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  and 
  Herring, 
  and 
  with 
  many 
  of 
  the 
  larger 
  ones 
  not 
  more 
  

   than 
  two 
  or 
  three 
  hauls 
  are 
  made 
  during 
  the 
  twenty-four 
  

   hours, 
  which 
  gives 
  the 
  fish 
  considerable 
  opportunity 
  to 
  pass 
  

   and 
  reach 
  their 
  spawning 
  beds. 
  

  

  The 
  haul 
  seines 
  are 
  not 
  operated 
  until 
  the 
  close 
  of 
  the 
  

   spawning 
  season, 
  but 
  allow 
  the 
  fish 
  which 
  have 
  escaped, 
  a 
  

   considerable 
  time 
  to 
  spawn 
  undisturbed. 
  Again, 
  the 
  young 
  

   Shad 
  and 
  Herring 
  are 
  not 
  in 
  the 
  water 
  at 
  the 
  time 
  that 
  tho 
  

   seines 
  are 
  used 
  for 
  the 
  capture 
  of 
  the 
  adults, 
  and 
  they 
  do 
  not 
  

   materially 
  injure 
  the 
  young 
  of 
  these 
  fish 
  — 
  they 
  are, 
  however, 
  

   very 
  injurious 
  to 
  the 
  partially 
  grown 
  of 
  other 
  varieties. 
  

   The 
  lead 
  line 
  dragged 
  over 
  the 
  bottom, 
  almost 
  constantly, 
  

   no 
  doubt 
  destroys 
  great 
  quantities 
  of 
  spawn, 
  but 
  more 
  espe- 
  

   cially 
  that 
  of 
  other 
  varieties 
  than 
  the 
  Shad. 
  

  

  The 
  gill 
  net 
  is 
  very 
  extensively 
  used 
  in 
  Maryland, 
  princi- 
  

   pally 
  for 
  the 
  capture 
  of 
  Shad, 
  although, 
  of 
  late 
  years, 
  Her- 
  

   ring 
  gill 
  nets 
  are 
  becoming 
  very 
  generally 
  used, 
  both 
  on 
  the 
  

   Potomac 
  and 
  upper 
  bay. 
  

  

  Those 
  operating 
  the 
  gill 
  nets, 
  argue 
  in 
  favor 
  of 
  this 
  mode, 
  

   that 
  the 
  meshes 
  are 
  so 
  large, 
  that 
  none 
  but 
  the 
  largo 
  mar- 
  

   ketable 
  fish 
  are 
  captured, 
  wlnle 
  the 
  small 
  fish 
  pass 
  through 
  

   freely, 
  and 
  that 
  in 
  many 
  localities 
  they 
  can 
  only 
  operate 
  

   these 
  nets 
  at 
  night 
  and 
  at 
  certain 
  stages 
  of 
  the 
  tide, 
  giving 
  

   the 
  fish 
  good 
  opportunity 
  for 
  reaching 
  their 
  spawning 
  beds 
  ; 
  

   however, 
  in 
  sonii' 
  localities 
  where 
  the 
  water 
  is 
  not 
  clear 
  

   enough 
  to 
  enable 
  the 
  fish 
  to 
  avoid 
  the 
  nets 
  during 
  the 
  day, 
  

   they 
  are 
  kept 
  in 
  the 
  water 
  almost 
  constantly, 
  and 
  have 
  

   no 
  doubt 
  contributed 
  very 
  materially 
  to 
  turn 
  back 
  the 
  fish, 
  

   and 
  prevent 
  them 
  from 
  reaching 
  their 
  natural 
  spawning 
  

   beds 
  in 
  the 
  upper 
  waters. 
  

  

  Very 
  many 
  of 
  the 
  smaller 
  lish 
  of 
  the 
  Shad 
  and 
  Herring, 
  

   which 
  effect 
  their 
  escape 
  from 
  the 
  gill 
  net?, 
  are 
  taken 
  in 
  

   seines 
  higher 
  up 
  the 
  rivers 
  I 
  have 
  found 
  the 
  spawn 
  dead 
  in 
  

   almost 
  all 
  those 
  fish 
  that 
  I 
  have 
  examined, 
  thus 
  showing 
  that 
  

   although 
  they 
  themselves 
  may 
  escape, 
  they 
  will 
  not 
  repro- 
  

   duce 
  after 
  being 
  bruised 
  by 
  their 
  struggle 
  through 
  tho 
  meshes. 
  

  

  