Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1880-02-02
miscellaneous.
THE MENRADEy FlsHERY.

Among the most valuable papers in Sec
ton Il. was that Of Professor George
Brown Goode. OF Middletown. Conn.,, who
gave biography of the Menhaden. which
abounded in interesting facts and figures.
The principal points therein are rs fol-
lows:
He said that the herring family is rep
resented on the Atlantic coast Of the Unit
ed States by ten species. all on which swim
in immense schools. and several. such as
the sea-herring, shad and the various spe-
cies Of the river alewives are Of great eco-
nomical Importance. In abundance and
value these are all surpassed by the men,
haden. u fish of peculiar habits, concern
ing which little has been known and writ
ten. The menhaden has at least thirty
distinct popular names causing great con-
fusion. North Of Cape Cod It is called
the '.pogy." About Cape Cod il Is called
''hard-head' or ''hard head shad." and in
Eastern Connecticut ebony fish, lin West
crn Connecticut the "white fish," and In
New York the "mossbunkcr." At New
Jersey manufactures. where IT'S canned tor
food, it is called american sardine' and
ocean trout" In Summer menhaden
are found in the coast waters from Maine
to Florida in the Winter only south Of
Cape Hatteras. The results of the work
of nearly 200 observers show that the first
schools appear in Chesapeake Bay In
March and April. on the coast of New Jer-
sey in April and early May. ON the south
coast Of New England in late April and
May. and off Cape Ann about the middle
or May. Returning they leave Maine In
late September and October; Massachu-
setts in October, November and Decem-
ber; Long Island Sound in November and
December; Chesapeake Bay in December
and Cape IIatteras in January. A strange
fact is that their northern range has be-
come somewhat restricted within twenty.
five years. This year they have hardly
passed north Of Cape Cod. but on the fish
ing grounds of southern New ENGLAND
they are as abundant as ever. After the
appearance Of the vanguard they rapidly
increase in abundance until the sea ap-
pears to he alive with them. They de-
light to play in inlets and bays, and are
very fond of shallow waters protected
from the wind. Brackish water attracts
them and they are found at the mouths of
the streams. They swim in enormous
schools, their heads close to the surface,
packed side by side. and often tier above
tier, almost rs closely as sardines in
box.
At the slightest alarm the school sinks
toward the bottom, after escaping Its pur-
suers. Their motions are capriciOus; at
times they swim around and around In cir
cles. At other times they sink and rise.
On warm. still. sunny days they may al
ways be seen at the surface, but cold or
rainy weather and prevailing North or
East winds quickly cause them to disap-
pear.
The winter habitant of the menhaden,
like that of other cold water absentees, has
never been determined. The most plausi-
BILE hypothesis supposes that instead OF
migrating toward the tropics or hibernat-
ing near the shore, they swim out to sea
until they find stratum of water of favo:-
able temperature. The menhaden il BY
far the most abundant species on the east
coast Of the United States. Several hun
dred thousand are frequently taken in 4
single draft of a purse seine. The town
of Boothbay alone. in 1877. took 5O,OOO,.
600, but there is no evidence of any de-
crease. Their food probably consists in
large part Of the sediment which gathers
upon the bottom Of still. protected bays
and contains much organic matter. and
dlSO Oi tuc NcRctdtiOu tlSt kiOWo ia 5uCu
places. The breeding grounds are thought
to be on the off-shore shoals from Georges
Banks to Florida Keys. Every predaceous
animal which swims in the same waters
feeds on menhaden. whales and dolphins
consuming them by the hogshead. The
bluefish and the benito are their most de-
structive enemies, not even excepting
men, and rush through schools, killing
immense numbers besides what they eat.
Professor Geode estimated the total num-
Der of menhaden destroyed annually on
our coast by predaceous animals at mil
lion million Of millions.
The menhaden's place in nature is evil
IDENTIFY to be eaten. Man takes from the
water every year eight or nine hundred
millions Of these fish, weighing from 200.-
600 to 800. 900 tons and when he brings
upon his table bluefish, bonitoes. weakfish.
swordfish or bass, he has before him usual
ly menhaden flesh in another form. The
commercial Importance Of menhaden was
then dwelt upon, and the many uses to
which it is now applied were mentioned.
As a source Of oil, the menhaden Is more
| important than any other marine animal.
| Its annual yield usually exceeds that Of
the whale (from the American fisheries)
by about 2OO, 600 gallons. In the value Of
all the products. the menhaden fishery is
surpassed by three only-the cod fishery.
estimated in 1876 at -, ,826 900; the whale
fishery, s2.SjO, 900; the mackerel, g.
5000; the value Of the menhaden fish,