catch of mackerel on 

 the Atlantic Coast was made off Chincoteague, Virginia, on April 11. 

 The first in near-by waters were taken m traps off Cuttyhunk on 

 April the 27th. On April 28th, four large ones were taken in traps 

 off Newport. Around May the 5th, large ones rmming from four 

 to five and one-half pounds each were taken in nearly all places on 

 our shore, but in small lots. May 26th, the first large catch in a 

 trap was made and consisted of 21 barrels. The mackerel season in 

 local waters was very poor. June the 8th seems to have been the 

 record day for shipments from Newport, when twelve thousand 

 mackerel, running about 45 to the barrel, were shipped. 



