46 
paration as anchovys or “ sardines.” Some experiments have been 
made in canning these fish, but as yet no one has undertaken the 
business on an extensive scale. 
ROCKFISH. 
The bass and perch families are well represented in the coast 
waters of British Columbia, and are taken in considerable quantities 
to supply the local markets. The red and black bass are plentiful, 
and much esteemed. The perches and other viviparous surf fishes 
are very common about the shores, and are extensively used as 
food. 
The tom-cod (Microgadus proximus) is caught in large 
numbers, and finds ready sale in the markets of the Coast cities. 
SHAD. 
The Atlantic shad, which has been well established in the 
Pacific through plants of fry made in the Columbia and Sacramento 
Rivers, has worked its way north to Puget Sound and the Gulf of 
Georgia. It was first noticed in the Fraser River in 1888, and by 
1896 it had increased to such an extent that the fisheries authorities 
deemed it expedient to make regulations governing its capture. 
The fish does not run in sufficient quantities to warrant its being 
fished for specially, but is taken incidentally with other fish. The 
catch is, however, increasing steadily, year by year, and in time the 
Pacific shad may become as important as its Atlantic progenitor. 
The mackerel, which is the basis of an important industry on 
the Atalantic coast, is practically unknown in the North Pacific. 
Further south the bull’s-eye, or chub mackerel (Scomber colias) 
is found in moderate abundance and is caught for local use. The 
northern limit of this fish is said to be Monterey Bay, California, 
but during the winter of 1904, a specimen was caught near Nanaimo, 
B. C., and it is possible that it may appear in large numbers on 
this coast in the future. 
OYSTERS. 
The small native oyster (Ostrea lurida) is found in considerable 
quantities at many places along the coasts of British Columbia and 
Washington. On Puget Sound, the cultivation of the native oyster 
has received attention, and several companies are in successful 
operation. Olympia, Wash., has become the centre of the oyster 
industry, and the Olympia oyster is esteemed everywhere on the 
Coast. Several firms have imported Atlantic seed oysters, and in 
many instances these plantations have produced good results. 
Although natural oyster beds exist at many points along the Straits 
