AWARD OF THE FISHERY COMMISSION. L9gf 



and all next summer around our coast; but as to how far they go out f 

 am unable to say. Still I do not think that they are so plentiful ten 

 miles from land as inshore. 



Q. Where do mackerel spawn on the American coast? A. They flrmi 

 come in from the south, and come north gradually; and when thev flntt 

 make their appearance they are always met with having their itpawu 

 nearly matured. 



Q. This is the case on their first appearance on the American coast T 



A. Yes. The mackerel, like some other species of fish I could name, 

 come in poor and destitute of fat, being only numl>er threes according 

 to the Massachusetts inspection law ; and when they reach Province- 

 towu those that have come in from the south have, I think, spawned at 

 places at which they have found about the right depth of water for the 

 purpose. I have never fished south of Cape Cod, and hence could not 

 vouch for that; but the fish that come in east of Nantucket and South 

 Channel do not fall in with land or a shoal channel until they ntrik* 

 back of Cape Cod, and, winding round, come into the southern part of 

 Massachusetts Bay. In that locality I have fished with gill-net.H, for a 

 great many seasons, at the time of their arrival, and they only last tilt 

 the bluefish make their appearance. We have six or seven weeks oT 

 mackerel fishing, and generally do something considerable at it ; but 

 after the bluefish come in the mackerel leave, as that drives them all 

 off and ruins our fishery. I watched the mackerel more particularly 

 with regard to their time of spawning in 1856, owing to the fact that m 

 measure had passed the Massachusetts legislature authorizing the ap- 

 pointment of three commissioners to make investigations with regard u> 

 the artificial propagation of fish, and I expected to be named one of tb 

 commissioners; accordingly I went to the upper part of MasHaehusett 

 Bay, where it is about twenty miles broad, and I found these .spawning 

 mackerel there near the bottom. When I first began to catch them I 

 discovered thjat the spawn had come to its full size, though it was not 

 free to run from them, because the time for this had not yet arrived. 

 began to catch the mackerel about the 20th of May, anil by the 1*1 of 

 June we found that some of them were depositing spawn, and about the 

 5th of June, I think, the spawn was coining freely from them, 

 took specimens and put them in alcohol, and fished until the season wi 

 over. By the 10th of June they had all deposited their spawn, and t 

 then proceeded to the grounds where they expected to meet 

 food, in order to fatten and recruit. 



Q. Over how many days does the spawning season for u part 

 school of mackerel extend ? A. With the school that come* 

 not believe that on the expiration of ten days from the time 

 first begin to spawn a spawning mackerel is left. 



Q. Then you call the spawning period, tor a parti-ular * 

 ten days? A. Yes. I had previous experience < 

 matter. 



Q. How soon, after they have ceased to spawn, do they b 

 fat enough to catch ? A. We catch them as soon as we < 

 so all the time thev are spawning and afterwards, 

 spawn, however, by the 10th or middle of June. Then along . 

 last of July we take mackerel with considerable tat on t 

 years they'become fat earlier than other years, and they 11 

 ness until September, and pretty well into October but , 

 becomes cold they begin to get poor again and go oft 

 known the last school which has gone off the coast to be qm 



