NOTES ON AN INVESTIGATION OF THE MENHADEN FISHERY. 
295 
STEAMER J. W. HAWKINS. 
Species. 
Under 1 
mile. 
Between 1 
and (under) 
2 miles. 
Between 2 
and (under) 
3 miles. 
Between 3 
and (under) 
5 miles. 
Five miles 
and over. 
Total. 
2, 324, 631 
50, 966 
2, 107, 389 
35, 900 
203 
1, 481, 150 
2, 002, 681 
1, 343, 104 
11 
9, 258, 955 
86, 877 
147 
451 
481 
345 
1, 627 
1 
1 
2 
114 
70 
2 
12 
6 
12 
214 
2 
1 
1 
1 
3 
Cod 
1 
1 
34 
17 
6 
22 
15 
94 
1 
i 
2 
2 
2 
1 
3 
4 
8 
Eel 
6 
3 
2 
11 
2 
3 
9 
2 
9 
64 
22 
4 
8 
2 
100 
Gar 
] 
1 
1 
3 
6 
6 
3 
2 
11 
14 
8 
1 
23 
35 
24 
11 
6 
2 
8 
198 
59 
96 
4 
357 
1 
1 
2 
3 
2 
7 
14 
2 
16 
1 
1 
Shad . . . 
1,156 
21 
644 
1 
2 
5 
1, 808 
18 
28 
9 
2 
78 
40 
17 
6 
6 
69 
10 
10 
2 
10 
10 
42 
20 
20 
210 
29 
6 
2 
2 
249 
2 
1 
1 
1 
5 
13 
9 
22 
2, 377, 705 
109 
2, 144, 429 
102 
1, 481, 772 
70 
2, 003, 236 
103 
1, 343, 523 
75 
9, 350, 665 
459 
From the foregoing table it appears that the largest average hauls were made 
under 1 mile from shore and the next largest between 1 and 2 miles. Between 3 and 
5 miles from shore the average number taken was less than elsewhere. 
THE CATCH IN DIFFERENT MONTHS. 
The season for menhaden fishing is from the latter part of April to the first part 
of December, though but few fish are caught as early as April or as late as December, 
except in North Carolina. The best months are generally considered to be from 
August to November, inclusive. During the latter part of the season the fish are 
fatter and consequently yield more oil; they move in larger schools than at other 
times, and they are less shy and more easily caught. 
The following table shows the monthly catch of menhaden and other fish by the 
steamers Arizona and J. W. Hawkins. Considerably more than half the menhaden 
taken by the former vessel were obtained in August and September; the largest catch 
of the other vessel was in September, followed by May aud November. The months 
in which the largest numbers of other fish were taken were as follows : Flounders, 
mackerel, shad, and skates in July; alewives, sharks, squeteague, and butter-fish in 
August, and bluefish in September : 
