as they have done, we shall have to send to California to get a mess of fish."* At Waquoit weir, near Wood's Hole, Mass., the number of menhaden taken in 1865 was 211,100; in 1866, 318,510; in 1867, 203,740; in 1868, 124,726; in 1869, 145,710; in 1870, 407,930; in 1871, 235,270.† On the north side of Cape Cod, in Massachusetts, there are 19 weirs; 10 of these were estimated to have yielded in 1876 16,236 menhaden, giving an average of 1,624 to a weir, making an aggregate for the whole of about 32,480. On the south side of Cape Cod, in 1876, were 22 weirs; 10 of these yielded 1,827,729, and the total yield is estimated at 4,000,000. The number of weirs in Martha's Vineyard Sound is 9; 6 of these yielded 1,395,270, and the total yield is estimated at 2,093,000. The number of weirs in Buzzard's Bay is 30; the yield of 11 in 1876 was 54,878,000, and the total yield is estimated at 162,000,000. The total amount taken in the weirs of Massachusetts is estimated at about 170,000,000. The returns of the catch of these same weirs in 1877, as given in the Report of the Commissioners of Inland Fisheries, is as follows: Weirs... Seines 1,770, 136 81, 256 600, 198 While the estimate given above is perhaps too large, the returns cited are probably much too small. On the coast of Rhode Island. 107. Mr. Edwin A. Perrin, postmaster, Pawtucket, R. I., puts the catch of the five drag-seines there owned, at 2,500 barrels. Mr. Daniel T. Church writes: "There are no fish in Narragansett Bay so plenty as menhaden if we take several years as the standard, but if we should take years as they come and name each year separately it would be different. For instance, during 1871, 1872, and 1873, scup appeared in Narragansett Bay in immense quantities. There is no doubt in my mind that there has been, during the years named, more of them than menhaden. But, for a number of years preceding, scup were scarce. A few years since squeteague were more plenty than menhaden, for the bay seemed to be full of them from near Providence to Point Judith, and from Seconnet to Somerset. Menhaden, as an average, have been plenty in Narragansett Bay for the last ten years; but not far from ten years back they were scarce, and some of the fishermen left the business on that account. It is my opinion that the blue-fish were so plenty as to destroy the menhaden in large numbers. It was seriously feared that they were to disappear; but since blue-fish, sharks, and horse-mackerel, *Testimony in regard to the present condition of the fisheries, taken in 1871. <Report of U. S. Commissioner of Fish and Fisheries, 1871, pp. 39, 40. + Report of Massachusetts Commissioners of Inland Fisheries for 1871, and Report of United States Commissioner of Fish and Fisheries, 1871-'72, p. 176. have become, for some unknown reason, scarce, menhaden have grown plenty, and 1871, 1872, and 1873 have been great years in the business. Taking for a basis of estimate that there are eight menhaden factories in Narragansett Bay that use about 20,000 barrels each, it would make the number of barrels caught during the year 1873 about 160,000. We do not think fishermen have any perceptible effect on menhaden, for it is a fact well known that a few years back they were so scarce that boats and seines were in the market at less than half their value. The year 1873 has been the year of surprise and wonder of all years, for the sea has been one blanket of menhaden from the Chesapeake to the Bay of Fundy." Lieutenant-Governor Stevens, of Rhode Island, who owns a pound in Narragansett Bay, found menhaden more plentiful in 1871 than for many years before.* Mr. Joshua T. Dodge, of New Shoreham, R. I. (Block Island), writes that menbaden are very plenty, though they are scarce in particular seasons; 1873 was a very good year for them. The fish do not seem to be less numerous, but they are wilder than formerly. Captain Crandall is of the opinion that about Watch Hill, though still more numerous than other fish, they are considerably diminished in number by the use of seines. The catch of 25 drag-seines, owned in, that vicinity, was estimated for 1877 at 100 barrels. On the coast of Connecticut. 