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FISHERIES OF THE UNITED STATES, 1908. 



The following tabular statement gives comparative statistics for 1908 and earlier years, by geographic 

 divisions: 



' Combined statistics for South Atlantic states and Gulf of Mexico, 1897; New England states, 1898; Pacific coast states, 1899; and Middle Atlantic states, 1900-1901. 

 Combined statistics for New England states, 1889; Gulf of Mexico, 1890; Middle Atlantic and South Atlantic states, 1891; and Pacific coast states, 1892. 



A marked increase is apparent in the product of the 

 New England and of the South Atlantic states and a 

 decrease in that of the Middle Atlantic states. In 

 1880 the product of the Middle Atlantic states formed 

 94 per cent of the total quantity, while in 1908 it 

 formed but 51 per cent. The product of the New 

 England states, on the other hand, progressively in- 

 creased in quantity, representing 16 per cent of the 

 total in 1908, as compared with 2 per cent in 1880, 

 while the proportion represented by the product of the 

 South Atlantic states increased from 1 per cent of the 

 total quantity in 1880 to 13 per cent in 1908. 



Pike perches (Stizostedion vitreum and S. canadense) . 

 The "wall-eyed pike" (8. vitreum) is known as "glass 

 eye," "pike perch," "yellow pike," "dory," and "blue 

 pike" on the Great Lakes, and as "salmon," "jack," 

 "okow," "blowfish," and "green pike" in other 

 localities. It is an excellent food fish and sometimes 

 reaches a weight of 20 pounds. The sauger, or sand- 

 perch (8. canadense), which is smaller and less im- 

 portant as a food fish, is especially abundant in 

 the Great Lakes. The catch of pike perch in 1908 

 amounted to 15,247,000 pounds, valued at $580,000. 

 Of the total amount, 15,115,000 pounds, valued at 

 $569,000, were taken in the Great Lakes, and the bal- 

 ance, all of which was of the wall-eyed species, was 

 caught in the Mississippi River or its tributaries. 



This fish was taken in 17 states, but almost 97 

 per cent of the total quantity was caught in Ohio, 

 Pennsylvania, New York, and Michigan. Ohio alone 

 is credited with 57 per cent of the total quantity and 

 50 per cent of the value. The statistics of the catch, 

 by states ranked according to the value of the product, 

 are given in the following tabular statement: 



i Includes Arkansas, Illinois. Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, 

 Missouri, Nebraska, Tennessee, and West Virginia. 



As indicated by a comparison of the values for 1908 

 and previous years, this fish is growing rapidly in 

 importance. No figures are available for the Missis- 

 sippi River district in 1899, but as the Great Lakes 

 furnish practically the entire amount, the figures 

 would be changed very little by the addition of the 

 river catch. The statistics of the catch for previous 

 years are given in the following tabular statement: 



This fish is taken principally in gill nets and pound 

 nets, less than 6 per cent of the total quantity in 1908 

 being caught with other kinds of apparatus. 



