72 REPORT OF COMMISSIONER OF FISH AND FISHERIES. 



CoHASSET Narrows, September 25, 1871. 



A. J. Hathaway : 



I have been here twenty years, and I never saw the yonng scup so 

 plenty as they liave been this year. Striped-bass are five times as plenty 

 this 3'ear as they were last. 



There are more tan tog here, and about the same number of squeteague 

 as last year. 



There are a good raauy yonng blue-fish up this harbor j but no large 

 ones. 



I think blue-fish and bass spawn up in this river. 



Small mackerel come nphere, arriving about the first of October, and 

 staying three or tour weeks. Last fall we caught a good many. 



Patrick Butler. There have been plenty of small-sized scup about 

 here this year. For two or three years back there have been very few 

 here. Twelve or fifteen years ago they were very plenty 5 but for two or 

 three years back a man could not get enough to have a mess to eat^ 

 with a hook and line. 



Egbert P. Holmes. Tliere have been a good many young scup about 

 here this year. There was a great quantity of young menhaden. I have 

 not seen so many young scup for a long time. The breeding scup in the 

 spring here were not more tlian 8 inches long. We have not caught any 

 big scup at all. 



I never saw^ a young squcteague. 



I think blue-fish spawn up in this bay, because we see a great many 

 little fish. I found a young blue-fish Sunday morning, not over an inch 

 long. For the last two years we are not catcliing many blue-fish. 



S. S. Eider, (head of Butternnlk Bay.) There seem to be a great 

 many scup here this year ; some tliree and some six inches long. We 

 don't see any scup that will weigh a pound here now, and we don't 

 get but a few any way. My father, twenty years ago, used to catch 

 three boat-loads at a tide. Now you might as well look for a salmon 

 as for a large scup. 



