84 REPORT OF COMMISSIONER OF FISH AND FISHERIES. 



as they have done, we shall bave to send to California to get a mess of 

 tisb."* 



At Waquoit weir, near Wood's Hole, Mass., tbe number of raenbaden 

 taken in 1865 was 211,100; in 18GG, 318,510; in ]8C7, 203,740; in 1868, 

 124,726; in 1869, 145,710; in 1870, 407,930; in 1871, 235,270.t 



On tbe nortb side of Cape Cod, in Massacbusetts, tbere are 19 weirs; 10 

 of these were estimated to have yielded in 1876 16,236 menhaden, giv- 

 ing an average of 1,624 to a weir, making an aggregate for tbe whole 

 of about 32,480. On tbe south side of Cape Cod, in 1876, were 22 weirs; 10 

 of these yielded 1,827,729, and tbe total yield is estimated at 4,000,000. 

 Tbe number of weirs in Martba's Vineyard Sound is 9; 6 of these 

 yielded 1,395,270, and tbe total yield is estimated at 2,093,000. The 

 number of weirs in Buzzard's Bay is 30; tbe yield of 11 in 1876 was 

 54,878,000, and tbe total yield is estimated at 162,000,000. The total 

 amount taken in tbe weirs of Massacbusetts is estimated at about 

 170,000,000. 



Tbe returns of the catcb of tbese same weirs in 1877, as given in tbe 

 Report of tbe Commissioners of Inland Fisheries, is as follows: 



Weirs , 1,770,136 



Gill-nets v 81,256 



Seines 600, 198 



While the estimate given above is perhaps too large, tbe returns cited 

 are probably much too small. 



On the coast of Rhode Island. 



107. Mr. Edwin A. Perrin, postmaster, Pawtucket, E. I., puts tbe 

 catcb of tbe five drag-seiues there owned, at 2,500 barrels. 



Mr, Daniel T. Cburcb writes : "There are no fisb in Narragansett Bay 

 so plenty as menhaden if we take several years as tbe standard, but if 

 wc should take years as they come and name each year separately it 

 would be different. For instance, during 1871, 1872, and 1873, scup ap- 

 peared in iSTarragansett Bay in immense quantities. There is no doubt 

 in my mind that tbere has been, during the years named, more of them 

 than menhaden. Bat, for a number of years preceding, scup were scarce. 

 A few years since squeteague were more plenty than menhaden, for 

 the bay seemed to be full of them from near Providence to Point Judith, 

 and from Seconnet to Somerset. Menhaden, as an average, have been 

 plenty in Narragansett Bay for tbe last ten years ; but not far from ten 

 years back they were scarce, and some of tbe fishermen left the business 

 on that account. It is my opinion that the blue-fish were so jdenty as 

 to destroy the menbadeu in large numbers. It was seriously feared that 

 they were to disappear; but since blue-fish, sharks, and horse mackerel, 



* Testimony in regard to the present condition of the fisheries, taken in 1871. 

 <R('portof U. S. Commissioner of Fish and Fisheries, 1871, pp. 39, 40. 



t Report of Massachusetts Commissioners of Inland Fisheries for 1871, and Report of 

 United States Commissioner of Fish and Fisheries, 1871-72, p. 176, 



