51. Probably 3 gallons. The greatest quantity of oil is obtained in and after the month of September.

52. Yes.

54. New York.

55. Virginia and North Carolina.

56. For tanning leather, painting, machines, &c.

58. Yes.

64. Statement of Henry Richardson, Cape Henry, February 9, 1874.

1. The "alewife," termed by some "bony fish."

2. These fish are more numerous than any other fish that inhabit these

waters.

3. During the last four years (the length of time I have been in charge of this station) there seems to be no diminution in the numbers of these fish.

6. These fish are caught as early as March, but the main body arrives about June and July. During these two months these fish are constantly passing the Virginia capes, entering the Chesapeake Bay. I have seen schools of these fish on calm days in the summer season, I should judge, about two miles long and perhaps one-fourth of a mile wide. 7. These fish swim high, or near the surface of the water, and their approach can easily be seen by the commotion they make. They ripple the water and also attract the attention of birds.

8. They work in the spring of the year from south to north. I do not know their subsequent movements after their entrance into the Chesa peake Bay.

9. I have never known these fish to fail to enter these capes during any season.

11. During the summer season they work in and out of the capes, working out with the ebb tide and working in again on the flood.

13. They swim in shoal as well as in deep water, and create a constant flipping on the surface.

14. In unusually cold weather they get benumbed, and sometimes wash on shore in great quantities.

16. The young fish commence coming about June, and average, I should think, about five inches long.

18. They follow the Atlantic coast and work south.

19. I have been informed that they winter around the Bahama Banks and the West India Islands.

20. Their flesh is very sweet early in spring and late in the fall of the year, but they are objectionable as food on account of the quantity of bones they possess.

31. In the summer season they become wormy. These worms have the appearance of a fine piece of red string about one inch long. I have pulled them out of the side of the fish, and the root or end of the worm in the flesh has the appearance of an eagle's claw.

34. A purse-net; although they are caught in large quantities frequently in the summer season with long seines. These seines are used for catching the more edible species of fish, and when "alewives" are caught by these seines they are left to rot on the shore.

· 42. These fish are caught about the entrance of the capes or in Chesapeake Bay, put on board of the small schooners employed in this business, and thence taken to the factories, where the oil of the fish is extracted and the refuse manufactured into fish guano or fertilizer.

43. At the present time there are no factories for the manufacture of fish-oil in this neighborhood. A factory for this purpose was in operation some two years ago, but it has since been consumed by fire.

58. There does not seem to be any diminution in the quantity of these fish, and thousands of bushels are annually destroyed on this coast by the seines used in catching the more edible fish that supply our markets. They might be used to good advantage in manuring the land in the surrounding country, but the difficulty of transporting them to lands used for agricultural purposes is so great that they are left on the beach

to rot.

65. Statement of C. G. Manning, Edenton, N. C., January 6, 1875.

I have the honor to acknowledge the receipt of your circular-letter under date of December 23, 1874, making inquiries relative to the fish known in our vicinity as fat-back or bug-fish, and in reply thereto I would state I have conversed with several of the leading fishermen on the Albemarle Sound and its tributaries, and they report very few of that class of fish caught during fishing season. Those which are caught are disposed of by being thrown in with the offal or refuse fish, afterward used upon their lands in a raw state as fertilizers.

The fishermen attribute the scarcity of that species of fish in the upper part of the sound to the freshness of the water. I have been unable to obtain any information from the lower part of the sound, where the water is brackish or salt.

1. Bug-fish.

2. They are very scarce.

3. Diminished.

66. Statement of A. W. Simpson, jr., Cape Hatteras, N. C., April 15, 1874.*

1. Fatback.

2. It is not found throughout the year. It makes its appearance in June and leaves in December.

3. It is not resident.

*The numbers of this communication refer to the general circular published in the first volume of the report of the Commissioner.

4. It is more abundant than any other fish that frequent the waters of North Carolina, say 5 to 3.

5. They have increased in abundance within the last ten years.

6. The supposed cause is that their enemies are not so numerous. 7. The amount or extent of the change in abundance cannot be ascer tained.

8. The greatest length to which this fish attains is about 16 inches. 9. The rate of growth per annum, &c., is not known by any one in the community, no attention being paid to it.

10. The sexes differ somewhat in shape and size; the male is as long but not so large as the female.

11. These fish generally come in to the shore on the northern coast, and run along the beach south, running into the different inlets. In the first of the season they may be seen, in moderate weather, five or six miles at sea in large schools, half a mile long and all along the coast, lying apparently at ease floating upon the surface of the water. This habit they indulge in until the latter part of October, when the bluefish or taylor arrives; then they seek protection in the surf near the beach, and are washed ashore by thousands. I might be safe in saying hundreds of thousands are washed ashore in one night or during one floodtide.

