44 DR. D. H. STOKER'S REPORT. April, 



500 bbls. were taken at Falmouth; 400 bbls. at Duxbury, and 3000 

 at Martha's Vineyard. 



Upon some portions of our coast, herring have been limited in 

 quantity for the few last years, and during the last two years very 

 few, comparatively speaking, have been taken. Their scarcity has 

 been attributed by the fishermen to torching them at night, by which 

 the shoals are broken, and the fish frightened away. 



The Alosa vulgaris — shad — is taken in several of our rivers in 

 large quantities, at some seasons of the year, and quite a number of 

 them are packed. In 1832, 100 bbls. were inspected ; 1833, 321 ; 

 1834, 3; 1835, 310; 1836, 527. The quantities taken in 

 Charles river at Watertown, for the five last years, have averaged 

 about 6000 per annum : from 3000 to 4000 are yearly caught at 

 Taunton. Those taken at the former place, are usually sent to 

 Boston market, and sold at 25 cents each. Those caught at the 

 latter locality are for the most part disposed of at the seines (fresh) 

 and cured by the purchasers. When first taken, they sell for 100 

 cents per hundred — and as the season advances, diminish gradually 

 in price to 50 cents. 



No family of fishes, however, found in the state, presents a great- 

 er number of species of real utility, than that of the Gadites ; and 

 no species in the whole catalogue of our Ichthyology, is of greater 

 importance than the morrhua vulgaris — common Cod ; supplying 

 our markets with an excellent food throughout the year, and giving 

 employment to thousands. In some portions of the State, this 

 fishery is entirely superseded by the taking of whales. Thus, while 

 every town in the county of Barnstable, is more or less engaged in 

 this business, and collectively exhibit an aggregate of 212 vessels, 

 but a single fishing-smack was licensed in Dukes' County, in 1836, 

 — and not one in the county of Nantucket — the attention of the in- 

 habitants of the last two counties, being entirely engrossed in whaling. 



Imperfect as are the following data, they may not be thought 

 valueless. I have been able to ascertain that, in 1836, there were 

 engaged in the cod fishery, from Gloucester, Marblehead, Province- 

 town, South Wellfleet, Cohasset, Duxbury, Plymouth, Manches- 

 ter, Salem and Beverly, being ten towns, 561 vessels, having crews 

 of 3816 men — and that by these vessels there were taken 263,454 



