﻿THE 
  HERRING 
  FISHERIES 
  OF 
  THE 
  NORTHEAST 
  COAST. 
  401 
  

  

  it 
  is 
  necessary 
  to 
  bear 
  in 
  mind 
  the 
  distinction 
  between 
  the 
  fish 
  and 
  the 
  

   fisheries. 
  It 
  is 
  possible 
  to 
  effect 
  changes 
  in 
  the 
  latter 
  while 
  the 
  fishes 
  

   are 
  but 
  little 
  affected. 
  

  

  Food. 
  — 
  An 
  examination 
  of 
  the 
  mouth 
  cavity 
  of 
  the 
  herring 
  will 
  

   disclose 
  a 
  series 
  of 
  long 
  bristle-like 
  processes, 
  the 
  gillrakers, 
  projecting 
  

   from 
  the 
  anterior 
  face 
  of 
  each 
  gill-arch, 
  like 
  the 
  teeth 
  of 
  a 
  comb. 
  

   When 
  the 
  mouth 
  is 
  opened 
  widely 
  the 
  tips 
  of 
  the 
  gillrakers 
  stand 
  

   apart, 
  but 
  when 
  it 
  is 
  closed 
  or 
  partly 
  closed 
  they 
  become 
  more 
  closely 
  

   approximated 
  and 
  each 
  series 
  is 
  pressed 
  closely 
  against 
  the 
  inner 
  face 
  

   of 
  the 
  series 
  attached 
  to 
  the 
  arch 
  next 
  in 
  front. 
  There 
  is 
  thus 
  formed 
  

   a 
  beautifully 
  fine 
  and 
  effective 
  sieve, 
  capable 
  of 
  retaining 
  small 
  bodies 
  

   contained 
  in 
  the 
  water 
  taken 
  in 
  at 
  the 
  mouth 
  and 
  discharged 
  through 
  

   the 
  gill-slits. 
  

  

  As 
  would 
  be 
  naturally 
  inferred 
  from 
  the 
  structure 
  of 
  the 
  pharyngeal 
  

   apparatus 
  just 
  referred 
  to, 
  the 
  food 
  of 
  the 
  herring 
  consists 
  of 
  small 
  

   organisms, 
  often 
  of 
  microscopic 
  dimensions. 
  It 
  is 
  entirely 
  animal 
  

   in 
  nature, 
  and 
  in 
  Europe, 
  according 
  to 
  those 
  who 
  have 
  investigated 
  

   the 
  matter, 
  it 
  consists 
  of 
  copepods, 
  schizopods 
  (shrimp-like 
  forms), 
  

   amjihipods 
  (sand-fleas 
  and 
  their 
  allies), 
  the 
  embryos 
  of 
  gasteropods 
  

   and 
  lamellibranchs, 
  and 
  young 
  fishes, 
  often 
  of 
  its 
  own 
  kind. 
  

  

  In 
  the 
  examination 
  of 
  about 
  1,500 
  specimens 
  at 
  Eastport 
  and 
  vicinity 
  

   in 
  the 
  summer 
  and 
  early 
  autumn 
  of 
  1893 
  but 
  two 
  kinds 
  of 
  food 
  were 
  

   found. 
  One 
  of 
  these 
  consisted 
  of 
  copepods 
  (^'red 
  seed"), 
  which 
  

   appeared 
  to 
  constitute 
  the 
  sole 
  food 
  of 
  the 
  small 
  herrings, 
  the 
  so-called 
  

   brit, 
  and 
  a 
  considerable 
  portion 
  of 
  that 
  of 
  the 
  larger 
  individuals 
  from 
  

   5^ 
  inches 
  upward. 
  The 
  principal 
  food 
  of 
  the 
  latter, 
  however, 
  were 
  

   schizopod 
  crustaceans 
  of 
  the 
  genus 
  Thysanopoda, 
  known 
  to 
  the 
  fisher- 
  

   men 
  as 
  " 
  shrimp." 
  In 
  many 
  cases 
  the 
  stomachs 
  of 
  the 
  fish 
  were 
  densely 
  

   gorged 
  with 
  them, 
  and, 
  whenever 
  determinable, 
  Thysanopoda 
  inermis 
  

   was 
  the 
  i)rincipal 
  species 
  eaten, 
  as 
  it 
  is 
  also 
  the 
  most 
  common 
  form 
  in 
  

   the 
  Passamaquoddy 
  region. 
  During 
  the 
  summer 
  and 
  fall 
  dense 
  bodies 
  

   of 
  Thysanopoda 
  are 
  seen 
  swimming 
  about 
  the 
  wharves 
  at 
  Eastport 
  and 
  

   at 
  other 
  places 
  in 
  the 
  vicinity, 
  and 
  they 
  are 
  also 
  extremely 
  abundant 
  on 
  

   "The 
  Kipplings" 
  at 
  Grand 
  Manan, 
  which 
  has 
  long 
  been 
  famous 
  as 
  a 
  

   herring 
  fishery. 
  Excepting 
  the 
  eyes 
  and 
  the 
  phosphorescent 
  spots 
  

   beneath, 
  which 
  are 
  bright 
  red, 
  the 
  bodies 
  of 
  these 
  shrimi)S 
  are 
  almost 
  

   transparent, 
  yet 
  such 
  is 
  the 
  density 
  of 
  the 
  schools 
  in 
  which 
  they 
  con- 
  

   gregate 
  that 
  a 
  distinct 
  reddish 
  tinge 
  is 
  often 
  imparted 
  to 
  the 
  water. 
  

   In 
  the 
  summer 
  and 
  early 
  fall 
  of 
  1895 
  they 
  were 
  especially 
  abundant 
  

   about 
  the 
  wharves 
  at 
  Eastport, 
  and 
  on 
  one 
  occasion, 
  at 
  least, 
  they 
  were 
  

   left 
  at 
  low 
  water 
  several 
  inches 
  deep 
  over 
  a 
  considerable 
  area 
  of 
  one 
  of 
  

   the 
  docks. 
  

  

  In 
  summer 
  and 
  fall 
  both 
  shrimps 
  and 
  copepods 
  are 
  found 
  near 
  the 
  

  

  surface 
  where 
  the 
  herrings 
  commonly 
  take 
  their 
  food. 
  The 
  former 
  are 
  

  

  very 
  active 
  and 
  frequently 
  avoid 
  the 
  rush 
  of 
  the 
  fish 
  by 
  vigorous 
  

  

  strokes 
  of 
  their 
  powerful 
  caudal 
  paddles 
  which 
  throw 
  them 
  several 
  

  

  F. 
  R. 
  90 
  liO 
  

  

  