NOTES ON THE SHAD AND ALEWIFE. 461 



C— THE SHAD AND GASPEREAU OR ALEWIFE OF NEW 

 BRUNSWICK AND NOVA SCOTIA. 



By Charles Lanman. 



1. — THE SHAD. 



The shad of America, like the common herring, having been found to 

 differ materially from the shad of Europe, has received a distinct name; 

 the designation given by Wilson, and adopted by Dr. Storer, {Alosa sapi- 

 dissima,) is here followed. Unlike most fish which frequent the northern 

 seas, this species comes from the south to deposit its spawn. 



At Charleston shad appear in January; at Norfolk in February; on 

 the coast of New York at the latter end of March or beginning of April; 

 at Boston in the latter part of April. In the Bay of Fundy they seldom 

 appear until the middle of May. The first fish which arrive ascend the 

 river Saint John to spawn ; it is believed that they remain in the fresh 

 water no longer than is necessary to deposit their ova, and then proceed 

 up the Bay of Fundy to their favorite feeding-grounds, there to fatten 

 upon the shrimp and "shad-worm" until they attain that degree of ex- 

 cellence which renders them so much sought after. The other shad, 

 which are found in the autumn upon the same feeding-grounds, and in 

 which no roe has yet been seen, are probably fish that have not attained 

 a sufficient age for spawning, as those which ascend the river for that 

 purpose are of large size and apparently old fish. The body of this fish 

 is deep and compressed ; its length varies from one to two feet. The 

 width across the body, from the commencement of the dorsal-fin to the 

 anal, is nearly equal to one-fifth the length of the fish. The usual weight 

 of this fish is from one to four pounds, although it sometimes attains the 

 weight of six pounds. • 



Of the sea-shad, none are so fine as those taken at the head of the 

 Bay of Fundy, in the muddy waters of which they attain the highest 

 perfection, owing to tlie great abundance there of their favorite food, 

 the " shad- worm " and the shrimp. The shad is but rarely seen on the 

 Atlantic coast of Nova Scotia. It is found in the Gulf of Saint Lawrence, 

 the various rivers of which it ascends as far north as the Miramichi, 

 which seems to be its limit in that direction, none having been seen in 

 the bay of Chaleur. 



The shad enters the Miramichi in the latter part of May, and remains 

 until the middle of July ; occasionally it ascends the Southwest as far 

 as Boiestown, but the greatest numbers are found below the mouth of 

 Etienne's River, always resting in deep, quiet water. The shad which 

 frequent the gulf are greatly inferior to those taken in the Bay of Fundy. 



The shad which ascend the Saint John resort for spawning to Dar- 

 ling's Lake, (Kennebecasis,) Douglas Lake, (Nerepis,) the Washade- 

 moac Lake, the Ocnabog Lake, the Grand Lake, and the Oromocto 



