The evening times., 1895-11-21
fish IND 1AE FISHERIES
Interesting Facts in the Com
missionef's Annual Report.
DISTRIBUTION OF THE EGGS.
Studies of Marine Life Prosecuted. 1y
Scientists-Sense Organs Of the
Horseshoe Crab-Effort to- Develop
an Oyster Industry Worth Millions
to the United States.

lhcfe-iS IL great ueiii I'll futcEcStIuS mioI
nation in the report OF the late Commits
sioner of Fish and Fisheries, Mr.. Marshall
Mcdonald, which has recently been pub
lishcd.
In the singlc'year covered by II there were
furnished for distribution by the various
stations 1908 900 eggs. 165, ,235, 800
fry, and 1,4S6.117 adults and yearlings.
There were also other supplies furnished,
but lost in transit, among them being
1857 900, shad fry. and. 100000 pike
perch fry.
The largest distribution, taking eggs and
fry together, was Of white fish, 54,692 600,
with shad next at 45, 800 900, and then
pikepcreh at As, $50 900, cod at %, l 81 500,
quinnat salmon at $500 800, lobster at
S.s1s ,uOo, and lake herring at 6.5O5, 900.
Various kinds of trout, salmon, and bass
were prominent, and notable among the
adults and yearlings were catfish, carp,
tench, and IL ,5SS goldfish
At the Woods Hole laboratory studies
of marine life were prosecuted. DR.. Kel-
Iogg, for example. studied the early habits
OF the common scallop or pecten, and also
wrote a paper un tho, niorphology of
lamellibranchiatc moliusks; Prof. Herrick
continued his researches into the life
history -nf the lobster; Prof. Wilson observed
the development of sponges, and DR.. Patten
dwts1t Oh the sense. organs OF the horseshoe
crab. Indeed, many reports and papers were
published. The steanitrs Plover, Canvas
back, Blue Wing, Curiew. Cygnet, Shear
water, and Petrol were kept in good tOndi-
ton for the Fish Commissions work.
INDUSTRY WORTH MILLIONS.
Investigations OF the fur seal fisheries. OF
the other fisheries In waters contiguous
to Canada and the United States, and OF
oyster bets in Chesapeake Bay, at Calves
ton and 1T Sea Iale City were made. Those
of ProI. hhey AT Tue ii, Ter l.uinl were u..cu
by an annual appropria tion of s %, 900 year
by New Jersey for three years, and he ehopes
TO develop IN return an industry worth
millions through his experiments in oyster
culture. One OF Prof. Riley's conclusions
starts almost cpigrammatically: "Oys-
tiers are like potatoes; they will stay just
where you plant them. The only one of
their stages that is locomotive is the fry or
swimming stage" Dr.Bashford Dean sug-
gcsts that the degree of density of the
water is one OF the most important factors
influencing the spawning and fattcning OF
the oyster.
The studies OF Prof. Libbcy. in the Gram
pus, disclosed the return OF the tilefish.
which seemed TO have been exterminated in
1852 between Cape May and Nantucket,
and the Influence OF temperature both on the
disappearance and the temperance is
traced out. Hca
In New York and New Jersey pound nets
have come more into -usr. partly with the
result of fewer seincs. while many more
gill nets are found, due ta the development
of the sbad and sturgeon fisheries of the
Hudson ani the Delaware. There was
noted a general Increase of the fishing
/ insin Sfria in hos txy,, tat q ST fed
that the catch Of the following products,
others. has Increased: Acwivcs.
bluefis.i, hutterfish, catfish, ecls, founders
muliet sea bass. shad. squeteague. sturgeon
tomcod, lobstcrs, quahogs and oysters. The
following are taken in smaller quantities
than formerly: Cod, mackerel, menhaden.
soup, sheepshead, Spanish mackcrcl, striped
bass, soit CLANS, crabs and terrapin.
IMPORTANT INDUSTRY.
The mackercl, lobster and clam fisheries
of New England occupied much attention.
The number of vessels in the nackercl fleet
in 1892 was about 200. and the catch was
reported IL be abuGt 10000 barrels nf
fresh and IL 900 barrels of salt mackercl.
making 4 total value of about 81 100000.
Georges Bank continued tn be the chief re-
sort of the New England coast for the fleets
from Gloucester, Boston, Provincctown,
and other ports.
On the Pacific coast the fisheries form Il
most important industry. In S92 they en-
ployed in the three States uf California,
Oregon and Washington, 14,O45 persons
and property and capital valued IT $685.
664, with products of ] %, i 16, S5S pounds,
valued at 81 ,s26, 964. California shows
150.lT5 pounds of anchUvies, 326,S of
barracuda, 249,332 OF bnnito, 65.G6: of
carp and 31i ,662 of octopus and squid
among its returns.
In some years mcBliaden are enormously
abundant. Thus I'm 1850 four factories
alone on the Maine coast. valued at S21,-
900, and having a capital of $4,000,
utilized 3O2, 700 barrels, equivalent TO
nearly 80 ,00C ,0O0 fish. From these were
made 1,O59,OOO gallons OF oil. with a
market yalCe of 1864, go, and O,sS0 tons
of wet scrap or "chum," valued at S131,-
160. The fish were supplied by nine
steamers, carrying about 200 men, and
there were also 3O6 shore employees, to
whom S3S,G40 was paid in wages. The
following year tie catch fell off 90 per
cent
Red snappcrs wercvcry abundantOn CAM
peche bank, off Galveston. in 1893. Three
smacks were employed, and steam vessels
made trips TO bring off their catch. This
continued from early in the year to May 6,
and included 321 ,O56 pounds of red snap
pers with other fish bringing the total
OF 36T. sos pounds. Thesmacks weremanned
by from eight to twelve fishermen each.
The snappers generally weighed from three
totwcnty pounds, largconcs being numerous.
Tie fish were taken by hand lines, and as
many as 10000 pounds were caught i'll one
day by tie three smacks.
A full report, of course. is made on the
of fishes used for food.
So
u,N- r.