PEESENT CONDITION OF THE FISHERIES. 9 



mission, nor did he respond to the interrogatories sent him. There has 

 been a new development of this question since our last report was made. 

 It is likely that the subject will come up next winter; it is largely a 

 political question here. There was a bill prepared last spring in the 

 senate, about which there is a good deal of feeling, as it varies from the 

 bill which I prepared, in applying to the whole State of Ehode Island. 

 Originally I took the ground that we would try the experiment of run- 

 ning the line in a particular manner. That was opposed because it was 

 unequal, and it was said, " This is a partial line." JTow they say to the 

 pound-men, "You have had time to get out of this business and pull 

 up your traps ; and having been forewarned, we will now run the line 

 the whole length of the waters of the State." It is possible there may 

 be some resistance on account of want of jurisdiction, as gentlemen ot 

 the profession are generally willing to embark in such matters. In 

 Connecticut they have passed a law prohibiting the catching of shad in 

 pounds after this year. 



Mr. Lyman. In Connecticut they set their pounds to the west of 

 Connecticut Biver; they do not catch enough east of it to make the 

 business pay. 



Mr. Macy. I know that a few years ago you could go out back of the 

 fort and catch as many scup as you wanted ; but I would like to see 

 any one catch a scup there now. They said the people in Connecticut 

 and Massachusetts are catching in nets, and why should we be cut off 

 here ? We catch shad very rarely here. Excepting very early in the 

 season we get them from the East. About fifty-five or fifty-six years 

 ago they caught shad plenty around Nantucket. 



Mr. Lyman. That was a sporadic run, about which there was some- 

 thing very curious. 



Mr. Bkinley. In the Providence Press, within two or three days, 

 there has been a very strong article, in which the writer speaks of the 

 great number of young scup which have been caught, even within the 

 waters near the city, except where the water was charged with impuri- 

 ties, these young fish having got the advantage of the net fishermen by 

 coming in two weeks earlier this year than usual. 



Professor Baird. Does he mean to imply that these same young scup 

 come in year by year ? 



Mr. Brinley. No ; that they escaped the nets this year, in conse- 

 quence of coming in two weeks earlier than usual. Young scup have 

 been killed in Providence Bay by the impurity of the water. 



General C. 0. Van Zandt. I was chairman of a committee of the 

 legislature on the subject of the shell-fish, and I found that the impuri- 

 ties had a great influence. We found oysters with a perceptible odor 

 of coal-tar, that were taken five or six miles down the bay. This was 

 some years since. 



Mr. Samuel Powel. The people who are interested in this question 

 do not understand it at all as a whole. I think many facts are needed 

 before we can act correctly in regard to it. To attempt to stop the 

 trapping would not be useful in the end, as the traps gather great quan- 

 tities of fish in a short time — more than the lines could do in a long 

 time. The matter here is now fought off till next January. I am 

 wedded to no theory ; but there is a curious fact that the fish come this 

 year, bringing their little ones with them. 