108. Captains Wilcox and Potter, of Mystic Bridge, Conn., think that there is no perceptible decrease in the numbers of bony fish on account of the fisheries, and that they are on the increase. They estimate the amount taken in the neighborhood (from Stonington to Poquannock) in 1873 at 6,500; in 1874 at 109,000 barrels. Captain Washington, of Mystic River, Conn., is unable to see any decrease of late years. Capt. S. G. Beebe, of Niantic, thinks that the fish are on the increase, and are more abundant than any other species. He estimates the number taken by Luce Brothers in 1873, three seines, 9,000,000; in 1872, four seines, 13,000,000; 1871, four seines, 17,000,000. At Saybrook, according to Mr. R. E. Ingham, there is no decrease, and the fish are more abundant than any others. It is the opinion of Mr. H. L. Dudley that there has been no actual decrease. The wears in the vicinity of New Haven have been as successful in 1877 as in any previous year. In 1871, when the Pine Island fishermen captured 10,000,000 they thought the climax had been reached, but in 1876 the quantity was increased to 18,000,000. The catch for seven years is approximately as follows: 1871... 1872 10, 000, 000 13, 000, 000 * Report of Commissioner of Fish and Fisheries, 1871-72, p. 19. 1873 1874.... 1875 1876... 1877.... 11, 000, 000 10, 000, 000 *12, 000, 000 18, 000, 000 14, 000, 000 In 1869, Miles Brothers, of Milford, Conn., are said to have taken 8,000,000 or 10,000,000 of fish; a season's catch which has not yet been exceeded, although their facilities for fishing have been greatly increased. A correspondent of the American Agriculturist wrote to that paper in 1873, that during the season of 1872 the factories between New Lon don and Stonington caught 40,800,000 fish, which yielded about 142,000 gallons of oil and 4,080 tons of scrap. The season of 1877 has been an eminently successful one for the fishermen of Long Island Sound. From Pine Island Mr. Dudley counted at one time 30 schools of fish. This year, however, the fishing has been most successful around and outside of Montauk Point. Gurdon S. Allyn & Co., with three seines worked from sloops took in 1877, 13,000,000 of fish, yielding 42,000 gallons of oil. Luce Brothers, of East Lyme, Conn., with one steamer and nine sloops, with 48 men, took in 1877, 3,800,000, fish producing 103,200 gallons of oil. There are eighteen weirs in the harbor of Westbrook, Conn., which take, according to Capt. J. L. Stokes, about 8,000 shad and 500,000 menhaden each, giving an annual yield of 141,000 shad and 9,000,000 menhaden. This is probably rather an overestimate. The Westbrook weirs have leaders of 250 to 500 fathoms, and are managed by four men each. The menhaden taken in them are sold to farmers. The following are the returns of George Staunard & Co.'s pound at the mouth of the Connecticut: Captain Stokes, with a shore-seine of about 400 fathoms, took during the season of 1877 about 1,000,000 menhaden, which were chiefly sold to farmers at $1.25 the thousand. Mr. Miles, of Milford, Conn., states that there are no fish in the waters of the western part of Long Island Sound to be compared in numbers *In 1875 the steamer was first used by the Quinnipiac Fertilizer Company. with the whitefish, and that so far from being diminished by capture they appear to be on the increase. The men in the employ of the George W. Miles Company, took 12,000,000 fish in 1873, 10,000,000 in 1872, 8,000,000 in 1871, and 8,000,000 in 1870. Mr. F. Lillingston, of Stratford, states that the propotionate abundance of whitefish to any other species is about 1,000 to 1. About 5,000 barrels are taken each year. Fishing has no effect on their numbers, though previous to 1874 they were growing scarce close to the shore. On the coast of New York. 109. In the eastern district of Long Island, according to Captain Sisson, the mossbunkers are, and seem likely to be, the most numerous species. He estimates that the number taken by purse-nets in 1873 was 50,000,000, by other nets 10,000,000. Captain Sisson. Mr. Joseph D. Parsons, of Springs, Suffolk County, New York, esti mates the total catch of 1877 at 150,000,000 of fish; 1,150,000 of these he credits to the 50 pounds and traps. During the three months ending June 30, 1872, there were 20,000,000 of menhaden caught in Gardiner's and Peconic Bays. These fish were rendered into 14,400 gallons of oil and 1,500 tons of guano, and yielded $80,000. The business of the year it is stated will be a failure. In 1871 the receipts of the season amounted to $156,000.