88 REPORT OF COMMISSIONER OF FISH AND FISHERIES. 



April 20 ; that 200 barrels have been taken at Seconnet as early as the 

 15th of April. 



J. M. K. SOUTHWICK. 



The fish question might be summed up thus : 



Fish have diminished in certain localities. It is charged that the dimi- 

 nution is in consequence^of trapping. Is the charge sustained ? If so, 

 then we may stop here. But if only met by the query, what else can 

 be the cause ? we might ask by what maxim of law are trappers adjudged 

 guilty without proof, and compelled to seek relief by fixing the guilt ? But 

 answer : If no other cause could be given, then it may not be traps ; for 

 who can explain the working of the mysterious laws of change written all 

 over the universe ? Yet numerous and sufficient causes have been as- 

 signed to account for all the real or apparent diminution, besides the fact 

 shown the present season, that an increase of fish is possible without a 

 reduction of traps ; that scup, like the herring of England, may in- 

 crease in spite of the enormous and increasing fishing. 



It is proposed to stop trapping three years as an experiment — a sort 

 of sedative to popular clamor. And then what? The business would 

 be destroyed for all time, for none would venture capital in material 

 once rendered valueless, and liable to be again, at the caprice of experi- 

 menting legislatures. 



As well charge the ice-merchants with short crops of ice, because of 

 large ones gathered in former years, and suspending their business on 

 their failure to demonstrate that it was from other causes. 



To stop trapping two days and three nights in the week. Although 

 the scup-traps are down about twenty-five days, the great bulk of the 

 fish are taken within ten days. Now, if allowed to fish but five days 

 of the ten, as may then happen, there would be no chance left the fish- 

 ermen at this, the most important trap-fishing in Rhode Island. 



The effect would not be so detrimental to the heart-seines, although 

 discouraging to those not now very successful. I believe any restriction 

 of the scup-traps, beyond that from Saturday night to Monday morn- 

 ing, would amount to prohibition. 



THE FOOD-FISHES OF THE NEW ENGLAND COAST. 



BY GEORGE H. PALMER, OF NEW BEDFORD, MASSACHUSETTS. 



Within a period of about twenty years, four of the best food-fishes of 

 the New England coast, of different genera, different habits, and feed- 

 ing to a certain extent on different food, have been observed to become, 

 year after year, less in numbers and smaller in size. 



These four fishes are — 



The striped bass, Lahrax Mneatus, (Roccus lineatus, Gill;) sea-bass, Gen- 

 tropristis nigricans, (G. atrarius, Gill;) tautog or black-fish, Tautoga 

 Americana,, (T. onitis, Gill;) scup, Pagrus argyrops, (Stenotomus argy- 

 rops, Gill.) 



For several years this fact attracted but little attention, and called 

 for no special investigation. 



At length, however, the subject began to excite the alarm of the fish- 

 ermen who depended upon fishing for their entire. or partial support, 

 and grew to be a subject of very general complaint. 



Of these fishes there is no evidence that they have not always been 



