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son in Pennsylvania it was possible to buy large roe 

 shad for from twenty-five to thirty-five cents, while the 

 males sold for much less. Some of the fish were quite 

 satisfactory, but most were soft, devoid of their usual 

 rich flavor, and objectionable, though undoubtedly 

 fresh. Then came a week or two when right fresh 

 shad could not be had in any quantity, and then came 

 the " real fine Delaware shad," no larger than the for- 

 mer, but possessing the true, rich flavor peculiar to the 

 perfect up-river fish with its firm white flesh, and these 

 were entirely unattainable in the market at retail 

 under fortj^-five or fifty cents for the smaller, while the 

 choice specimens ran up to a higher price. Now, if 

 the more southern states were content to legislate with 

 the northern, and permit the spawning fish to ascend 

 the streams unmolested on certain days of each week, 

 the shad season would not begin so early in the year, 

 but the catch would be more valuable in the end. We 

 think it would be wise to teach those who are inter- 

 ested in the fisheries that when a roe shad is large and 

 flabby and the eggs quite large and distinct from one 

 another, that the flesh thereof is really quite unfit for 

 good food, and that in selfishly taking the roe, the 

 increase of the number of fishes by spawning for the 

 next season is lessened by many thousands, for each 

 large roe fish that is caught and eaten diminishes the 

 spawn supply accordingly, when indiscriminate fishing 

 is permitted. Another thing that is to be taught is 

 that all roe fishes that ascend with the schools in the 

 running season do not deposit eggs, and therefore it 

 does not preclude the possibility of obtaining the desir- 

 able dainty fish to wait until the spawning fishes have 

 gone to their haunts. When these questions are fully 

 understood, Delaware and West Virginia, as well as all 

 the other states, will doubtless see the plausibility, in 

 fact, the necessity for this inter-state legislation. 



But while states in juxtaposition may be prevailed 



