﻿396 
  REPORT 
  OF 
  COMMISSIONER 
  OF 
  FISH 
  AND 
  FISHERIES. 
  

  

  weirs 
  does 
  not 
  last 
  as 
  late 
  as 
  formerly, 
  wlien 
  good 
  catches 
  were 
  often 
  

   made 
  duriug 
  December 
  and 
  January. 
  At 
  present 
  the 
  factories 
  usually 
  

   cease 
  operations 
  before 
  December, 
  but 
  the 
  tish 
  remain 
  later 
  than 
  that 
  

   and 
  could 
  be 
  caught 
  if 
  necessary, 
  although 
  probably 
  not 
  in 
  such 
  large 
  

   quantities 
  as 
  earlier 
  in 
  the 
  season. 
  

  

  I 
  am 
  informed 
  that 
  there 
  was 
  at 
  one 
  time, 
  and 
  there 
  may 
  be 
  still, 
  a 
  

   distinct 
  migration 
  of 
  herring 
  from 
  the 
  Bay 
  of 
  Fundy 
  shore 
  of 
  Nova 
  

   Scotia 
  across 
  to 
  Grand 
  Mauan. 
  The 
  schools, 
  after 
  spawning 
  in 
  the 
  

   spring, 
  ran 
  over 
  to 
  the 
  Ripplings 
  early 
  in 
  July 
  to 
  avail 
  themselves 
  of 
  

   the 
  rich 
  food 
  supply 
  which 
  that 
  locality 
  affords. 
  They 
  were 
  formerly 
  

   followed 
  across 
  by 
  the 
  fishermen 
  of 
  Nova 
  Scotia, 
  a 
  i^ractice 
  which 
  has 
  

   apparently 
  fallen 
  into 
  abeyance. 
  The 
  evidence, 
  however, 
  makes 
  it 
  by 
  

   no 
  means 
  certain 
  that 
  the 
  schools 
  in 
  the 
  two 
  places 
  are 
  identical. 
  

  

  The 
  appearance 
  of 
  the"Quoddy 
  River 
  herring" 
  in 
  Quoddy 
  Roads 
  

   appears 
  to 
  have 
  been 
  the 
  result 
  of 
  a 
  distinct 
  though 
  limited 
  migration, 
  

   but 
  whence 
  they 
  came 
  or 
  whither 
  they 
  went 
  can 
  not 
  be 
  stated. 
  

  

  EFFECTS 
  OF 
  PHYSICAL 
  PHENOMENA. 
  

  

  Tides. 
  — 
  The 
  movements 
  of 
  herring 
  on 
  and 
  off 
  shore 
  are 
  largely 
  influ- 
  

   enced 
  by 
  the 
  tides, 
  this 
  being 
  true 
  at 
  least 
  of 
  such 
  as 
  come 
  toward 
  land 
  

   for 
  other 
  purposes 
  than 
  for 
  spawning. 
  This 
  statement 
  applies 
  particu- 
  

   larly 
  to 
  the 
  sardine 
  herring 
  of 
  the 
  Bay 
  of 
  Fundy, 
  which 
  approach 
  the 
  

   shores 
  and 
  run 
  into 
  the 
  coves 
  upon 
  the 
  flood 
  tide, 
  but 
  drop 
  off 
  into 
  

   deeper 
  water 
  when 
  the 
  tide 
  is 
  ebbing. 
  The 
  shoreward 
  movement 
  may 
  

   be 
  either 
  to 
  procure 
  food 
  for 
  themselves 
  or 
  to 
  avoid 
  becoming 
  food 
  for 
  

   their 
  enemies, 
  the 
  reverse 
  movement 
  upon 
  the 
  ebbing 
  tide 
  being- 
  

   induced 
  by 
  the 
  instinct 
  of 
  the 
  herring 
  to 
  avoid 
  stranding 
  at 
  low 
  water, 
  

   a 
  fate 
  which 
  would 
  often 
  overtake 
  it 
  were 
  it 
  to 
  remain 
  in 
  the 
  shallow 
  

   coves. 
  As 
  both 
  the 
  herring 
  and 
  its 
  principal 
  enemy, 
  the 
  squid, 
  are 
  

   more 
  active 
  at 
  night, 
  this 
  shoreward 
  movement 
  is 
  then 
  more 
  extensive. 
  

  

  This 
  tidal 
  movement 
  of 
  the 
  herring 
  is 
  quite 
  pronounced 
  in 
  the 
  neigh- 
  

   borhood 
  of 
  Eastport, 
  where 
  the 
  difference 
  between 
  high 
  and 
  low 
  water 
  

   averages 
  18 
  feet, 
  and 
  the 
  fact 
  has 
  been 
  taken 
  advantage 
  of 
  by 
  the 
  

   fishermen, 
  who 
  build 
  weirs 
  in 
  such 
  a 
  manner 
  as 
  to 
  permit 
  the 
  fish 
  to 
  

   enter 
  the 
  coves 
  on 
  the 
  flood 
  tide 
  but 
  to 
  compel 
  them 
  to 
  enter 
  the 
  weir 
  

   on 
  the 
  ebb. 
  

  

  The 
  fishermen 
  state 
  that 
  when 
  migrating 
  the 
  herrings 
  take 
  advantage 
  

   of 
  the 
  currents 
  and 
  eddies 
  to 
  hel)) 
  them 
  on 
  their 
  way, 
  but 
  that 
  when 
  

   feeding 
  they 
  swim 
  counter 
  to 
  the 
  stream, 
  so 
  that 
  the 
  food 
  may 
  be 
  

   carried 
  to 
  them, 
  or 
  else 
  lie 
  in 
  an 
  undercurrent 
  and 
  catch 
  the 
  food 
  as 
  the 
  

   surface 
  current 
  carries 
  it 
  over 
  them. 
  There 
  is 
  no 
  doubt 
  that 
  the 
  herring 
  

   prefers 
  strong 
  currents 
  and 
  eddies, 
  such 
  as 
  are 
  found 
  at 
  the 
  "Ripplings" 
  

   off 
  Grand 
  Manan 
  and 
  at 
  the 
  passages 
  between 
  islands 
  in 
  and 
  about 
  

   Passamaquoddy 
  Bay. 
  They 
  resort 
  to 
  them 
  not 
  because 
  they 
  like 
  swift 
  

   water 
  per 
  se, 
  but 
  on 
  account 
  of 
  the 
  larger 
  amount 
  of 
  food 
  which 
  is 
  

   found 
  there. 
  Free-swimming 
  and 
  floating 
  organisms 
  teud 
  to 
  collect 
  in 
  

   such 
  places, 
  each 
  eddy 
  becomes 
  a 
  larder 
  kept 
  filled 
  by 
  the 
  supply 
  car- 
  

  

  