BULLETIN OF THE UNITED STATES FISH COMMISSION. 33 
Vol. Til, To, 3. Washington, 1>. €. May 26, 1887. 
12.-NOTES UPON FISH AN® THE FISHERIES. 
[Extracted from the official correspondence and compiled by the editor.] 
The eel in Westport River. — During the past few years the peo- 
ple along Westport River have been fishing for eels with great success, 
by means of trawls baited with live mumfres or mummichogs, several 
hooks often being set on one trawl. These eels are evidently different 
from those that bed in the river for the winter. I think they must be 
the same kind that run out of the fresh and brackish ponds along shore 
when we have the first severe frosts in the fall. These eels strike up 
the river about as soon as the ice is gone, the latter part of March or 
early in April, and are taken on the trawls, while river eels are still in 
the mud and are caught with spears. Should the river be frozen above 
land then break up and come down with the tide, or should snow* and 
slush chill the water, then the trawl eels move down stream and are 
caught only on the lower lines of hooks, while the bedded eels are still 
to be caught up the river in the mud. The trawl eels are in splendid 
condition, while Westport River bedded eels are noted for being most 
always poor and thin. The catch of herring this spring in Vineyard 
Sound, around Buzzard’s Bay and Cape Cod, has been greater than for 
years, which I think is owing to our having had such heavy rains as to 
freshen the water at the mouths of rivers and brooks for a long way 
out to sea, thus attracting them. [Willard Rye, jr., Rew Bedford, 
Mass., May 6, 1887.] 
Mackerel, codfish, herrino, etc., off Rortheastern Mas- 
sachusetts.— Mr. James W. Elliott, keeper of the Plum Island life- 
saving station, near Rewburyport, Mass., in a letter dated April 28, 
1887, gave the following note on the fisheries near that station : 
“During 1886 mackerel were first caught near this station about July 
1, and the last were taken about October 15. There were no large 
shoals, as usual, seen near here during the season. Only a few were 
taken in seines within a radius of 8 miles of this station, but small lots 
were taken with hooks almost every day while the season lasted. 
“ But few codfish were taken until Rovember, when a large shoal came 
into the bay, and the fish were taken daily in large quantities up to the 
last of April, most vessels getting large fares. Rone were caught at 
any time within less than 3 miles of the beach. 
“Herring were scarce here, and but few were taken, although our local 
fishermen made strong efforts to capture them. It is reported that large 
quantities were taken off Cape Ann (11 miles from this station) from 
August 1 to December 1. 
Bull. TJ. S. F. C., 87- -3 
