Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1875-12-29
Potomac shad aud Hcrriax.
REPoET or DR.. PEARSON oS PISA AND



OF Sciences IN Baltimore yesterday. tle cbr-
responding secretary read the report ~ me
Section OF lcbthyology lDr. Pearson Chap
report was quite yolumlnous ana enstains
much OF solid Interest % the paNn'e here
ao0uts. lie says Prof AgassiE's theory -
now believed 70 be Correct. that shaf and
herring always return 10 tie rls-e al tha|r
nativity and never wander Tar rnon the
mouths OF their native sireams bnt remain
~ I, tns ocean feeding untl LED by their To-
spawning season approaches. salmon are
also believed 10 remain near the n vers where
tley were matched AMI not N roam over
much extent Of The ocean, nor DO tiley go =
great depths Tor 1ood.
SMAD
attain their grow "a ma three or four years a
longer time than required by SalnOll. The
male returns 10 the spawning ground az one
year old, while the female remains In the
ocean until two years old. At three years
years Old they weigh about four pounds
They live from I've 10 ten or twelve yea~S-
The number OF eggs spawned by a flll-g rown
shad Is rom seventy % lightly thousand each
IN the Potomac is during the month % Nav,
and more particularly The latter half wbea
the water Is not SO much disturbed bv frost-
cts and The temperature is from rs % 20 de-
grees- The spawn Is deposited on a harf
graveliy bottom. where there l. a current
AFTER Tie close OF the spawning season. OF
from the middle OF MAY 10 the irst al JuIy.
they return gradually 10 the ocean. Durlns
August and Septcm Der the young fish. thrCe
or four inches IN length. may be seen along
the shores on their way Seswaris. Tao Shai,
when FUN grown, weighs from three -
twelve pounds, according 10 foot ana local
ity. The egg il Matched In from three 10 ten
days, According To the heat OF the water.
When hatcl ed arthclaily they are merely
emptled into the middle Of the stream from
The haicaing box, aud instinct teaches them
10 guard against dangers tlat attend them.
The greatest danger Is at t,gis time. and here
IN consists the superiority of the artificial
process, by guarding them from the rsyaseS
OF nsh that prey upon them at This are Ger
tain spots IN the Potomac river. once the "a
Norlte spawning ground FOR shad, and where
leSs man ioity years ago 3'A,0 have been
caught with one haul OF the seine, have since
been abandoned by them, by reason OF over
THE USE or THE Gill. NETS.
The bottom OF The river, formerly clean aud
hard, being covered with a depoSit of mud
from the action OF great freshcts in the
streams. But the main cause OF tie desiruc-
ton OF tie Sh8d ard herring fisheries in To-
calltieS OF the Potomac is the use OF the efu
seines. The dragging OF these over the ground
destroys the spawn, in addition % tue eNceS-
sive fishing practiced by those engaged IN,
This employment, Besides tue destruction OF
the spawn the gil nets follow the ash %
closely up and down the river they nave NJ
opportunity 10 deposit their spavyn. the
glilers and the frequent washing Of IN I'D into
The river have nearly driven tue shad ard
herring from the upper part OF the Potomac.
me nsneTleS now being nearer its mouth. III
legislation is rot applied soon to Restrictions
upon the use of glli nets, The fsheries 81 TIE
" hole river will soCn he destroyed and our
state be deprived OF this source OF wealth.
The habits Of shad and herring arr ltffcutt
10 account for, and the catch from year To
year IS very uncertain. The muddy water
prevailing last spring caused a nearly gem
eral iailurei in the Potomac.
THE HERRING
N DOT so iastidtOus as the shad in selecting
spawning groundi IL deposits the spawn in
deep, still water, even n not hard bottom.
The herring always Spawns in fresh water
twenty years ago a freshel OF nearly a years
duration prevailed In This vicinity and con-
sequently the brackish water extended mucn
hlgher up The river than usually, and the
lower fishing shores were a failure, while
lhose higher up the river did better-the rSh
ascending TIE stream above the line of salt
water 10 spawn. The lower shores that sea
son caught great numbers Of alewiveS bug
nSh, &c.-an unusual circumstance. Ale-
wives spawn only in salt water. Daring the
past hity years the mountain streams Iced
ing the Potomac have diminished in power
IRON The denudatiOn OF forest land, and the
supply OF fresh water being lessened. the salt
water las replaced 10, and thus the formerly
profitable shores Of the lower Potomac have
been abandoned for those higher up. The
=. obability is that i'm course OF Time as the
supply of fresh water diminishes, the water
OF The ocean VIII take its place, until The
herring will lot seek the river at al 60
spawn, but the alewiVeS or other FISH will
The herring fishery will then OF course be de-
strOyod in such localities. This would lndi-
cate that IL may be useless 10 attempt 10
stock river with FISH that have never ex-
listed there, for apart from the cause OF ex-
cessive nShlng, nsh viii leave water thai ~
rot adapted 10 their condition and seek some
other locality.
HERRING BREErING RECOMMENDED.
The report refers also 20 the new mode OF
catching herring by the wiel. This, n not
regulated IN length, by law, will do more
harm 10 the Potomac fisheries than an other
causes combined. II It's use is persisted in IL
viii drive the fiSh away from our waters
Ia rral HNsr.
paid 10 the culture of the shad and salmon,
&c, within the last twenty years, IL seems
strange no attention has been given 10 the
artificial breeding OF herring. IL would not
only be the means OF adding greatly TO our
wealth, but the supply OF mackeTel, col,
blue fish, paddock. trout, &C, that feed on
the herring, would return 10 our waters.
These larger fish also-the black bass, pick
erel, &c.-are seen in large numbers al the
mouths OF our rivers when the young herring
are making their exit Herring are more
prolific than shad, and more hardy IN their
young state.
Our efficient commissioner from the west
ern shore has done much for the fisheries OF
million Of Young sad IN i5e Poto oyeT s l2gI
quehanna and other rivers, consequently
we must expect an increase OF shad IA these
rivers in the course OF three or four years.
AN INTERESTING LETTER.
Appended 10 the report was letter from
MI Pearson Chapman, ST a resident OF the
neighborhood OF The lower Potomac, who
ing the habits of fish for period OF fifty
years. Mr.. Chapman cOrrOborates fully the
theory OF the members Of the Section OF Ic-
thyology IN the matter OF excessive fishing,
ana alSo TIE use OF the gil-ncL The latter,
he says. catch only shRd, while the seine
caicnes great quaEtities OF catfish, cells and
mulleis, which follow the Shad or herring,
10 prey upon the eggs and young FISH. He
re.ers also IN forcible terms To the deStruc-
non OF the spawn by the dragging OF the
slhkers OF the gill nets On the bottom OF tie
llVer. he dwells at some length upon tie
importance 10 the state OF an effort 10 hatch
the spawn OF herring as well as shad arfi-
nc ally; for while the ''shsd is the rich mans
luxury, Tie herring is the poor mans living.p
The Markets.
NV lnRK. Dec ~ =Tha Pr..l. franriaI n....l.