188 REPORT OF COMMISSIONER OF FISH AND FISHERIES. 
these 7,800 bushels were marketed for $19,500. 1n1890 the output was 
larger than for some years, amounting to 11,153 bushels, valued at 
$26,100. 
The principal fishing in the vicinity of Cape Charles City is with 
pound nets. Owing to the ample facilities for Shipment by both rail 
and water, to the favorable character of the Shore, to the proximity of 
the ocean, and to the general abundance of fish, this is perhaps the 
finest region for pound-net fishing in the Chesapeake Bay as regards 
marine species, the run of Spanish mackerel, bluefish, and squeteague 
being particularly large; but on account of the absence of fresh-water 
Streams of any volume the catch of shad, alewives, and other anadrom- 
ous fishes is very small as compared with localities on the opposite 
side of the bay. In 1889 17 pound nets were operated along this shore 
between Hunger Creek and the mouth of the bay, and in 1890 16 nets. 
were set. The fishery in 1889 yielded 934,835 pounds of fish, for which 
the fishermen received $16,155, and in 1890 1,169,033 pounds, with a 
first value of $15,988. Some interesting notes (based on the results 
of the fishery) were obtained on the abundance and movements of cer- 
tain species in those years. Among other commercial fishes occurring 
on this shore, and taken in the pound nets, the following may be briefly 
referred to; the common names in use in the region are given in quota- 
tion: 
Scomberomorus maculatus. “Spanish mackerel ”; “ Bay mackerel.” 
This is the most important fish taken, and the average catch per net 
is probably larger than at any other locality on the Atlantic coast. The 
fish reach this shore late in May or early in June, and are usually in a 
Spawning condition when they arrive. The first run consists of larger 
fish than those which eome in July and are most abundant through the 
summer. In fall there appears to be another run of large fish. The 
average weight of the fish caught is 1} pounds, but examples weighing 
as much as 6 pounds are not rare, and, on the other hand, large quan- 
tities of very small fish are often secured. The run in 1889 and 1890 
was considered quite large, although less than 10 years ago. The most 
noticeable feature of the fishery in 1890 was the occurrence in the fall of 
enormous quantities of very small fish ; they weighed a quarter of a 
pound or less and 200 were required to fill a bushel measure. Old fish- 
ermen reported that never in their experience had there been so many - 
“tinkers” as in August and September, 1890. Two pound nets of Mr. 
C. F. Wilkins, near Hunger Creek, are said to take more Spanish mack- 
erel than any others in the bay; they have been set from the Same shore 
for many years, and are of special interest because the first experiments 
in the artificial hatching of Spanish mackerel were made with eges 
obtained from fish caught in these nets. 
The following table, showing the daily catch of these pounds in 1889 
and 1890 will be of interest as indicating the times of arrival and depart- 
