'>2 



The fishermen suspended operations at this time, and wo 

 were unable to procure any more ripe iish, so had not an op- 

 portunity of makinji; tlie experinient. 



By the courtesy of tlie owner of one of the hirgest fish- 

 eries in the Upper Bay, we examined liis well kept books, 

 and found that in 1824, when he Avorked a seine of only five 

 hundred fathoms, his catch of shad during the season ending 

 May 24th, amounted to fifty-two thousand six hundred and 

 seventeen, whereas, in that of 1871, he took with a seine, 

 one thousand one hundred and fifty fathoms, only seventeen 

 thousand eight hundred. The catch hist year was consider- 

 ably larger, as it was the best shad season for many years. 

 On the 8th of May, his catch was tw^enty eight thousand four 

 hundred and nine. The diminution in shad is even moi'o 

 marked than would appear from the above statement, for wo 

 learned that twenty-three fisheries above the mouth of the 

 North East, which were in operation some forty years ago, 

 have been abandoned. 



It was impossible for us to estimate the number vt' gill 

 nets fished in this locality, but at night, the river wa.s illu- 

 minated by a thousand lamps, presenting the a])pearancc of 

 a moving city. 



We observe that the ripe males or milters made their ap- 

 pearance in advance of the ripe females, and w^ere much more 

 abundant early in the season. Quite frequently towards the 

 close of the season, we found numbers of ripe females, and 

 after taking the eggs, Avere compelled to abandon them for 

 want of milt to impregnate them. In some cases we used 

 the milt from the Herring, and we also impregniited one or 

 two lots of eggs witli the milt from the Rock. After hatch- 

 ing as we had no means to keep, them that their development 

 might be observed, we released these Hybrids. 



The Herhinu— (Pro?/?^/oi?f6- 2^seudo Jiarerujus.) 

 This fish is scarcely less important than the shad, and 

 should receive the fostering care of the State. The fecundity 

 of the Herring is so wonderful an;l their numbers so im- 

 mense that, it would seem only uecessary to ])rotect them so 

 that they might reach proper spawning 1)od,s, 'J^he c'-^-k are 



