THE FISHERIES OF THE HUDSON RIVER. 659 
The boats employed in fishing these stake-nets are superior to those usually found in attend- 
ance upon shad nets. They cost, according to Mr. John Ludlow, about $150 apiece. The fish are 
transported to the New York market by sloops and schooners, being vessels of from 12 to 18 
‘tons burden, and costing from $700 to $1,000 apiece. 
Between Fort Lee and Troy, as far as could be ascertained, drift-nets are exclusively used, 
with the exception of: four haul-seines, one of which is operated at Troy, and three in the 
vicinity of Tivoli. 
Shad are taken as high up the river as the dam at Troy, about 40 miles below Glens Falls. 
At that point, however, but few are captured at the present time. This dam is the only artificial 
obstruction on the river. 
Sturgeon fishing on the Hudson is, at the present day, of very secondary importance, and the 
number of pounds taken.annually would not materially increase the aggregate river production. 
No reliable data, however, were obtained, and therefore statistics of this fishery are not included 
in the summation for the river given below. The annual catch of sturgeon amounts probably 
to several hundred thousand pounds. The fish are used for local consumption, or are shipped to 
Albany and New York. When sturgeon fishing was of great importance on this river Albany was 
the chief mart, and hence the name “ Albany beef.” On the James River, Virginia, the meat of 
this fish is known as “Charles City. bacon.” 
Undoubtedly large quantities of rock, or striped bass, perch, and other species are taken on 
this river in the summer and fall fisheries. No reliable figures were obtained, as the product of 
these irregular fisheries is always sent to New York and no accessible record kept of the quan- 
tities received. 
Summation for Hudson River. 
| Number. | Pounds. Value. 
711 
328 
6 
1, 516 
Shad see Sees 639,000 | 2,556,000} 143, 040 
Herring ............-. 225, 000 75, 000 2, 250 
* This includes cost of poles used in connection with the stake-net fisheries. 
6.—THE CONNECTICUT AND HOUSATONIC RIVERS AND MINOR 
TRIBUTARIES OF LONG ISLAND SOUND. 
By MarsHaLtt McDONALD. 
1, THE FISHERIES OF THE CONNECTICUT RIVER. 
FoRMER ABUNDANCE OF FISH.—The Connecticut River rises in Lake Connecticut, in the 
extreme northern part of New Hampshire, flows southward, forming the boundary line between 
that State and Vermont, crosses the entire States of Massachusetts and Connecticut, and empties 
into Long Island Sound. The tributaries of the Connecticut are small, flowing down from 
elevated regions. They are all natural trout streams, and those which have been preserved still 
afford good sport to the angler. In early days salmon were caught in these streams. In one, 
especially, the Farmingion, which is au impurtant tributary, shad and salmon were abundant, but 
