68 EEPOET OF COMMISSIONER OF FISH AND FISHERIES. 



caught in spring go for bait. We could sell ten times as many, if we 

 could get them, for bait. We sold a few at New Bedford. A few are 

 salted by people here. They do not eat many fresh. 



Menhaden come nest, The first one we caught last year was on the 

 23d of April; and the first mackerel at thcsame time. 



The mackerel and menhaden caught then were stragglers. Likely 

 enough the next day we got two or three, and so on. About the 10th 

 to the 15th of May was the best time for catching menhaden last year; 

 this year they came on the 21st of April, when we caught a thousand. 

 We caught a' few stragglers before. I think we caught one or two about 

 the middle of April. We brought them ashore and tried them for their 

 fatness. The first that come are nearly as fat as they are in the fall of 

 the year. 



The English herring have spawn in them when we first catch them. 

 The afewives and menhaden have some. I never saw much spawn in 

 menhaden any time ; not so much as in alewives. 



I have seen blue-fish and squeteague throw the food out of their 

 stomachs when caught. I think the blue-fish fill their stomachs and 

 then empty them just for the fun of the thing, so as to catch more fish 

 I have seen them go into a school of menhaden and catch some and 

 throw them up again, and then go in again. I could not swear they 

 threw the stuff up, but I am quite positive it is so. I have seen the 

 fish all chewed up thrown out in the water. They often bite fish, and 

 swallow a part and leave the rest. 



We do not catch tautog with the first run ; not till about the 5th to 

 the 15th of May. We catch only now and then one in April. 



Sea-bass (black-bass) come a little alter the tautog, along about the 

 20th of May to the 10th of June, We do not catch any stragglers in 

 April. 



We got the first lot of scup on the 27th of April, when we got four 

 barrejs, 1 think. We got them most plenty about the 8th of May. We 

 did not catch a great many this year. At one haul I think we got two 

 boat-loads, say thirty-five barrels in all. These were very large — three- 

 pounders, some of them. They had spawn in them, not very ripe. I 

 have seen spawn in middling-sized scup — the two-year old scup. When 

 most plenty, we got $2 50 and $3 a barrel for scup. We sold to Powel, 

 of Philadelphia. Those we sold at New Bedford we got three cents a 

 pound for. 



The lowest price we have ever sold bine-fish for was two and a half 

 cents a pound — about the first of July. I sent some to New York, and 

 got $1 98 for two barrels. They would weigh 180 pounds to the barrel. 

 That was about the 25th of July. 



We have caught less fish this year than last, and got poorer prices 

 for them. We have cleared expenses, though. If I had known 

 the result this year I should have undertaken the business, even it' I 

 had other business. We did three times as well last year, though. I 

 do not know why we did not do better this year; whether it was in 

 consequence of the greater number of pounds in this vicinity, or because 

 the fish were caught more at the westward. 



Question. What were some of the peculiarities in respect to fish this 

 year ? 



Answer. Scup came earlier; menhaden and herring about the same 

 time as usual. We have not caught anymore squeteague this year than 

 we did last. Mr. Luce, at the Vineyard, said he caught as many as last 

 year, but did not get so much for them. We caught as mai^v common 

 mackerel as last year; but they were more scarce than any other fish. 