* New York papers of August, 1872, stated that during the two weeks ending on the 17th of the mouth, the waters of Long Island Sound swarmed with menhaden. One fishing company took 1,300,000, realizing $1 per thousand; another took 3,000,000. One company had rendered 5,000,000 into oil and guano during the season, not running to its full capacity. The price of the fish, formerly 60 cents per hundred, had been reduced to $1 per thousand; yet the fishermen asserted that they could make money at the latter rate if they could sell their whole catch, but only one-third had been taken by the factories. During 1871 24,520,000 menhaden were taken in the Eastern Long Island Bays. In less than one week, in 1872, six companies took 1,650,000. The "Cove Company" was said to have surrounded with its nets 1,000,000 at a time, but through a fault of the nets only 400,000 were taken. One of the pound nets became so full that the crew could not haul it, and the fish succeeded in breaking it loose from the stakes; it was afterward washed up on the bar. By actual count it contained over 800,000. In two weeks, in 1872, the seines took over 2,000,000. The two steamers and three sloop-yachts of Hawkins Brothers, Jamesport, N. Y., took in the season of 1877 29,500,000 fish, yielding 82,350 gallons of oil and 3,275 tons of scrap, about one-half of which was dried fresh from the presses. The two sloop-yachts of William Y. Fithian & Co., Napeague, N. Y., *Public Ledger, Philadelphia, July 17, 1872. seined in 1877 10,500,000 fish, which yielded 24,000 gallons of oil and 1,300 tons of scrap. The Sterling Company of Greenport, N. Y., took in 1877, with three seine-yachts and six lighters, 14,449,000 fish. The steamers often make wonderful captures. The "Cambria," Capt. Lorenzo Tallman, is, I am informed, one of the most successful, fishing chiefly outside of Montauk. In 1876 this steamer was brought to the factory, loaded to the water's edge, thirty-six days in succession. In 1876 the "William Spicer " captured 729,300 fish in five days. Review of the fisheries of New England since 1875, by Mr. D. T. Church. 110. Mr. D. T. Church, who is recognized to be one of the leading spirits in the menhaden fisheries, gives the following estimate of the success of the fisheries for three years past: "1875 was a successful year; so was 1876. The year 1877 from New York to Cape Cod was the best since 1870. North of Cape Cod it was the worst since 1865. There was plenty of fish but no oil. J. Church & Co. caught, in 1876, 200,000 barrels and made over 620,000 gallons of oil. During the year 1877 they caught 183,000 barrels, and only made little over 300,000 gallons of oil. A fish called baracouta drove the menhaden from their usual feeding grounds, and were absent until they (the baracouta) disappeared; they then put in an appearance, but too late for the factories to do much. The first taken during the summer of 1877 in Maine were from the waters of bays and rivers, and they were less than one-half as fat as they were the year before, when we took them 10 to 15 miles at sea. "The fishermen usually steam square out to sea, and for the last ten years have found immense beds of them, and apparently inexhaustible amounts, 3 to 4 miles off shore, and generally after about the middle of July they get fat. This year the fat sea-fish could not be found at sea. "About September 10, the baracoutas left and then they suddenly made their appearance off Portland and vicinity, and at one time the bay between Cape Elizabeth and Wood Island was packed full of the largest and fattest fish that was ever seen on this coast. Our fleet were in the midst of the schools part of two days. A storm came on, and after it was over, they were gone and were not seen afterward. It was about the 1st of October." The baracouta referred to by Mr. Church is doubtless the tunny or horse-mackerel. Review of the fisheries of Long Island Sound since 1870, by Mr. G. W. Miles. 111. Mr. George W. Miles, of Milford, Conn., for fifteen years engaged in the menhaden fisheries, writes: "We cannot perceive any diminution in numbers or quantity, but we |