72 REPORT OF COMMISSIONER OF FISH AND FISHERIES. 



Cohasset Narrows, September 25, 1871. 



A. J. Hathaway : 



I have been here twenty years, and I never saw the young scup so 

 plenty as tliey have been this year. Striped-bass are five times as plenty 

 this year as they were last. 



There are more tautog here, and about the same number of squeteague 

 as last year. 



There are a good many young blue-fish up this harbor ; but no large 

 ones. 



I think blue-fish and bass spawn up in this river. 



Small mackerel come up here, arriving about the first of October, and 

 staying three or tour weeks. Last fall we caught a good many. 



Patrick Butler. There have been plenty of small-sized scup about 

 here this year. For two or three years back there have been very few 

 here. Twelve or fifteen years ago they were very plenty ; but for two or 

 three years back a man could not get enough to have a mess to eat, 

 with a hook and line. 



Robert P. Holmes. There have been a good many young scup about 

 here this year. There was a great quantity of young menhaden. I have 

 not seen so many young scup for a long time. The breeding scup in the 

 spring here were not more than 8 inches long. We have not caught any 

 big scup at all. 



I never saw a young squeteague. 



I think blue-fish spawn up in this bay, because we see a great many 

 little fish. I found a young blue-fish Sunday morning, not over an inch 

 long. For the last two years we are not catching many blue-fish. 



S. S. Rider, (head of Buttermilk Bay.) There seem to be a great 

 many scup here this year ; some three and some six inches long. We 

 don't see any scup that will weigh a pound here now, and we don't 

 get but a few any way. My father, twenty years ago, used to catch 

 three boat-loads at a tide. Now you might as well look for a salmon 

 as for a large scup. 



