T 
the wind in a certain direction ; but, upon any one of these 
hypotheses, the same favorable conditions would cause a cor- 
responding increase in the number of the other lish (the her- 
ring, for example), that usually accompany the shad in their 
annual migrations. So far, however, from this being the- 
case, the herring fisheries last year were unremunerative,, 
there being a great scarcity of that species. It will be re- 
membered that the Commission has as yet taken no steps 
towards the artificial propagation of herring in Maryland 
waters, although we have carefully investigated their habits 
with a view to future operations. 
In order to ascertain whether there had been the same 
marked increase in the catch of the haul-seines which are op- 
erated on the Susquehanna and Head of the Bay we have, 
through the courtesy of the owners of the large fisheries, 
examined their books, and have been able to ascertain, with 
tolerable accuracy, the amount of shad taken since 1872 by 
this mode of fishing. The books showing the catch of nine- 
teen seines in this portion of the State give an aggregate yield 
of shad 
In 1872 
“ 1873. 
“ 1874, 
“ 1875. 
“ 1876 
“ 1877 
“ 1878. 
“ 1879, 
.156,212 
133,050 
,162,421 
,252,829 
,136,633 
152,765 
134,861 
.188,870 
The decrease of shad up to 1877 is, perhaps, much more 
marked than is shown in this table, as from several of the 
fisheries we could not obtain accurate records further back 
than that year, whereas the figures for 1877, ’78 and ’79 show 
the entire catch of the nineteen seines during those years. It 
will be noticed that in 1879 54,009 more shad were taken than 
during the previous season, and 36,005 more than the total 
catch of 1877. 
As during the season of 1879 we could expect the return of 
the shad to the Potomac, Patuxent and other rivers where 
our operations were also conducted on a considerable scale,. 
