PEESENT CONDITION OF THE FISHERIES. 59 



71. Id sweep and purse nets and in pounds; not with lines. 



78. Used for manure, oil, and mackerel-bait. 



84. Highest price, $1 50 a barrel for mackerel-bait ; fifty cents at the 

 guano works. About the same as former prices. 



86. Here, for fish-bait, and to the guano- works. About two thousand 

 barrels were sold to fishermen, for $1 50 a barrel, for bait. Scarcely a 

 quarter of those caught about Buzzard's Bay go to the fishermen, but 

 go for oil and guano. 



HERRING. 



There have been as many herring the past year as for many years ; 

 more abundant just about here than for two or three years before. 

 They come about the first of March and stay till June. The young ones 

 strike in about the 15th to the 20th of May, and in a pleasant afternoon 

 there will be from one to three acres very lively with half-grown her- 

 ring, and those not much larger than the finger; among these a few old 

 ones that seemed to be their guides. Tbe little ones never go up the 

 rivers. They are caught with nets when running up creeks. Good, 

 fresh ; most of them are salted. They were formerly sold early in the 

 spring to the George's fishermen for bait. This year they brought about 

 forty cents a hundred ; generally average seventy-five cents a hundred. 

 Most are carried to New Bedford to market. I seined up the herring 

 for bait, at the pond near my house, for three years in succession, and 

 in that time used them all up, so that none come there now. 



Wood's Hole, June 19, 1871. 



Captain Thomas Hinckley, Jr : 



On the 19th of April of the present year we laid our net and got 25 tautog. 

 The pounds were put down about the middle of April. The herring or ale- 

 wives did come into Buzzard's Bay as soon as into the Vineyard Sound. I 

 think they come direct from the sea, and do not run along the coast. They 

 are caught in February off the coast outside of the Vineyard. The 

 Georges fishermen get their bait of English herring down east, before 

 the alewives come here. The English herring come here about the 1st 

 of May, but are not plenty then. Last year we caught considerable 

 many in the bay, but this year not any. There are many in the bay, 

 and on the 1st of December there are many of the English herring 

 there. 



The pounds are down and in operation in Buzzard's Bay, about the 

 20th of April. Alewives are the first fish we catch. The menhaden 

 this year were out of season — earlier than common. They struck 

 in Buzzard's Bay, and we caught a few the 20th day of April. It was 

 something remarkable, never known before. I think some had spawn 

 in them then ; about the 1st of May they had. They should not 

 strike good until about the 10th of May. 



SCUP. 



2. No; only during the summer months. They make their appearance 

 about the 15th of May, and remain until about the middle of October. 

 In about a week after they come in they are most abundant. They leave 

 gradually, much more slowly than they come in. 



