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



to burn. The Dog-fish is a very useful scavenger to the fishermen, 

 by cleaning the bottoms upon which they have thrown their ofFal, 

 when preparing their fish for market. Its liver is boiled for the oil 

 it contains — and its skin is considerably used for polishing by the me- 

 chanic. 



Some idea of the immense quantities of fishes taken by the fish- 

 ermen of several of our towns, may be learned from the following 

 extract from a letter of my old friend, Capt. Blanchard, of whom I 

 have already spoken — one of our oldest, most experienced, most 

 worthy fishermen. He says, " I have made an estimate of the fish 

 caught by the fishermen of this place (Lynn), and I find, that there are 

 four millions, six hundred and eighty thousand pounds caught in one 

 year : — which is a little more than a quarter of a pound, to each in- 

 habitant of the United States of America. (This quantity of fish 

 consists of cod, haddock and halibut.) There are nearly three hun- 

 dred and twelve thousand pohegans used for bait — and nearly as 

 many thrown away, and strewed on the land for manure." 



Thus have I taken a general survey of those species of fishes, 

 which are in most common use among us. These observations 

 might have been much more extended — but, desirous of awakening 

 attention to this branch at this time only in its commercial bearing, 

 I have endeavored to confine myself strictly to the uses — the imme- 

 diate importance of its subjects : — intentionally avoiding many points, 

 which might be highly interesting to the naturalist. 



Note. In collecting the facts herein embodied, I have received from many gentlemen, 

 essential aid — and it affords me great pleasure to extend my acknowledgments to the fol- 

 lowing : — Hon. Hezekiah Barnard, Nantucket — Henry Blood, Esq., New Bedford — James 

 C. Doane, Esq , Cohasset — C. R. Vickery, Esq., Taunton — Solomon Lincoln, Esq., 

 Hingham— L. J. Presson, Esq., Gloucester — Thos. Kidder, Esq., of the General Inspec- 

 tion office, Boston — Mr. Jonathan Johnson, Nahant — and Drs. Chandler Flagg, Marble- 

 head — Henry Tuck, Barnstable — H. Willard, Provincetown — D. Davis, South Wellfleet 

 — Charles. O. Barker, Lynn — H. C. Perkins, Nevvburyport — Leroy M. Yale, Holmes 

 Hole — Hiram Hosmer, Waterlown — A. Cornish, Falmouth — Horatio Robinson, Salem — 

 E. H. Bartlett, Duxbury — VV. Warren, Plymouth — John Appleton, Gloucester, — J. B. 

 Forsyth, Sandwich : — to no individual, however, am I so deeply indebted, as to Capt. Na- 

 thaniel Blanchard, of Lynn, who has not only freely and promptly answered my numerous 

 queries, but throughout the season has exerted himself to procure for me such fishes as he 

 knew I wished to examine. 



