46 



REPORT OF COMMISSIONER OF FISH AND FISHERIES. 



Tahle sliotvUifj days of first appearance in ahundance of menhaden, alewivcs, sciq), and 

 hlaefish, at Jl'aquoit weir, since 1859. 



Year. 



1859 



18(i0 

 18!) 1 

 18!i2 

 1HG3 

 18G4 

 18(ij 

 1866 

 1HG7 

 18()8 

 18G9 

 1870 

 1871 



JSJeiiha- 

 tk'n. 



May 6 



May 4 



May 1 



May 6 



May 2 



May 5 



J.Iav 1 



MaV 7 



May 3 



May Ifi 



May 10 



]^Iay 8 

 Apiilai 



Blue-fish. 



May 16 



May 15 



May 17 



May 13 



Ma'v 15 



May 17 



May 16 



iSIay 15 



May 14 



May 19 



ilay 17 



May 11 



May 24 



Irregularities of movements slioicn hy returns of Waquoit weir. 



78. The returns of Waquoit weir, wbich was rented in 1871, by the 

 Massachusetts coinmissiouers of inland tisheries, for the purpose of get- 

 ting exact statistics on the subject of pound-fishing, show how uncertain 

 and irregular are the movements of the menhaden and their capture in 

 any fixed locality upon the shore. April 21, 1871, 6,000 were taken ; 

 April 23, 13,300; May 1, 17,420; May 5, 35,920; May 9, 10,020; May 

 10, 10,800 ; May 11, 14,945 ; May 13, 14,200 ; May 15, 7,300 ; May IG, 

 900; May 18, 1,280; May 19, 1,040 ; May 20, 7,G00 ; May 22, G,1'00; May 

 23, 2G,000; May 24, 2,205; May 25, 780; May 31, 40,300; June 1, 

 13,260; June 10, 7,540; June 14, 27,300; June 16, 93; June 17, 19. 

 In 18G5, from April 21 to May 15, were taken 175,300, and from May IG 

 to June 2, 35,800; in 1SG6, between these dates, respectively, 213,730 

 and 104,780; in 18G7, 82,GS0 and 121,060; in 1868, 45,700 and 79,020; 

 in 1869, 66,680 and 79,030; in 1870, 152,590 and 255,340; in 1871, 

 136,005 and 99,256.* 



South shore of Cape God. 



79. At Hyannis, Mass., writes Mr. A. F. Lathrop, they appear in May 

 in small numbers, the greatest season of plenty occurring in June. 

 They work along the shore line and into the sounds, bays, and rivers. 

 Their appearance is regular and certain, and they disaijpear in a body 

 about the 1st of October. 



Capt. Keubeu 0. Kenuey, of Nantucket, Mass., states that they appear 

 in the vicinity of that island about the 1st of May, or a little earlier if 

 the season be favorable. They appear to come from the direction of 

 Sandy Hook and the coast of New Jersey. They are most abundant in 

 June and July, and begin their return in October, all disappearing in 

 November. 



Capt. Joslah Hardy second, of Chatham, Mass., writes: — "The men- 

 haden seen here are on their route to the eastern shores, coming from 



* Report of the Massachusetts Commissioners of Inland Fisheries for 1871, and Re- 

 port of United States Commissioner of Fish and Fisheries 1871-72, pp. 174-176. 



