442 Storer on the 
A. vulgaris. Cuv. The common Shad. 
Mc Murtrie's Cuv. vol. ii. p. 235. 
Yarreli's British Fishes, vol. ii. p. 136. 
Strack’s plates, 129. 1. 
This excellent species is brought to Boston market 
from the mouths of the neighboring rivers, in con- 
siderable quantities, in the spring of the year, and 
meets with a ready sale. At first they sell for 50 
cents a piece ; as the season advances, for 25 cents ; 
and at last may be bought for about 12 1-2 cents. 
Many of this species are also packed. In the year 
1832, 100 barrels were inspected ; 1833, 321; 1834, 
3; 1835, 310; 1836, 527. The quantities taken in 
Charles river, at Watertown, for the five years pre- 
ceding 1838, averaged about 6000 per annum. From 
3000 to 4000 are yearly caught at Taunton. In the 
Merrimack river this fish was very scarce forty-five 
years ago, and remained so for about five years. At 
this time there were ten salmon to one shad. Very 
few were caught. Before that time they had been 
very abundant. It was said that 10,000 were caught 
at one haul. After the scarcity, they became plen- 
tiful, and continued so till about 1810, when they 
were scarce again for two or three years. They 
then became plentiful, and still continue so. They 
have not decreased for the last ten years. Shad and 
alewives go up the river during the whole of May. 
Their greatest. run is when the apple trees are in 
full blossom. The old shad return in August ; the 
young, three or four inches long, in September. 
These are very fond of flies. The Concord river 
water is said to be warmer than that of the Merri- 
