REPORT OF COMMISSIONERS OF INLAND FISHERIES. 9 



STRIPED-BASS. 



Of this highly prized game fish more are reported than for some 

 years past, but they were far from plenty. 



BUTTER-FISH. 



Less than usual. 



MACKEREL. 



While these fish are reported to have been quite plenty in our waters, 

 the catch was much below preceding years. 



" Early Mackerel. — Captain Hopkins of schooner Mabel Howard, which 

 arrived at Boston Friday from Kingston, Ja., reports that on February 23, when 

 45 miles off Nautuclvet, passed a large school of mackerel. The presence of 

 mackerel so far north at this season of the year is believed to be without pre- 

 cedent, as they seldom appear in schools off the United States coast before the 

 latter part of March or first of April, and are almost invariably seen first in or 

 near the latitude of Cape Hatteras. 



The mackerel are as much ahead of their usual time as the icebergs were, which 

 became numerous in the track of European steamers in January. Mackerel are 

 governed in their movements by the temperature of the water, and their presence 

 off Nantucket indicates that the water in that vicinity is now of about the same 

 temperature as the waters off Cape Hatteras usually are in the latter part of 

 March. This is, indeed, a remarkable season. — New Bedford Mercury, March 

 4, 1S90." ^^ 



HORSE-MACKEREL (bLUE-FISH) 



were more plenty than preceding year and for a short time quite 

 plenty, but remained for a short time. The Baltimore Sun's Nor- 

 folk, Va., correspondent writes March 3, 1890: 



"Vessels coming in from the Roanoke island section say that the coast is 

 literally lined with blue-fish. One seine fishery on Thursday caught 600 and 

 odd shad and 30,000 herring at one haul. The pound-net fishermen are also 

 doing good work. The spring fishing season is now fully on, and the fish 

 trains from Elizabeth City come in heavily loaded. Later on the steam fish- 

 eries on Albemarle sound will be making the 100,000 herring hauls. The 

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