THE HERRING FISHERY. 421 



Hood, and from this point they gradually work toward the Strait of Canso. These remain but a 

 short time, frequently leaving in less than two weeks from the time they are first seen. 



At Grand Manan Island, New Brunswick, the herring strike in, in June, and the spawning 

 season continues from the first of July to the middle of September. 



At Boisbubert, Castine, and Crabtree Point, in the eastern part of Maine, the spawning-time 

 is from the latter part of July till the first of September. 



At Wood Island, Maine, and at Cape Ann, Massachusetts, they usually arrive about the 20th of 

 September, and the spawning is at its height from that time till the middle of October. According 

 to Professor Baird, the spawning season occurs even later as we proceed southward. 



It is claimed, however, and is doubtless true, that the spawning season for the winter schools 

 in the vicinity of Eastport is in March and April, and that they frequently spawn in St. Andrews 

 Bay as late as the middle of May. 



From these facts it will be seen that it is difficult to construct a theory as to the laws that 

 regulate the spawning conditions of the fish. 



HERRING ON THE NEW ENGLAND COAST. But it is not our purpose to go into any general 

 discussion of the herring fisheries as they exist on the coasts of Europe and America, nor even to 

 treat of the fisheries of the British Provinces of North America, any further than is neces- 

 sary to show the extent of the business in the United States. Confining ourselves, then, for 

 the present, to the coast of New England, we find that although there are numerous spawning- 

 grounds where the fish are taken in considerable quantities, yet the herring occur in greater or less 

 numbers in almost every harbor and cove between Cape Cod and Eastport, and that they are fre- 

 quently observed at a considerable distance from the land. In the spring they usually make their 

 appearance along the southern shores of this district during the latter part of April, and are taken 

 a few weeks later along the coast of Maine. Great schools of them are also seen on George's and 

 other outer fishing-banks as early as February, though with the exception of the school visiting 

 Eastport they are not known to occur in the shoal waters along the coast during the winter months. 



The young and the old usually go in schools by themselves, remaining separate from each 

 other during the entire year. Some localities are visited only by young fish, others only by those 

 that are fully mature; while others still are frequented by both young and old at different sea- 

 sons, or the two may occasionally be seen in the same region at the same time, though even then 

 they seldom mingle to any considerable extent. 



FISHING-GROUNDS IN THE VICINITY OF EASTPOET. The principal fishing ground for small 

 herring is in the vicinity of Eastport. These immature fish appear in the early spring, and are 

 abundant among the numerous islands and ledges throughout the summer, often remaining as late as 

 the middle of December. The fishing ground extends from Beaver Harbor, New Brunswick, to 

 Cutler, Me., a distance of thirty-two miles. Along this stretch of coast the herring are chiefly 

 taken in brush weirs, and are used for smoking and canning, any surplus being frequently made 

 into pomace and oil. This region is also the center of the winter herring fisheries of New Bruns- 

 wick, and is much resorted to for bait by American fishermen in the spring. 



Most of the fish taken in the early spring are locally known as "brit," being but three or four 

 inches long. A little later larger individuals appear, and by midsummer those taken average five 

 to seven inches in length. Later still even larger herring are taken, the bulk of them at this sea- 

 son being smoked and shipped to Boston for distribution to the consumers. 



Formerly large numbers of herring visited Cobscook Bay, where they remained during a 

 greater part of the season, but when brush weirs came into general use the passage between 

 Campobello Island and Lubec was almost completely closed by the building of particularly large 



