THE SABDINE INDUSTRY. 507 



one-third of their working time in the spring and early summer and an occasional day in the fall, 

 and they are often obliged to run day and night when the fish can be obtained, in order to supply 

 the trade. 



The men fishing for the canneries must be able to make enough when " the tides are on" to pay 

 them for waiting when " the tides are oft'" ; and for this reason the canneries are often obliged 

 to buy a larger quantity than can be put into cans, the surplus being cut into Russian sardines. 



The weir, as has already beemnentioned, is not fished with any regularity, as there are weeks 

 and even months together when there are notlrsbr enough to pay for hauling the seine. The 

 herring seemingly avoid them in the day-time, and even oil light nights, fishing being best when it 

 is darkest. Again, they enter the weir in considerable numbers only at or near high-water. We 

 have, therefore, two varying conditions that greatly affect the catch ; it being largest when high- 

 water occurs at a particular time and the night is peculiarly dark. The record furnished by Mr. 

 Green shows that during the season of 1879, which lasted one hundred and seventy-three days, 

 herring were taken forty-five times, or an average of one day in four, the total catch being 303 

 hogsheads. In 1878 the same weir was fished about one day in three. 



Formerly the daily irregularity of the supply was no serious drawback, and if the total catch 

 of a season was good the fishermen were satisfied. Now, however, since the sardine business 

 has grown to such large proportions, it is important that the fish should be taken regularly, as 

 they cannot be kept from day to day, but must be used within a few hours after they come from 

 the water, and when there are no fish the cauners must stop work. 



THE INTRODUCTION OF THE POCKET FOR RETAINING THE FISH TILL NEEDED. Another 



method of overcoming the seasons of scarcity is proposed by Mr. McLain, who owns a large weir 

 at L'Etete. He intends building a pound or pocket just outside and connected with his weir, into 

 which he can turn any surplus to be kept until needed. This seems an excellent plan and deserves 

 to come into general favor. 



THE INTRODUCTION OF SEINES INTO THE FISHERY. A fisherman at Deer Island recently pur- 

 chased a 75-fathoin haul-seine for surrounding the fish and hauling them upon the beach, but he 

 found the herring so scattered that the seine could not be used to advantage in this way. He has 

 since cut the seine in pieces of 25 fathoms each, these being set across the mouths of small coves 

 to retain any fish that may chance to have entered at high-water. In this way he is meeting with 

 only moderate success. 



PROFESSOR BAIRD'S SUGGESTION THAT FISH EGGS BE EMPLOYED AS BAIT IN THE FISH- 

 ERY. Knowing of the use made of fish eggs as bait in the French sardine fisheries, Professor Baird 

 suggested that they might be employed in the herring fisheries at Eastport, and that the difficulty 

 of obtaining a constant supply might be overcome in this way. He requested the writer, while 

 conducting his investigations at Eastport, to make a number of experiments in this line to ascer- 

 tain whether the spawn of fishes could be successfully employed in this fishery. Accordingly, a 

 quantity of salt cod-roes were obtained in Gloucester, and in company with Capt. J. W. Collins 

 I visited the localities most frequented by the fish and made such experiments as were thought 

 necessary for settling the question. From these experiments* it seems probable that fish eggs 



"The youug herring are occasionally seen at the surface, but seldom in schools of any considerable size, except 

 during the calmest weather. They are, however, often seen " breaking" in small numbers in the numerous tide eddies 

 and in places where two currents meet. This is most noticeable on the " young flood," when the fish are most fre- 

 quently in the channels. Accordingly, the flood-tide was selected as a suitable time for testing the matter, and when 

 the desired locality h;id been reached the boat was "hove to" and allowed to drift with the tide while the bait was 

 being thrown. The eggs separated nicely and sank slowly as they were carried away by the current until they were 

 finally lost to sight. The work was continued for nearly an hour, but the fish refused to "rise to the bait." 



Thinking the locality unfavorable, Casco Bay Eddy, a favorite resort of the herring, was visited, and another 



