Should | we ahios 
44 DR. D. H. STORER’S REPORT. April, 
500 bbls. were taken at Falmouth; 400 bbls. at Duxbury, and 3000 
at Martha’s Vineyard. 
Upon some portions of our coast, herring liave been limited in 
quantity for the few last years, and during the last two years very 
few, comparatively speaking, have been taken. Their scarcity has 
been attributed by the fishermen to torching them at night, by which 
$ the shoals are broken, and the fish frightened away. 
The Alosu vulgaris—shad—is taken in several of our rivers in 
large quantities, at some seasons of the year, and quite a number of 
them are packed. In 1832, 100 bbls. were inspected ; 1833, 321 ; 
1834, 3; 1835, 310; 1836, 527. The quantities taken in 
Charles river at Watertown, for the five last years, have averaged 
about 6000 per annum: from 3000 to 4000 are yearly caught at 
Taunton. Those taken at the former place, are usually sent to 
Boston market, and sold at 25 cents each. Those caught at the 
latter locality are for the most part disposed of at the seines (fresh) 
-and cured by the purchasers. < When first taken, they sell for 100 
* cents per hundred—and as the season advances, diminish gradually 
in price to 50 cents. 
No family of fishes, however, found in the state, presents a great- 
er number of species of real utility, than that of the Gadites ; and 
no species in the whole catalogue of our Ichthyology, is of greater 
importance than the morrhua vulgaris—common Cod ; supplying 
our markets with an excellent food throughout the year, and giving 
employment to thousands. In some portions of the State, this 
fishery is entirely superseded by the taking of whales. Thus, while 
every town in the county of Barnstable, is more or less engaged in 
this business, and collectively exhibit an aggregate of 212 vessels, 
but a single fishing-smack was licensed in Dukes’ County, in 1836, 
—and not one in the county of Nantucket—the attention of the in- 
habitants of the last two counties, being entirely engrossed in whaling. 
Imperfect as are the following data, they may not be thought 
valueless. I have been able. to ascertain that, in 1836, there were 
engaged in the cod fishery, from Gloucester, Marblehead, Province- 
town, South Wellfleet, Cohasset, Duxbury, Plymouth, Manches- 
ter, Salem and Beverly, being ten towns, 561 vessels, having crews 
of 3816 men—and that by these vessels there were taken 263,454 
