SHAD FISHERIES OF THE ATLANTIC COAST. 129 



the temperature of the St. Johns River at Jacksonville, it is seen that the tempera- 

 ture of the water gradually descends, reaching 60° F. at Jacksonville about the last 

 of November. This date is coincident with the first appearance of shad in the St. 

 Johns. * * * In all other streams on the Atlantic coastthe fish appear to waitunti- 

 the temperature of the river has risen above that of the salt-water area into which 

 the river empties before they ascend in the spring. The migration of shad iuto the 

 St. Johns River is clearly not for the immediate purpose of spawning, as that opera- 

 tion is not performed for months, but in order that they may keep within the limit of 

 the hydro-isothermal area appropriate to them. We must suppose that the temperal 

 ture of the ocean waters, on the continental plateau outside the coast line, is higher 

 than 60° F., aud although uncongenial to the fish, yet they must necessarily remain 

 in that temperature until the waters of the St. Johns, cooling as the winter advances, 

 have fallen below the temperature of the outside waters. As soon, therefore, as water 

 of a lower temperature than that in which they are commingles with the ocean water 

 it serves as an incentive — as it were, the signal — for their migration into the estuary 

 of the St. Johns. — (Natural History of Aquatic Animals, pp. 599-602.) 



Shad fishing on the St. Johns is of recent origin. Indeed, it is 

 claimed by some persons that shad have run up this river during the 

 last forty years only, but this is -doubtless erroneous, the absence of 

 extensive fisheries before the Sixties being due to inadequate shipping 

 facilities and insufficient local enterprise. Drift nets were introduced 

 here about 1880, and their use increased quite rapidly, most of them 

 being operated by fishermen from Connecticut and New Jersey. The 

 war interrupted all fishing except for local use, but at the close of hos- 

 tilities the operation of drift nets was renewed and greatly increased. 

 It is reported that, in 1873, 94,000 shad were caught with 30 nets oper- 

 ated from New Berlin, about 10 miles from the mouth of the river, and 

 that in 1876, when shad were unusually abundant, the average catch 

 at New Berlin was 5,000 per net. At Palatka, 100 miles from the mouth 

 of the river, drift nets were first used in 1872, and 7 nets in 1876 caught 

 66,000 shad, the largest yield in any one net numbering 11,000. 



In a letter from Jacksonville, dated in January, 1874, Dr. Charles 

 Koch says : 



From the bar at the mouth of the St. Johns River up to Palatka 75 to 80 nets are 

 fished during the shad season. These nets are 200 yards long and 10 feet deep and are 

 set in from 10 to 12 feet of water. In 1873 the product of the shad fisheries am unted 

 to 250,000 shipped or consumed. The average price at Jacksonville was 15 cents 

 apiece. 



Mr. B. E. Earll estimated that in 1877-78 there were 80 drift nets on 

 the river and that the average catch was 2,500 each, making a total of 

 200,000 shad for that season. He further states tl>at the yield for the 

 previous season approximated 280,000, and for 1875-76 the yield was 

 about 160,000 or less. The Tenth Census reports the yield in 1879-80 

 at 251,700 pounds, but it does not appear what basis has been used in 

 reducing the number to pounds. ISo mention is made in those esti- 

 mates of the use of seines. 



The yield of shad on the St. Johns in 1890 was the largest for many 

 years, numberiug 872.074. During tlie four years following the catch 

 gradually decreased; but in 1895 it was somewhat better, and this 

 F. R. 98 9 



