[45] 



HISTORY OF THE MACKEREL FISHERY. 



Table showing the period and the nearly differences in number of days between the first ap- 

 pearance of the herring and the mackerel at the Magdalen Islands, from 1857 to 1876. 



Tear. 



1857. 

 1859. 

 18G0. 

 1861. 

 1862. 

 18C3. 

 1864 

 1865 

 1866. 

 1867. 

 1868 

 1869. 

 1870. 

 1 871 . 

 1872. 



1873. 

 1874. 

 1875 

 1876 



First appearance of 

 the herring. 



- b 



First appearance ol 



the mackerel &"5 



May 7 June 1 . 



April 20 



April 28 June 1 . 



May i . 

 May 2.. 

 May 17. 

 May] 

 April 27. 

 April 25. 



June 4 . . 

 June 12 . 

 June 6 . . 

 May 30.. 

 May 29.. 

 May 7 ' June 2. 



April 15. 



May? .. 

 May 3... 



April 27. 

 May 2... 

 May 6... 

 Mar » . . 



May 31.. 

 June 20 . 



June 5 . 

 June 7 . 

 June 8. 

 June 6 . 



32 



23 



38 

 35 

 32 

 31 



Mackerel three weeks later than 

 usual — much ice. 



"On the 31st May I went inside Amherst Harbor and boarded twelve 

 vessels engaged in mackerel fishing." — (Report of Capt. L.H. LaChance, 

 commanding the marine police schooner Stella Maria. December, 1871. 

 Sessional papers 1872, page 158.) 



The mackerel must have been in the vicinity of the Magdaleus during 

 the last week in May, in 1871, and fishermen were then taking mackerel 

 simultaneously far south and far north, or in Martha's Vineyard, south 

 of Cape Cod, in latitude 41° 20', and Amherst Harbor, Magdalen Islands, 

 in latitude 47° 20', or six degrees of latitude apart. 



"It will be seen from the table that generally when the herring were 

 early the mackerel were also early, and when the herring appeared late 

 the mackerel also were late. 



"In 1872 the herring came in on the 3d of May, but owing to the 

 prevalence of ice the mackerel were three weeks later than usual in- 

 shore. With this exception the greatest difference between the re- 

 corded times of the appearance of these fish inshore was thirty one days, 

 or about one month. 



"In all instances the large mackerel are generally full of spawn when 

 they are first seen in the spring, and the young fry are observed a few 

 weeks later in many parts of the gulf. 



"It will be observed that in the year 1871 the mackerel were first 

 taken at the Magdalen Islands on the 31st of May, and in 1872 they 

 were three weeks behind their usual time. A similar difference in point 

 of time in the first appearance of this fish on the coast of Massachusetts 

 occurred during those years. On that coast the following differences 

 are recorded : 



