NOTES ON THE SHAD AND ALEWIFE. 459 



dams and water-power sluices, by carrying the young fishes into turbine- 

 wheels and feeders of canals, carrying them into locks, where, as a wit- 

 ness remarked, they are churned to death by the rush of waters against 

 the flood-gates, also contribute to destroy the fry. 



(3 c.) Destruction of seed-fishes. — Under the name seed-fishes I would 

 nclude parent shad during the season of actual spawning ; in the latitude 

 of 41°, it would be from June 10 to August 1. The ca]>ture of the parent 

 fishes is, in most of our jSTorthern States, strictly forbidden by law daring 

 this period, and the fishermen themselves are the most ardent advocates 

 for its strict enforcement. The organization of a fish police in New Jersey 

 has prevented any infraction of this law, even were the fishermen so dis- 

 posed. 



(3 d.) Destruction of impregnated ova. — As has been previously men- 

 tioned, a flood, by covering the ova with mud, may stifle them and pre- 

 vent their incubation, but other and equally great dangers surround 

 them. The number eaten by other fishes is enormous. I have fished 

 much in the Delaware during the month of July, the height of the 

 spawning season, and almost every sucker, minnow or cat-fish taken was 

 found to contain shad spawn. I have seen suckers literally crammed 

 with ova, so much so in fact, that upon holding them by the tail the 

 spawn would flow from the mouth. The spawn of shad are peculiarily 

 liable to depredations from these fishes, as, unlike the bass, sun-fish, and 

 cat-fish, the nest, if nest it may be called, is not protected by the parents. 

 By a special law of the State of New Jersey no net of any kind is al- 

 lowed to be drawn in the Delaware River between June 15 and August 

 20, it being believed by the commissioners of fisheries of that State that 

 the drawing of the heavy lead line of the net over the gravel-beds upon 

 which the ova is deposited would destroy the vitality of the spawn. 

 The great increase in the number of small fishes during the past few 

 years has proven the truth of this theory. Seth Green has stated that 

 in nature not two per cent, of shad-spawn will hatch, and this is proven 

 by the comparatively small number of fishes in our waters in proportion 

 to the immense numbers of ova annually deposited. The number of 

 spawn deposited by a shad will average about forty thousand. Allowing 

 but yi(j of one per cent, to return from the sea as adult fishes, and sup- 

 posing the parent fishes to be entirely removed, the number of fishes in 

 the river would be yearly doubled. Now, in fact, we know that they 

 have been for some years past yearly diminishing, so that less than ^lo 

 of one per cent, return as food-fishes. 



4. — HABITS OF SHAD IN THE SPAWNING SEASON. 



Though varying somewhat from year to year, the average date of the 

 appearance of the shad in our waters is as follows, as far as I have been 

 able to ascertain : 



South Carolina, January ; Norfolk, February ; New York and New 



