XII— SUPPLEMENTARY TESTIMONY AND INFORMA- 

 TION RELATIVE TO THE CONDITION OF THE FISH- 

 ERIES OF THE SOUTH SIDE OF NEW ENGLAND, 

 TAKEN IN 1872. 



A delay in the printing of the present report renders it possible to 

 bring the inquiry into the fisheries of the south side of New England 

 through the season of 1872, for which purpose E revisited Wood's Hole 

 and Newport, in October, and sent Mr. Vinal N. Edwards, my able 

 assistant at Wood's Hole, to Hyannis, Nantucket, and Martha's Vine- 

 yard, with a similar object. The following memoranda, obtained by 

 myself and Mr. Edwards, will be found to contain some important state- 

 ments : 



NOTES TAKEN BY THE COMMISSIONER. 



Newport, Ehode Island, October 10, 1872.* 



Mr. T. Lee, fish-dealer, said that fish were more plenty in Newport this 

 year than last. Scup, weighing from one-fourth of a pound to a pound, 

 were very plenty. 



Bass have not been quite as plenty as last year, but they were quite 

 plenty last year. 



Spanish mackerel have been more plenty, and squeteague very plenty. 

 Spanish mackerel have been as low as 15 cents a pound ; they were 

 never less than 50 or 75 cents a pound before ; they were almost as 

 common as blue-fish at one time. 



Bonito have been abundant this year. 



Several ceros have been caught here. I bought one for 5 cents a 

 pound and sold it for 8 : and the man who bought it of me sold the fish 

 for $12. 



Mr. Curry, a fish-dealer, said fish generally had been tolerably plenty 

 this year, Blue-fish are plenty,but we do not get many sea-bass this fall. 

 Squeteague, bonito, and Spanish mackerel have been more plenty than 

 usual. 



Scup are plenty, some of fair size, weighing about half a pound. 

 There were very few of the small-sized scup this year corresponding to 

 those here last year. 



Sheepshead have been about as plenty as usual. 



No regular mackerel have been caught off the coast. 



Several salmon were caught in Saughkonet River, and shad were 

 plenty over at Second Beach, and several were taken in other places. 



Samuel Albro, a fish-dealer, considered fish as plenty as they were 

 last year. He gave the catch of one fisherman, George Crabb, from 

 which the following amounts are taken, as caught with hook and line : 



July 11 , 100 pounds tautog. 



Another day 151 pounds tautog. 



