FOREST, FISH AND GAME COMMISSION, 



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To this family belong the Common Shad, the true Herring, and many other 

 well-known species. The Alewife is one of the anadromous species, and is found 

 on the Atlantic coast of the United States from the Carolinas to Newfoundland in 

 great abundance, and entering fresh-water streams to spawn. In Cayuga Lake, Lake 

 Ontario, and other small lakes in New York tributary to the St. Lawrence, it is 

 found in considerable numbers and appears to be landlocked. Li Lake Ontario it 

 is excessively abundant, great multitudes sometimes dying in early summer. 



Just how it got into these lakes has never been satisfactorily determined. It 

 is claimed by many that they were introduced into Lake Ontario under the 

 impression that they were young Shad. However that may be, it hardly accounts 

 for their presence in the small interior lakes of New York. 



The species is known to be common in the Gulf of St. Lawrence and it is not 

 at ail unlikely that many find their way every spring up the St. Lawrence to Lake 



ALEWIFE. 



Ontario, though this is by no means certain. It may be that they are actually 

 landlocked in these various lakes, that they breed there and are able to maintain 

 themselves notwithstanding the dying of many every year. 



There is no doubt but that those found in these lakes are very much 

 smaller than those found along the coast, which indicates that they are a 

 dwarfed form, the small size being the result of a restricted environment and an 

 insufficient food supply. This fish is known variously as Alewife, Branch Her- 

 ring, Wall-eyed Herring, Big-eyed Herring, Eelwife, Blear-eyed Herring, Shad and 

 Gaspereau. 



In Lake Ontario it rarely exceeds 5 or 6 inches in length, the majority seen 

 probably not exceeding 3 or 4 inches. Those of 2 to 4 inches in length are 

 often used as bait. Their bright silvery color makes them very attractive to 

 game fishes, but they are quite delicate and will not stand much punishment. 



