National Republican., 1875-12-30
rHE rororAc Y1sHERrEs.
Report Of Or. Chapman on Fish and Fish
Culture.

1epoft u III. VAkpnkn On Eltn ana El1n
Culture.
At the meeting Of the Marylapd Academy Of
Science in Baltimore, Tuesday, the report Of tbs
section Of ichthyology for the year 1870 Of which
Dr.. Peason Chapman, jr., is chairman, was read
BY the corresponding secretary. The report,
which was yoluminous, was full Of matter OF in
terest to the people dwelling on the banks OF the
Potomac. Sd
Speaking Of shad, the report says that the
during he month MAY snd more
the latter half, when the water is not so much
disturbed By ffeshets and the temperature is from
hard, graveliy bottom. where there Is . current.
After the close Of the spawning season, or from
gradually to the Ocean. ~ During August sta snd % Sen.
tenber the yyung fsh, three or four inches In
length, may BE seen along the shores on their
weighs nom three 70 twelve pounds, according 70
1000 and locality. Inc egg Is Matched in from
three 70 S ten dsys, according to the heat Of the
emptiea into the middle of the stream from the
hstchipg- box, and instinct teaches them to guard
danger is at this time and herein consists the su-
periority Of the artificial process, BY guarding
them from the rsvages of hsh that prey upon
river, once the favorte spawning ground for shad,
and where less than forty years ago twenty thous.
have since been Abandoned By them, By re- reason of
overhshing. Tho use OF the
GILL NETS,
the bottom Of the river, formerly clean and hard,
being covered with deposit Of mud, from the
action Of great freshets in the streams. But the
main cause Of the destruction Of the shad and
herring fisheries IN localities of the Potomac is the
use Of the gin seines: The dragging Of these over
excessive fishing practiced by those engaged in
this employment. Besides the destruction OF the
and down the river that they have no opportantyy NJ
to deposit their spawn. The gillers and the fire.
Quent washing OF mud into the river have nearly
OF the Potomac, the fisheries now being nearer its
mouth. If legislation fs not applied soon to re-
stricops upon the use Of gin nets the sheries Of
the whole river will soon be destroyed, and our
State be deprived Of this source of wealth.
The habits Of shad and herring are dificult to
very uncertain. The muddy water prevailing last
spring caused anearly general failure in the Po-
tomAc.
THE HERRING
is not SO fsstidious as the shad in selecting spawn
water, even If not hard bottom. The herring
lwaysspawns In fresh water. Twenty years ago
q treshet Of nearly years duration prevailed in
this vicinity. and consequently the brackish
water extended much higher up the river than
usually, and the lower fishing shores were fall
the iish attending the stream above the line Of
salt water to spawn. The lower shores that sea-
son caught great numbers Of alewives, bug hsh,
only in salt water. During the past iftY years
the mountain streams feeding the Potomac have
diminished in power from the denudation Of
forest land, and the supply OF fresh water being
lesseped, the salt water has replaced IT, and thus
the formerly profitable shores Of the lower Poto-
mac have been abandoned for those higher mp.
The probability fs that in course Of time, as the
supply OF fresh water dtminlshes, the water Of
the ocean win take its place, until the herring
alewives or other fsh will The herring fishery
will then, Of course, be destroyed in some locali
ties This would Indicate that it may be useless
n q Agh IA haua
never existed there, for apart from the cause of
excessive fishing, fish viii leave water that is not
adapted to their condition and seek some othe=
locality.
HERRING BRRE1IHG.
In reference to the new mode Of catching her.
ring BY the weir, the report says that this If not
regulated IN length BY law, will do more harm to
bned. If its use is persisted in 1t will drive the
hsh away from our waters entirely. While so
the shad and salmon, SO, Within the last twenty
years, 1t seems strange no attention has been
given to the artificial breeding Of herring. 1t
our wealth, but the supply of mack erel cod blue
fish, haddock, trout, &C., that feed on the herring
wsuld return to our waters. These larger fish,
large numbers at the mouths of our rivers when
the young herring are making their exit. Her.
ring are more prolific than shad, and more hardy
in their young state. Our efficient commissioner
from the western shore has done much for the
fisheries Of the State thus far, having put over
lour mllllon oil young snaQ In the Potomac, Sue-
quehanna and other rivers; consequently, we
must expect increase Of shad In these rivers in
the course of three or four years
In connection with the report was read letter
from Mr.. Pearson Chapman, ST., q resident Of
the lower Potomac who brings an experience Of
fifty years In watching the habits Of fish to cor
roberate fully the theory Of the members OF the
section oficthyology in the matter of excessive
fishing, and also the use of the gill-net. The
latter, he holds catch only shad, while the seine
lets, which follow the shad or herring TO prey
upon the eggs and young fish. He refers also 70
the destruction of the spawn by the dragging Of
the sinkers Of the gill-nets on the bottom Of the
river, and dwells at some length upon the i'm
portance to the State Of an.effort to hatch the
spawn Of herring as we'll as shad, artihcialy; for
while the "shad is the rich mans luxury, the
herring is the poor mans living"