346 REPORT OF COMMISSIONER OF FISH AND FISHERIES. 



the influence upon the industry of the abrogation of the fishery clauses 

 of the Washiugton treaty ; the probable effect of the proposed import 

 duties on Canadian fish, especially in regard to the obtainment of raw 

 material, the cost of canned goods, and the importation of European 

 products. 



11. — Notes on certain fishery industries of Eastport, Maine, in 1886. — 

 These notes contain the latest information concerning (a) the winter 

 herring fishery and the frozen herring trade in the vicinity of Eastport; 

 (b) the trade in pickled herring ; (c) the preparation of bloater herring; 

 and (d) the smoking of u finnan baddies." They are now well under 

 way and it is expected they will soon be sent to the printer. 



12. — Spring mackerel fishery in 1880. — One of the special inquiries 

 prosecuted in 1886 had for its object a comprehensive study of the 

 spring mackerel fishery. Tbe principal points upon which information 

 was sought were (a) statistics, whereby the relative quantities of mack- 

 erel taken in the spring fishery, and on other grounds later in the sea- 

 son of 1886, could be shown ; (b) the effect of the spring fishery upon 

 the price of mackerel caught and salted later in the season, and (c) 

 whether the capture of large quantities of this species in the spring has 

 a tendency to seriously affect its abundance. 



The data obtained were valuable and timely. Much information has 

 been supplied to Congress and it has been utilized in connection with 

 the consideration of the probable eifect of legislation prohibiting the 

 importation or landing of mackerel caught before the first of June. 



This inquiry, like some others relating to different branches of the 

 fisheries, was conducted by Mr. Earll,who, up to the time that he severed 

 his connection with the Commission, was unable to put the notes into 

 shape for publication. Considering the great amount of work of this 

 nature which is pressing for consideration, together with the urgent ne- 

 cessity for prosecuting field investigations, it seems scarcely feasible to 

 do more than to arrange for the early publication of the statistics relat- 

 ing to the spring mackerel fishery, the methods of which have received 

 full consideration in previous reports of the Commission.* 



13. The menhaden fishery. — During the summer of 1886 Messrs,, E. E. 

 Earll, Hugh M. Smith, and M. M. Snell made an investigation of the 

 menhaden fishery. Much information was obtained concerning the ex- 

 tent of the fishery, location of fishing grounds, factory plants, and the ef- 

 fects of the methods of capture now employed in the menhaden fishery. 

 Many of these data have been compiled and tabulated for the use of 

 Congress, which has had under consideration measures for the restric- 

 tion of the capture of this species. A considerable amount of new and 

 important information was obtained, but it has not yet been practicable 

 to elaborate the descriptive notes. 



*See " Materials for a History of the Mackerel Fishery." Report of the U. S. Fish 

 Commission, 1881, pp. 89-531; also report npon the mackerel fishery, Volume I, Sec- 

 tion V, Fisheries and Fishery Industries of the United States, 4to, pp. 247-313. 



