﻿that 
  species 
  in 
  our 
  waters. 
  If 
  there 
  is 
  a 
  decrease 
  (and 
  such, 
  

   I 
  am 
  informed, 
  is 
  the 
  fact) 
  it 
  is 
  due 
  to 
  the 
  haul-seine. 
  

  

  7. 
  We 
  catch 
  (or 
  rather, 
  did 
  catch 
  some 
  years 
  since) 
  rock, 
  

   perch, 
  crocus 
  and 
  taylors 
  in 
  their 
  season, 
  and 
  sometimes 
  

   trout 
  and 
  a 
  few 
  other 
  varieties. 
  We 
  catch 
  now 
  a 
  few 
  tay- 
  

   lors, 
  the 
  haul-seine 
  not 
  having 
  destroyed 
  all 
  of 
  that 
  species, 
  as 
  

   they 
  are 
  migratory 
  and 
  not 
  permanent 
  in 
  Maryland 
  waters. 
  

   I 
  consider 
  the 
  rock, 
  when 
  protected, 
  the 
  best 
  adapted 
  to 
  our 
  

   waters, 
  as 
  it 
  is 
  native 
  to 
  them, 
  and 
  decidedly 
  the 
  best 
  and 
  most 
  

   profitable 
  food-fish. 
  

  

  8. 
  Do 
  not 
  sell 
  fish, 
  and 
  am 
  ignorant 
  of 
  the 
  price 
  of 
  them, 
  

   but 
  know 
  that 
  the 
  price 
  rules 
  higher 
  each 
  year 
  as 
  the 
  fish 
  be- 
  

   come 
  scarcer. 
  

  

  9. 
  Have 
  made 
  no 
  observations 
  worthy 
  of 
  note, 
  and 
  would 
  

   not 
  know 
  a 
  ripe 
  female. 
  

  

  10. 
  If 
  I 
  judge 
  rightly 
  the 
  male 
  greatly 
  predominates. 
  

   Would 
  not 
  know 
  a 
  ripe 
  one 
  of 
  either 
  sex. 
  

  

  11. 
  On 
  these 
  points 
  am 
  ignorant. 
  During 
  a 
  part 
  of 
  last 
  

   fall 
  a 
  large 
  number 
  of 
  small 
  rock, 
  about 
  a 
  foot 
  long, 
  were 
  in 
  

   our 
  waters. 
  Some 
  of 
  them 
  probably 
  escaped 
  the 
  haul-seine, 
  

   as 
  I 
  have 
  seen 
  a 
  few 
  caught 
  this 
  fall, 
  and 
  the 
  average 
  length 
  

   was 
  fifteen 
  or 
  sixteen 
  inches, 
  from 
  which 
  fact 
  I 
  judge 
  they 
  

   grow 
  in 
  length 
  about 
  three 
  or 
  four 
  inches 
  a 
  year. 
  

  

  12. 
  As 
  before 
  remarked, 
  the 
  female 
  of 
  the 
  same 
  length 
  is 
  

   much 
  broader, 
  stouter 
  and 
  heavier 
  than 
  the 
  male. 
  Do 
  not 
  

   know 
  about 
  rate 
  of 
  growth. 
  

  

  13. 
  Not 
  by 
  any 
  means. 
  Think 
  there 
  is 
  no 
  doubt 
  that 
  

   the 
  rock 
  should 
  be 
  propagated 
  in 
  every 
  possible 
  way. 
  They 
  

   are 
  certainly, 
  in 
  my 
  opinion, 
  the 
  most 
  valuable 
  food-fish 
  

   in 
  our 
  waters; 
  but 
  it 
  is 
  not 
  only 
  useless 
  — 
  it 
  is 
  simply 
  

   absurd— 
  to 
  try 
  to 
  propagate 
  them 
  without 
  protection. 
  If 
  

   the 
  haul-seine 
  is 
  not 
  speedily 
  abolished 
  the 
  rock 
  will, 
  in 
  

   a 
  very 
  short 
  time, 
  become 
  extinct 
  in 
  our 
  waters. 
  There 
  is 
  

   no 
  escape 
  if 
  the 
  haul-seine 
  is 
  allowed 
  to 
  sweep 
  our 
  coves, 
  

   creeks, 
  rivers, 
  &c., 
  indiscriminately. 
  They 
  feed 
  to 
  some 
  ex- 
  

   tent 
  on 
  young 
  fish, 
  such 
  as 
  minnows, 
  young 
  alewives, 
  ttc, 
  

   but 
  I 
  do 
  not 
  think 
  them 
  as 
  destructive 
  to 
  young 
  fish 
  as 
  the 
  

   taylors 
  are. 
  

  

  