PLEADINGS. 223 



and valnabie, but, in niyjndgment, they are destructive and to tlie de- 

 triment of bay fishing just in proportion to their vahie. 



It lias been suggested outside that the traps niiglitbe allowed to take 

 fish three days out of a week. 



in answer to this, I would simply say that it one of my theories is true, 

 viz, that the same schools remain in the same locality, then these fish 

 could all be taken just as well in three days as in a week, and the privi- 

 lege wonld be as injurious as if they continued as Ibrmerly. 



If the committee is satisfied that the breaking up of the tra{)S at 

 Seaconnet Point in 18G2, and the comparative abundance of scu[) the 

 same season in the bay, have any relation or connection with each other, 

 I wonld respectfully say that this is sufficient ground to inedicate a 

 just claim on the part of hook-andline fishermen and others, that the 

 experiment shall be tried again. 



These trapi)ers have enjoyed the privilege of catching fish freely and 

 uninterruptedly for nearly or quite twenty-six years. We now ask that, 

 upon the evidence and opinion as to their injurious effect on other fish- 

 ings, the opposing interest may be allowed a reasonable time to prove, 

 by a full and unobstructed trial, whether the traps are the chief cause 

 of tliis scarcity. From the probable fact that scup live about three 

 years, that length of time ought to be taken. If at the end of that 

 period our waters do not satisfactorily show, an abundauce of scup, I 

 for one will cheerful!3'al)andon all further opposition to the employment 

 of anj' and all kinds of traps. 



That the experiment should be fairly made, it is essential that all the 

 waters should be protected, otherwise no one will be satisfied or con- 

 vinced by any trial that may be made. 



ABSTRACT OF A^ ADDEESS BY CAPTAIN NATHANIEL E. 

 ATWOOD, IN OPPOSITION TO LEGISLATION. 



Before the senate committee of Rhode Island legislature^ January , session^ 



1872. 



We find upon examination that changes take place in a series of years 

 in the great category of fishes, for which we can assign no reason. In 

 Massachusetts Bay and along the coast of our State the kinds of fish 

 are not the same to day that they were in the days of our boyhood. 

 Those that were most abundant then have suffered great diminution, 

 and sometimes have totally disappeared, perhaps never to return ; while 

 other varieties have perhaps, after gradually diminishing more and more 

 for a series of years, increased again and become as abundant as liefore. 

 Other species have come among us that ^Yere utterly unknown in our 

 youthful years. 



It is very important that in studying the science of fisheries, we should 

 make ourselves familiar with the habits of migration of fish, the pecu- 

 liarities of their food, and their times of depositing their spawn. This 

 last is very difficult to ascertain with regard to many species. The 

 statements of fishermen concerning it are not to be relied upon : foV, as a 

 class, they notice the fish wliicli they take only in so far as their own 

 pecuniary interest is concerned. 



One of the most important among the fishes of our New England 

 coast is the common mackerel. It is well known that mackerel are a 

 migrato/y fish and are only with us a part of the season. At the pres- 



