8 -ECONOMIC AND NATURAL-HISTORY NOTES ON FISHES OF THE 
NORTHERN COAST OF NEW JERSEY. 
BY HUGH M. SMITH, M. D. 
GENERAL FEATURES OF THE FISHERIES. 
On few parts of the Atlantic coast of the United States are the fisheries of more 
importance than on the ocean shore of New Jersey. Not only are the commercial 
fisheries of the region of great value, but pleasure fishing is carried on very exten- 
sively; and the antagonism which for many years has existed between the professional 
fishermen and the sportsmen attracts much public attention and often excites very 
acrimonious discussion in the public press and the most active rivalry in and before the 
State legislature. It is not within the province of this paper to discuss the merits of 
the opposition to various forms of net fishing, or to attempt any settlement of the 
differences of opinion which prevail as to the propriety of certain branches of the 
economic fisheries. The few notes that are presented are intended simply to exhibit 
certain facts relative to the abundance, movements, importance, etc.,*of some of the 
most valuable fishes of the coast. 
This paper is based on personal observations made on the New Jersey coast by 
the writer during parts of the years 1886, 1888, 1892, and 1893, while investigating 
the commercial fisheries in the service of the U. S. Fish Commission, and largely repre- 
sents a study of the pound-net fisheries of the northern part of the coast. A much 
greater variety of fish is taken in the pound nets than with any other form of apparatus, 
larger quantities of products are thus secured than with any other kinds of nets, 
and the fishery is the most important one prosecuted with nets on this coast. 
A small number of pound nets are operated on the outer shore of New Jersey in 
Monmouth and Ocean counties, to which the fishery is restricted. In Sandy Hook 
and Delaware bays, however, a large number of nets are set, chiefly for shad and king 
crabs. From many points of view the nets on the ocean shore are more important, and 
it is only with them and the results of their use that this paper has to deal. Pound 
nets have been set in limited numbers on this coast for many years, but of late the 
number has been greatly augmented, and the fishery is now more important than ever 
before, both on account of its increased extent and because of the growing attention 
which all forms of net fishing, especially that for game fish, so called, are receiving 
at the hands of sportsmen and legislators. 
