52 REPORT OF COMMISSIONER OF FISH AND FISHERIES. 



surface, and are generally most abundant within a few miles of the 

 shore. These include a great variety of fishes on the American coast, 

 confined for the most part to the United States and the region south of 

 Cape Cod, which do not enter fresh waters, but are found, daring the 

 summer season at least, and are most abundant near the shore or on 

 particular spots not far distant. 



So far as we at present know, our information, however, being ex- 

 tremely imperfect, they come in regularly from the deep waters of the 

 ocean, probably from the western edge of the Gulf Stream, in the spring 

 of the year to spawn, remaining until fall. A few, as cuuner and 

 tautog, can be found at almost all seasons of the year. The rest, how- 

 ever, retrace their steps to spend the winters in the warmer depths out- 

 side, probably along the edges of the Gulf Stream. 



The principal fish of this group are as fellows: 



Series 1. Series 2. 



The Scup or Porgy, The Sheepshead, 



The Squeteague or Weakfisk, The Lafayette, 



The Sea Bass, The Drum, 



The Sea Eobin (Prionotus), The Whiting, 



The Tautog, The Kingfish, 



The dinner, The Red Snapper, 



Certain flat-fish, The Red Bass, 



The Dogfish and other Sharks. The Pompano, 



The Mullet. 



Of these the members of Series 1 are known to come in immense 

 schools in the early spring on the south coast of New England, and are 

 taken extensively in traps, pounds, and wiers. The movements of 

 Series 2 are less well defined. They make their appearance on the 

 coast in gradually increasing quantity, although farther south they are 

 found iu moderate numbers throughout the whole year. 



There are two dogfish taken, one, the spinous dog (Acanthias ameri- 

 canus), coming first in enormous numbers, the livers furnishing a large 

 supply of oil; the other, the smooth dog, succeeding it in smaller num- 

 bers. The spinous dog scarcely belongs to this sect ion, as it does not 

 remain inshore during the summer south of Cape Cod, although abund- 

 ant north of it. It might be placed with the pelagic fishes but for not 

 showiug at the surface. It, however, appears more in enormous schools 

 along the coast during spring and fall, and is very obnoxious to the 

 fishermen, as all fishing becomes unproductive whenever the dogfish 

 make their appeamnce. 



An analogous movement is seen in certain fishes of the Great Lakes, 

 as the salmon or lake trout, whitefish, &c, which, while residing for 

 the greater part of the year iu the deep waters where they are more or 

 less undisturbed, during the spawning season (in the autumn) come in- 

 shore, especially the whitefish, and are taken in immense numbers by 



