Middletown transcript., 1871-04-15
ilapulal' s,llistrllanu.
sOIETItyG ABOUT siiiD AND THE
DELAWARE rTsiiERIi;s.

All 'hst concerns the fisheries on the
Delaware is Of interest 10 a large class Of
persons who live along both banks nf the
river, aud everything written on die sub
ie,i is read with ayiii,y The lnte report
Of nrs. Howell and Slack, Commissioners
Of Fisheries of tho State Of New Jersey.
made to the Legislature Of that STATE, CON
laius a good deal OF information on the
i.h and fisheries Of ;ho n-.aware that Is
new to the general rcader. They have
examined The subject carefully aud thor
ongl,ly. and appear 10 b. weil acquainted
with il, The report commences with no.
ticiug when ihe migratory fishes from the
sea enter the Delaware. anl seek its clear,
1giek waters to aep9si, their spawn, and
% hnrsa ileir Yasas.
This usually occurs in the Delaware
river about ha nillle ii .s.arts... 'honph
IN very eailY ,.1sans a f5w make theirap.
psar.nee in tlip nfpar portion If Delaware
Bay during the month II February. These
migratory h.ies are the shad. herring
ruck-iish and sturgeon We have no Ger.
tain knowledge tl4t salmon ever frequent
ed The waters. they are mol known To have
hrcn found farther south than the Hudson
inasmucl as the waters Of the Delaware
would seem Ia Afford suitable habitat .ur
them. presenting the usual characteristics
Of salmon rivers, measures are about. he
ing tnken. nj the expense nj the commits.
sioncrs. 10 flaee in the Delaware near lis
hrai.watcr nnc Thousand young salmon.
Matched by the artificial process
In the report Of tia Commissioners Of
Fisheries ot Massachusetts, for 1870, the
manner in which shad and Alewiyes or
herring spawn has been aseertainci bg
direct observation. or the shaa it is
snil
.. Gathered ia close schaols the mules
aud females circle about, often with the
dorsal-f fine out Of water. suddenly, as if
hy mn electric shock, Tiny make dart
aud immediately clouds OF spawn und milt
are shot into the water. Where there is
only single pair Of shad they swim slowly
in circles. the male keeping his bend close
10 the prc,eral.i Tins Of the femaie.
The habits df herring during the pro.
cess Of spawning has likewise been OBJ
served with care. aud full aeeoun, there
Of Is - be found in the Massachusetts
Fisheries ropor, f9r 1867. As neither
shad nor herring are carniyerous. il las
not yet been determined whni they live
on. The s,omachs Of the icr0ier, caught
hundred miles ur tie river. have been
found filled with the half aiges,ed frae-
mcnis Of wcll.knnwn mariDc-a aquatic
pla,u found along the coast while from
the tiomachs Of those caught below Phil.
aaelrhia, has been taken soft unknown
substance Oh the rock or striped bass,
which are captured in the Delaware in
immense numbers. the Commis sioners say
Of them aud their spawning:
- The rock fish or striped bass are cap
iured in the Delaware IN immense num-
bers. At Milford. thir,y-iye miles above
Trenton. thousands have been captured
during the past season by the illegal
method Of brush damming the river, n
1agrunt violation of our river.lnws which
We hope will no. be repeated The fish
here captured were small, few having
been taken Of over four pounds weight,
though in the lower Delaware they attain
mn enormous size one captured nt How
ellis few years since having attained thr
enormous weight of eighty pounds. They
spawn IN tidal creeks near the mouth Of
the river during the late spring or early
summer months; they have been found in
tho month Of juno distcndcd with spawn
not yet ripe. They are taken at all sea-
sons Of the year, and il is strange and
unexplained fact. that they are now
(January y being captured on the New
Jersey const Of the same size as those
taken in early spring. II was formerly
believed that this iish ascendcd our rivers
for the purpose Of dcpositing It's spawn. but
II is now ascertaincd that its object il
solely to obtain fuod, rhich Is afforded in