REPORT OF COMMISSIONER OF FISH AND FISHERIES. 149 



The notes submitted by Mr. Alexander on the shad and striped bass 

 are reserved for incorporation in a special report now in course of prep- 

 aration, in which the entire subject offish acclimatization in the Pacific 

 States is considered. His statistics of the whale fishery and salmon- 

 canning industry have been embodied in a general report on. the fish- 

 eries of the Pacific States, prepared by Mr. W. A. Wilcox. An outline 

 of the results of his work is here given. 



The shad is increasing in numbers yearly, and is now one of the 

 cheapest fish on the coast. Comparatively few years ago only the 

 wealthy could afford to buy shad; now it is within the reach of every- 

 one. Only a small part of the supply is taken, and few fish are obtained 

 in nets set especially for them. With proper apparatus, the catch could 

 doubtless be increased to ten times more than it is at present. 



During the year 1893 the fish was very numerous in the Sacramento 

 and San Joaquin rivers and in the San Francisco Bay region, which is 

 the center of its abundance, and was very low iu price. About the 

 middle of November it was selling at 2 cents a pound in the city mar- 

 kets, and about the first of the month the fish sold as low as 1 and 5 

 cents apiece. Mr. Alexander found the crab fishermen were using shad 

 for bait, a circumstance forcibly illustrating the iislfs abundance and 

 cheapness. 



In Monterey Bay, the southern limit of distribution of the fish, it is 

 more abundant on the north side, near Soquel and Santa Cruz, than on 

 the south side, in the vicinity of Monterey. Only six shad were taken 

 at Monterey in 1893, while on the other side of the bay the catch was 

 much larger, although small as compared with that in other waters. 



In the Columbia River the shad is very rapidly increasing in num- 

 bers. Each season shows a decided increase over the preceding one. 

 The physical conditions appear to be quite as favorable to the shad as 

 those found in the Sacramento and San Joaquin rivers. Only an 

 inconspicuous part of the run is taken, and the entire quantity mar- 

 keted is obtained incidentally in traps and seines operated for salmon. 



The striped bass, like the shad, has steadily increased in numbers, 

 and like the shad it attains its greatest abundance in San Francisco 

 Bay and its tributaries. In the lower courses of the Sacramento and 

 San Joaquin rivers it is very numerous and it may there be taken at 

 all seasons. It is, however, much less numerous than the shad and 

 holds a higher place in popular estimation as a food-fish. At the pres- 

 ent rate of increase, it would appear that in a few years the supply 

 will so far exceed the demand that the price of the fish will be reduced 

 almost to that of the shad. 



Monterey Bay marks the southern limit of the range of the sniped 

 bass as it does of the shad. The bass is so uncommon in the bay that 

 it may almost be regarded as a straggler. At Monterey only two or 

 three have ever been taken. At Santa Cruz only one was taken in 

 L893; this weighed 15 pounds. At Capitol a. bass were first taken in 

 1893; 25, weighing 1*01) pounds, were obtained in a drag seine. 



