THE POUND-NET FISHERIES OF THE ATLANTIC STATES. 605 



In the remarks of Mr. E. W. Whalley, of Narragansett Pier, before Professor Baird, in 1871, 

 we find a statement of the usual sequence of fish at Point Judith, and are presented at the same 

 time with a most charming fragment of folk lore. In reply to the inquiry as to whether fish were 

 not earlier arrived at that point than usual, he replied : "About the same. They expected them in 

 February and got the seines ready. They had them in the water in March. I always judge by the 

 dandelions. When I see the first dandelion, scup come in; I watch the buds, and when the buds 

 are swelled full then our traps go in; when the dandelion goes out of bloom and goes to seed, the 

 scup are gone. That is true one year with another, though they vary with the season. I am 

 guided by the blossoms of other kinds of plants for other fish. When high blackberries are in 

 bloom we catch striped bass that weigh from 12 to 20 pounds. When the blue violets are in blos- 

 som they come early you can catch the small scoot-bass. That has always been my rule ; that 

 has been handed down by my forefathers." * 



The fish appear to be moving eastward when taken in Narragansett Bay. This is particularly 

 the case with scup. 



DISPOSITION OP THE CATCH. The facilities for shipping fish from Narragansett Bay by rail 

 are excellent. No difficulty is found in getting the catch safely to market in a very fresh state. 

 They are usually packed, as in other places, with ice in barrels. Good prices are generally obtained. 



FINANCIAL ARRANGEMENTS. The financial organization of most of the trap companies in 

 Rhode Island does not differ from that of the pound-net companies in other regions already de- 

 scribed. At Little Cornpton, according to Mr. Knmlien, the shore suitable for the pound fishery is 

 divided into twenty-one " sets" or sections, of 65 fathoms each As some sets are better than others, 

 all are drawn for by lot. No one can draw unless he has all the gear required for fishing. A man 

 may have nearly all the necessary apparatus and yet be excluded from the lottery. That the poor 

 man, however, may not be unfairly pushed aside, he is allowed to ally himself with some man richer 

 than himself, thereby forming a firm. A rich fitter often enters into partnership with a poor fish- 

 erman, the former furnishing the lacking apparatus, while the latter does the fishing. The nets 

 must be 65 fathoms apart. When three sets exist in one bay the parties occupying the middle one 

 are allowed to use leaders of sufficient length to bring their net in a line with the remaining two. 

 In this same locality, before the Sunday close-time was enforced, the fishermen had the rule that 

 those who were not at their posts on that day got nothing of the profits from the fish taken. 



The fishing is usually carried on on shares, the fitter receiving one-third of the gross receipts 

 and the fishermen the remainder, after the expenses of board are subtracted. Usually a fishing- 

 gang consists of six men and a cook. Frequently it occurs, however, that one cook is able to pre- 

 pare food for two or three gangs of fishermen. 



An average trap is worth $350. This amount includes the cost of boats, extra twine, and 

 all other minor appurtenances incidental to the active prosecution of the industry. These traps 

 are seldom owned by a single man, but usually by three or four, the majority of whom are part 

 owners. Many pound-nets are made of condemned menhaden-seine netting, and have therefore no 

 great value. 



According to the data collected in Rhode Island in 1880, the number and value of pound nets 

 in use in the State were as follows: 



* Report U. S. Fish Commission, I, 1873, pp. 24-25. 



