OF MASSACHUSETTS. 99 



(c) Wellfleet Harbor. — Scattering scallops are found near Billings- 

 gate Island, on the north side of the harbor, and east of Jeremy's Point, 

 but no regular fishing is carried on. 



{d) Provincetown Harbor. — On the shore of the east bend of the 

 harbor, toward Truro, scallops are washed ashore in varying amounts 

 by the southwest winds. About fifteen years ago scallops were reported 

 as numerous, and it was not uncommon for a man to pick up 5 bushels 

 at one tide, but since 1900 few scallops have been found. 



South Side of Cape Cod. — This section comprises the towns on the 

 south shore of the Cape from Chatham to Mashpee. Here conditions 

 are extremely favorable, except for an occasional southerly blow, which 

 at times is sufficiently strong to wash the scallops in windrows on the 

 shore. Only the shellfish in the exposed waters on the open coast are 

 subject to this loss. The other conditions, such as a small rise and fall 

 of tide (about 2 feet), good circulation of water, suitable bottom and 

 depth of water, are all favorable to the habitation of scallops. On some 

 flats during the low-running winter tides there is considerable exposure, 

 as on the common flats of Chatham, and many scallops perish annually. 

 The greater part of the fishery, is conducted on the open coast, at some 

 distance from shore, by dredging, or with " pushers " on the low flats 

 which skirt the shore. Scallops are also plentiful in the inclosed bays 

 which line the shore, such as Stage Harbor, Chatham; Lewis Bay, Hyan- 

 nis; and Oysterville Bay, Barnstable. The average size of the scallop 

 in this section is 2.13 inches. Few natural enemies are found. Starfish 

 and oyster drills are present, but not in sufficient number to be of 

 material damage. The total area comprised in this section is 12,700 

 acres. 



(a) Chatham. — Scallops are found only in the southern waters of 

 the town. Between Inward Point and Harding's Beach many acres of 

 eel-grass flats, sheltered from the open ocean by Monomoy Island, fur- 

 nish excellent grounds for scallops. The entire area of these grounds 

 is approximately 2,000 acres, although this whole territory is never 

 completely stocked in any one year. During the season of 1907-08 the 

 following places constituted the scalloping grounds : — 



(1) Island flats in Stage Harbor, on the east side of the channel, 

 opposite Harding's Beach, furnish a number of scallops, which are 

 caught the first of the season, as these flats were near the town. 

 Here the water is not more than 1% to 2 feet deep at low tide, and 

 thick eel grass covers the greater part except near the channel. 



(2) Directly south of Harding's Beach lies John Perry's flat, com- 

 monly Imown as " Jerry's," where there has been good scalloping for 

 many years. 



(3) The western half of the Common Flats furnished the best scal- 

 loping in 1907-08, as the scallops, though small (6 pecks to a gallon), 



