SCIENCE -Supplement. 



FEIDAY, NOVEMBER 13, 1885. 



THE RESULTS OF SHAD PROPAGATION 

 ON THE ATLANTIC COAST. 

 At a recent meeting of the Biological society of 

 Washington, Col. Marshall McDonald read a paper 

 upon the necessity of artificial propagation, in 

 relation to the maintenance of the shad fisheries. 



fluctuates under local conditions. It is not true 

 that shad, spawned in certain rivers, necessarily 

 return to the same rivers. They remain, it is true, 

 in the geographical area in which they were 

 spawned, but may seek any fresh water within 

 that area. It is only by taking the statistics of the 

 rivers of the entire area that it could be deter- 

 mined whether there had been an actual increase or 

 decrease. Table I. giving ' ' Comparative statistics 



TABLE I. 



COMPARATIVE STATISTICS OF THE SHAD FISHERIES OF THE ATLANTIC COAST RIVERS FROM CAPE COD, MASS. , 



TO CAPE HENRY, VA., FOR 1880 AND 1885. 





Number of 



shad taken 



in 1880. 



Number o£ 



shad taken 



in 1885. 



Per cent of 



increase or 



decrease. 



Remarks. 



Connecticut River and tributaries 



268,608 



781,628 



735,300 



2,084,600 



215,000 

 1,174,028 

 1,148,496 

 l,63i,600 



2bfo Decrease. 

 33^ Increase. 

 36?^ Increase. 

 21^^ Decrease. 



The aggregate increased catch of 







In quantity 1,050,000 lbs 





In value $73,530! 





Aggregate catch 



3,870,136 



4,170,124 



7.8^ Increase. 





TABLE II. 



COMPARATIVE STATISTICS OF THE SHAD FISHERIES OF CHESAPEAKE BAY AND ITS TRIBUTARIES 



FOR 1880 AND 1885. 





Number of 



shad taken 



in 1880. 



Number of shad taken 

 in 1885. 



Total num- 

 ber of shad 

 taken in 



1885. 



Percentof 

 increase 



or 

 decrease. 



Remarks. 





In 



salt water 



In 



fresh water 



By pound net fisheries in Cbesa- ) 

 peake Bay outside of the v 

 mouths of the rivers ) 



Susquehannah River and minor) 

 tributaries at the head of> 

 Chesapeake Bay ) 



593,243 



614,000 

 582,800 

 134,000 



713,448 



50,000 



60,000 



220,000 





713,448 



212,161 

 157,697 

 250,000 



20^ 

 Increase. 



65, 

 Decrease. 



74^ 

 Decrease. 



86^ 

 Increase. 



Q7fc of all shad taken in the 

 Chesapeake and its tributaries 

 in 1885 were taken in salt or 

 brackish water before reach- 

 ing spawning grounds. 



The 33^ taken by the river 

 fisheries on, or in the vicinity 

 of, their spawning grounds, 

 being captured for the most 

 part before they had spawned , 



162,161 

 97,697 

 30,000 



Potomac River 



Rappahannock River 



York River {all salt water) catch, ) 

 included in the pound net fish- V 

 eries of the bay ) 



James River 



106,000 

 54,500 



45,000 

 27,250 



200,000 

 27,250 



245,000 

 54,500 



131$g 

 Increase. 



pendent for natural reproduc- 

 tion upon the small number of 

 shad that escape the pound 

 nets and elude the energetic 

 pursuit of the river fishermen. 



Minor tributaries of the Chesa- ) 

 peake on eastern shore of V 

 Maryland and Virginia ) 





Aggregate catch 



2,084,543 



1,115,698 



517,108 



1 632 806 1 21 < 









Decrease. 





He argued that the shad fisheries depend upon 

 artificial production for their maintenance. This 

 theory was illustrated by a comparison of statistics 

 for 1880 and 1885, and a consideration of the at- 

 tendant conditions. The figures for 1880 were 

 taken from the census reports ; those for 1885 

 from a recent reconnoissance by experts, usually 

 the same persons who made the census reports. 

 He brought together the statistics of all the rivers 

 of the Atlantic slope. The catch in each river 



of the shad fisheries of the Atlantic rivers," was 

 submitted. 



While the commercial value of the increase was 

 not large compared with the whole, that sum was 

 ten times as great as the yearly sum spent by the 

 fish commission upon the work of propagation. 



In order to arrive at a measure of the increase 

 or decrease of the shad fisheries of the Atlantic 

 coast rivers, it is necessary to compare the aggre- 

 gate catch in the principal rivers. Conclusions 



