HISTORY OF THE AMERICAN MENHADEN. 41 



but most of tbein leave tbe coast by a northern route, tbe spring runs 

 leaving in October, the fall runs about tbe middle of January. Some 

 seasons tbey go to sea in large schools and others they drop away grad- 

 ually. The first of the spring-runs are usually the smallest. During 

 the summer the large schools are only seen occasionally, though Mr. 

 Simpson thinks that they are on the coast continually. They only come 

 near the outer sea-beach when driven in in October and November by 

 the tailor {Pomatomus saltatrix), or blue-fish of the North, and the dog- 

 fish {j\lmtelus lewis). 



Coast of Virginia and CJiesapeake Bay. 



68. According to Mr. Henry Richardson, the alewives are caught in 

 the vicinity of Cape Ileury as early as March, though the main body 

 does not come in until June and July. During these moutb.s they are 

 constantly passing the Virginia capes and entering Chesapeake Bay, 

 coming from the south. 



The Potomac fishermen inform me that they appear in the spring 

 soon after the shad and herring, remaining in the Potomac during the 

 season, where they prove a serious hiuderance to the working of the shad 

 seines. Young fish seven inches in length were taken in the lower 

 Potomac at Nanjemoy Reach as late as December 10, 1874, but disap- 

 peared after the first heavy frost. The first schools appeared late in 

 March and early in April, 1875, and in 1878 early in March. 



At Apateague Island, Accomac County, Virginia, according to Sir. J. 

 L. Anderton, they are first seen swimming northward near the coast in 

 April, the main body arriving in June. Their appearance is regular. 

 They run in-shore on the flood, drifting off with the ebb. In November 

 they are seen making their way toward the south. 



In Tangier and Pocomoke Sounds, says Mr. Lawson, they appear 

 about May 1, the fish of different sizes in separate schools; they are 

 found there in quantity throughout the season, the southward migration 

 beginning in August and continuing until the middle of October. 



I find a manuscript note by Professor Baird to the effect that they 

 are found in large schools at Cape Charles, Virginia, from April to 

 October, being most numerous on the bay side of the peninsula. 



Delaicare Bay. 



69. Mr. James H. Bell, keeper of Mispillion River light-house, Dela- 

 ware Bay, states that fish are first seen in those waters early in March, 

 and grow more numerous until about the middle of April, when thej* are 

 frightened away by the sea-trout. They soon return in increasing num- 

 bers until the middle or last of May, after which they begin to disappear 

 in large schools until the first of August, when they again become num- 

 erous, and continue so if the weather is mild, when they begin to dis- 

 appear, working out to sea through the channel. The opinion of Mr. 

 Bell is that after enteriug the bay they follow the main channel, spread- 



