268 GEOGRAPHICAL REVIEW OF THE FISHERIES. 



each. Each weir has a leader to the shore from 400 to 450 feet long. The average depth of bowl 

 is 18 feet, with a diameter of 50 feet. The entire weir is made of twine and fastened to poles driven 

 into the ground. The weirs are put down about the middle or end of March and are fished until 

 the middle of July, when they are taken up. Some of them are again put down about the middle 

 of August and fished uutil the 1st of November. Sometimes a few remain until December 1, for 

 the sea-herring; these do not appear with any regularity, generally only once in about every four 

 years. The fishermen pay a laud-lease for their weirs of from $5 to $75 a season, according to the 

 location. The catch is marketed fresh at New Bedford, New York, Philadelphia; a small part at 

 Boston and other near cities and towns. The importance of the catch of the following species is 

 indicated by the order in which they are named: Alewives, tautog, scup, squeteague, bluefish, and 

 eels. The alewives bring in a half of the value of the total catch. During the season of 1880 men- 

 haden, squeteague, tautog, and scup have been very plenty; Spanish mackerel and bonito scarce. 

 Mackerel (Scomber scombrus) are seldom seen. They seem to know full well that there is no outlet 

 for them at the eastern end of Buzzard's Bay, and therefore keep away. Of the immense schools 

 that pass so near on their annual tour to the northeast, but very few ate ever seen in the bay. 



Thirty men, with small, unregistered sail-boats, fish from June 1 to November 1 with hand- 

 lines in the river and in the bay near home. Their catch consists chiefly of tautog, eels, and scup, 

 the eels being taken, for the most part, in small box-traps baited with clams. 



That Buzzard's Bay abounds in a variety of fish, many of them valuable for food, others for 

 fertilizer, has been shown in the foregoing remarks. We now add a complete list, kindly given us 

 by Mr. D. W. Deaue, who has been for twenty-five years in this business, and has for the past 

 thirteen years been setting weirs in this locality. T : e list will be found of interest, as showing 

 the date of the first catch of each species during the season of 1880: 



"March 24, caught the first menhaden, alewife, smelt, tomcod, flatfish; April 1, tautog, skate, 

 perch; April 6, sea herring, eel; April 14, shad; April 15, striped bass; April 17, scup; April 24, 

 dogfish, mackerel; April 26, rock bass; April 27, sea-robin; April 28, squid; May 8, butterfish, 

 kingfish; May 11, squeteague; May 12, flounder; May 13, bluefish; June 8, stinging ray; June 

 7, sand shark ; June 10, shark ; June 25, bouito. On July 10 the -weirs were taken up, and put 

 down again August 26, on which day the first seres was taken. This is a gold-colored fish about 

 the size of the scup, a very palatable fish. It is quite common some seasons during August and 

 September. A.ugust 30, first Spanish mackerel ; September 6, first razor-fish ; September 6, first 

 goosefish." 



Mr. Deane says that striped mullet are quite abundant some years, but that there were none 

 during the past season. No salmon have been seen this year. In 1879 five small ones were caught, 

 but were returned to the bay, the State law not permitting any to be taken in weirs, dinners 

 have been plenty ; hake and cod scarce. A dozen sheepshead have been taken during the season. 



There is an ample opportunity for a large increase in this neighborhood in the fishing industry. 

 The abundance of fish and proximity to all the great fish markets, as well as a large demand from 

 the numerous near inland cities, make this a desirable point, and one which is capable of producing 

 many times the number of fish at present obtained, most of the catch being now taken in from 

 four to six mouths. 



Fish of many kinds have been more abundant the past season than for several years. Their 

 great abundance reduced the prices, which reduction, together with the effect of numerous severe 

 storms and gales in the spring, has lowered the gross stock of the season's work of the weirs to a 

 sura rather below that of 1879. Alga; is gathered from the shores of Scouticut Neck in great 

 abundance at various times of the year. Twenty-five years ago but little attention was given to 



