BULLETIN OF THE UNITED STATES FISH COMMISSION. 195 
ANNUAL CATCH. 
Daring 1886, which was an average year, the catch at Rcanoke Island 
was about as follows (in boxes of 200 pounds each) : 
1 haul-seine (estimated) 40 
1 purse-net (George C. Daniels) - 170 
8 (other) purse-nets 600 
25 drag-nets .. *500 
17 pound-nets t510 
Total ■- 1,820 
Or 364,000 pounds fish of all kinds.! 
Of the 1,820 boxes, 1,398 were rock, equal to 279,600 pounds, or 
186,400 fish (of 1£ pounds weight each). Above Roanoke Island, and 
to be added, there were caught (estimated) as follows (in boxes of 200 
pounds each) : 
49 pound-nets caught 490 
5 stands gill-nets caught 200 
Total 690 
Of the 690 boxes, about 500 were rockfish, representing 100,000 
pounds, or 68,000 fish. 
The aggregate catch, therefore, based upon careful estimates, was 
253,000 fish of 380,000 pounds weight. 
CONDITION OF FISHERY. 
In 1887 this fishery experienced a failure, the second failure since its 
establishment fifteen years before. The catch of 1887 about Roanoke 
Island was as follows (17 pounds between Roanoke Marshes and Roan- 
oke Island, Old Dominion Wharf): 
Caught by — 
Pounds. 
Boxes. 
L Cudwitli 
2 
40 
Forbes 
3 
25 
Baum Bros 
5 
200 
Somers C. Baum 
2 
50 
2 
10 
Davis Bros 
1 
10 
B,. S. Midgett 
2 
15 
Total 
17 
350 
One-half of these, or 175 boxes, were rock, and represent 23,333 fish, 
or 35,000 pounds, a decrease, compared with 1886, of 33 per cent. The 
catch of the purse and drag nets was very much poorer than that of 
the traps, and their catch being about equivalent to or less than board 
of men, the failure was very decided. One purse-net crew were far be- 
hind on board, and several firms shipped less than one-tenth the usual 
* Two-thirds rockfish. t One-half rockfish. 
t Other kinds are food-fish ; no guano works. 
