﻿XVI 
  

  

  10. 
  Have 
  never 
  seen 
  a 
  ripe 
  female 
  rock 
  weighing 
  less 
  tlian 
  

   fifteen 
  or 
  twenty 
  pounds, 
  and 
  but 
  five 
  under 
  twenty 
  pounds. 
  

   They 
  were 
  all 
  small 
  rock. 
  The 
  roe 
  has 
  the 
  appearance 
  of 
  

   smelt. 
  We 
  catch 
  at 
  least 
  nine 
  male 
  rock 
  where 
  we 
  catch 
  one 
  

   female. 
  

  

  11. 
  The 
  largest 
  rock 
  I 
  have 
  ever 
  caught 
  was 
  five 
  feet 
  one 
  

   inch 
  long 
  and 
  weighed 
  92J 
  pounds, 
  and 
  was 
  in 
  a 
  spawning 
  

   condition 
  when 
  caught. 
  The 
  increase 
  in 
  weight 
  for 
  the 
  first 
  

   year 
  is 
  from 
  2j 
  to 
  3 
  pounds, 
  the 
  second 
  year, 
  4 
  to 
  6 
  pounds, 
  

   third 
  year, 
  8 
  to 
  12 
  pounds, 
  fourth 
  year, 
  12 
  to 
  20 
  pounds, 
  at 
  

   which 
  age 
  they 
  mature 
  for 
  propagation. 
  

  

  12. 
  All 
  small 
  rock 
  have 
  the 
  same 
  appearance 
  until 
  they 
  

   attain 
  the 
  weight 
  of 
  16 
  or 
  20 
  pounds 
  ; 
  then 
  nine-tenths 
  of 
  the 
  

   catch 
  of 
  rock 
  are 
  females. 
  How 
  do 
  you 
  account 
  for 
  that 
  ? 
  

  

  13. 
  I 
  don't 
  think 
  the 
  rock-fish 
  is 
  destructive. 
  They 
  are 
  

   river 
  scavengers, 
  and 
  in 
  cold 
  weather 
  move 
  in 
  immense 
  schools, 
  

   taking 
  up 
  useless 
  little 
  pests, 
  such 
  as 
  minnows, 
  mill-roach, 
  

   sun-fish 
  and 
  other 
  small 
  fry 
  that 
  destroy 
  the 
  food 
  of 
  more 
  

   delicate 
  fish. 
  In 
  summer 
  they 
  scatter 
  all 
  over 
  the 
  river 
  and 
  

   feed 
  on 
  the 
  accumulated 
  pests. 
  At 
  the 
  approach 
  of 
  frost 
  thej 
  

   form 
  schools 
  and 
  move 
  to 
  and 
  fro 
  in 
  the 
  water. 
  

  

  N. 
  B. 
  I 
  would 
  call 
  your 
  attention 
  to 
  the 
  protection 
  of 
  the 
  

   alewife. 
  I 
  think 
  the 
  law 
  should 
  prohibit 
  the 
  catching 
  of 
  them 
  

   at 
  all 
  times 
  when 
  it 
  could 
  be 
  avoided. 
  They 
  are 
  fish 
  that 
  

   prey 
  on 
  the 
  fish-leach, 
  flea 
  and 
  fish-lice 
  that 
  inhabit 
  the 
  waters 
  

   in 
  large 
  numbers, 
  much 
  to 
  the 
  annoyance 
  of 
  the 
  fish. 
  Their 
  

   young 
  are 
  eaten 
  by 
  rock 
  in 
  large 
  numbers. 
  

  

  Littleton 
  Smith, 
  of 
  Wicomico 
  County. 
  

  

  1. 
  I 
  have 
  for 
  twenty-five 
  years. 
  

  

  2. 
  In 
  the 
  Wicomico 
  Kiver. 
  

  

  3. 
  I 
  have. 
  

  

  4. 
  They 
  are 
  more 
  abundant 
  about 
  the 
  last 
  of 
  April 
  and 
  the 
  

   first 
  of 
  May 
  than 
  at 
  any 
  other 
  time. 
  

  

  5. 
  I 
  have 
  not 
  ke])t 
  an 
  account 
  of 
  the 
  number 
  of 
  fish 
  caught 
  

   or 
  temperature 
  of 
  the 
  water. 
  

  

  6. 
  The 
  catch 
  of 
  shad 
  was 
  larger 
  this 
  year 
  than 
  for 
  several 
  

  

  