280 REPORT OF COMMISSIONER OF FISH AND FISHERIES. 



pounds of frozen, and 135,000 pounds of salted, and 8,000 pounds of 

 smoked fish were herring, averaging three-quarters of a pound ; and 

 704,500 pounds of fresh. 100,000 pounds of frozen, and 66,000 pounds of 

 salted fish were blue pike, averaging one pound each. The catfish 

 amounted to 275,500 pounds dressed, all sold fresh, and the sturgeon 

 to 114,400 pounds fresh and 10,000 pounds smoked. The other species 

 taken were perch, saugers, wall-eyed pike, black bass, grass pike, and 

 miscellaneous minor varieties. The secondary products were 9,625 

 pounds of caviare, $1,156; 300 pounds isinglass, $450; 550 gallons oil, 

 $190; and 10 tons offish for fertilizer, mostly eel-pouts, $50. 



94. ERIE COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA. 



Character of tlie coast. — The State of Pennsylvania has about 50 miles 

 of shore-line all included within the limits of Erie County. The lake 

 coast is remarkable for its even contour, which is broken only in the 

 vicinity of Erie. At that point there is a peninsula which, beginning 

 at the general line of the coast, runs at first towards the northeast, and 

 then trends around to the eastward so as to almost inclose a body of 

 water 4 or 5 miles long, and from 1 to 2 miles wide. As this has a depth 

 sufficient to admit the largest vessels, it forms an excellent harbor, one 

 of the best upon the lakes, variously known as Erie Bay, Presque Isle 

 Bay, and Erie Harbor. On the main-land adjacent to this harbor has 

 grown up the city of Erie, with a population of about 30,000, four rail- 

 roads, and considerable lake commerce. 



Fisheries of Oirard. — There are no net fisheries between Conneaut 

 and Erie, except from the village of Girard, 12 miles east of the former 

 and 16 miles west of the latter place. It is located 2 miles above the 

 mouth of Elk Greek, which furnishes a harbor for small fishing boats. 

 Its inhabitants number between 500 and 600, only a small proportion of 

 whom are in any way dependent upon the fisheries, which are confined 

 to a little catfish hooking, and four gill-net boats fishing from the mouth 

 of the creek part of the time and during the rest of the season from Erie. 

 The fish landed at Elk Creek are shipped fresh by rail to the Erie dealers. 



Fisheries of Erie.— Among the industries of the place, the fisheries 

 rank second in importance to the manufacturing interests. Both gill- 

 nets and pound-nets are extensively used, though much the larger 

 part of the products is derived from the former. 



Species. — The principal species taken are herring and blue pike in 

 April and early May, sturgeon in June, and whitefish in July, August, 

 and November. More whitefish are landed by the fishermen at this port 

 than at any other on the lake, if not on the whole chain of lakes. Stur- 

 geon are numerous in this section but the catch is not very large, as no 

 regular sturgeon nets are used and the ordinary gill-nets as a rule will 

 not hold them. A few large lake trout are taken off Erie, ranging in 

 weight from 25 to 40 pounds. 



