78 REPORT OF COMMISSIONER OF FISH AND FISHERIES. 



But before we proceed to examine in detail the different fish peculiar 

 to our waters, we ayHI say that their numbers fluctuate in such irregular 

 manner — a season of scarcity often followed b}^ a season of unusual 

 plenty — and their entire disappearance from certain localities for a series 

 of years, to re-appear again, are phenomena that upset our best theo- 

 ries, and make i>ast figures of little account for the future estimate of 

 numbers, as, for instance, in the course of five, ten, or thirty years, 

 there may be an apparent gradual diminution from one year to another, 

 preceeded by a year of abundance. We here submit some facts that lead 

 to the conclusion that bass and tautog are about as plenty as ever. 



1. Fifty years ago a shore-seine was used in bassing two weeks ; but 

 the men engaged did not get enough to pay for their food while so en- 

 gaged. A failure to catch, in that time, was not rare. 



2. At this WTiting, July 28, 1871, a boat is in the harbor with 9,000 

 pounds of bass, the result of one haul with a shore-seine, for which they 

 will probably realize $900. One day this month, one man, Mr. H. G., 

 caught with hook and line 1,000 pounds of bass in two hours ! 



3. Ten years ago, fishermen caught from 100 to 150 i)ounds of tautog 

 in a day's fishing. 



4. There were sold on the 3d day of November, 1870, at two of our 

 markets, as the day's catch of fifteen men, 2,800 jDounds of tautog, be- 

 sides cod-fish caught by the same, amounting to 600 pounds, being an 

 average of over 226 pounds to each man. 



The fishes of our waters may be classified — 1. As local and bottom 

 fish, being those that remain in the bay the year round. Of such are the 

 cod-fish, haddock, tautog, flat-fish, and eel. 2. The migratory fish, that 

 visit our waters and remain with us but a part of the year, such as 

 the bass, horse-mackerel, squeteague, sea-bass, scup, herring, Spanish - 

 mackerel, butter-fish, and mackerel. 



THE COD-FISH. 



The cod-fish are very generally distributed, during the cold weather, 

 in the lower waters of the bay, and, on the approach of warm weather, 

 work off into deeper water outside the bay, and are then less generally 

 caught, but may be taken at all seasons the year round. They are 

 taken by hook and line, troll-line, not otherwise to any extent. They 

 live on shell and other small fish. 



I hear of tautog being taken from them that would weigh a pound. I 

 ain told by many fishermen that they are as plenty — some think more 

 so — as ever y while some of our local fishermen think they are not so 

 plenty as thirty years ago. 



The haddock, the colleague of the cod, are caught with them. 



BASS. 



This fish has been generally abundant in our waters, but during the 

 last, as in the present century, there have been seasons of scarcity. 

 They first ai)pear in our waters early in May, going eastward. They 

 are caught in traps in May, to some extent, but are of small size, say 

 from one to four pounds in weight. They are caught in July with hook 

 and line and shore-seines, but are of larger growth, say from ten to 

 forty pounds weight. They frequent the bay much less than formerly, 

 but are caught quite plenty at more remote, or less disturbed places, as 

 at the Vineyard Islands, where they appear as abundant as ever they 

 were. 