12. They continue to run south, or rather are driven by the taylors until December, after which only a very few are seen in the sound. 13. It is unknown to any one here where they spend the winter season. 14. The fish come near the shore upon their first arrival on the coast, but the main body does not come in until driven in by the taylors and dogfish about the first of November. The first are generally the smallest. I think they are continually on the coast from the time of their arrival to the time of their departure; but sometimes they are seen in larger quantities than others, say once to twice a week.

15. In some seasons the fish leave the shore in a body, and at different times during the season; but when they leave the coast for the south they go by degrees, commencing about the first of December.

16. The appearance of these fish in the sound, and at sea off the coast, is certain every season; but they only come near the seabeach when driven in by the taylor and dogfish.

17. The runs do not differ, except in quantity. Some seasons the runs are very large in October; but in November they are not so plentiful, and vice versa.

18. As far as my knowledge extends, both sexes come in together. The spawn is about two-thirds developed when they first arrive.

19. These fish never take the hook.

20. These fish never take the hook.

21. The schools of fish swim high in moderate weather, but in high winds and rough seas they run in deep water. Their arrival is sometimes known by the schools which are seen at sea, lying at ease appa

rently, with a continual flipping motion with the tail above water; this attracts thousands of birds.

22. They generally come on the beach on flood and drop off on ebb tide; they also run into inlets on the flood.

23. Spawn is sometimes seen when the fish are handled to any great extent.

24. The spawn is also seen around set-nets, when the fish force themselves through the meshes.

1

25. The fish are anadromous; they run up the fresh-water rivers for the purpose of spawning, and to "suck" (eat) the scum generally brought down by freshets.

26. They sometimes make several trips up the rivers, and returns in the sound, before going up to spawn; this is attributed to the number of freshets during a season. Some seasons they make no stay in the sounds, but go right up the rivers on their first arrival, and continue these visits until December.

27. See answer to question 26.

28. There is no difference in this respect as to sex or age known to

me.

29. The young fish are generally mixed up with the old ones when in large bodies or schools; but, as a general rule, the young are seen along the shores of rivers and sounds.

30. The favorite localities of these fish are varied as in other cases. In moderate weather they float high, in fact upon the very surface of the water, and feed upon the scum or mud which are afloat. They then select some place near a lead or tide way, but often shelter themselves behind a shoal or breaker where the current eddies; but in windy and rough weather they are constantly running.

31. They generally prefer the deepest water to school, as stated in answer 21.

32. There has been no difference observed, by me at least, as to the favorite temperature of the water, but they are more abundant when inside the sound in thick, milky-colored water.

33. These fish are not seen in schools after they are done spawning; but the general opinion is they are in schools when leaving the sounds and rivers, judging from the quantity taken or caught in set nets of a night. They are not seen at all in moderate weather, as described in answer 21.

34. They have no special friends; but the porpoise, the shark, the dogfish, and the taylor are special enemies of the old, and the crab, the eel, the perch, trout, and several other species of fish, of the young fish. 35. The fatback do not prey upon or eat any other species of fish during their stay in this section.

36. They suffer to a great extent from the attacks of other fish, but the amount is not exactly known. I think, however, I would be perfectly safe in saying that at least half are destroyed.

37. The nature of their food is mud from the fresh-water rivers, scum, &c., afloat on the water, and marine insects, which are found along shore and on the reefs in the sounds and rivers.

38. There are no special peculiarities in the manner of feeding these fish known, no attention having been paid to that particular.

39. Nor is it known what amount of food they consume. When taken, the stomach or pouch is generally full of mud, and they are very fat until they have spawned.

40. The sexes differ somewhat in color and shape during the breeding season, the male being of a pale-yellow and the female a bright-yellow color in respect to their fins and tails. The male is equally as long, but of a more straight shape. The edges of the females are generally tinted with bright-yellow specks.

41. There are no special or unusual habits of these fish during the spawning season known to me.

42. Lines and nets interfere somewhat with their progress up the rivers, but aside from this spawning is not interfered with to any great extent by lines and nets.

46. According to my views, from their movements and not from act ual knowledge, these fish deposit their spawn in the beds of the princi pal rivers-the Neuse, Tar, and Roanoke-about the last of November. 47. I can give no account of their process, &c.

48. The water is sometimes whitened by the milt and spawn.

49. They generally select the warmest places for spawning, but the exact temperature is not known; it varies from one to ten degrees, owing to the weather.

50. The eggs are laid in two to three fathoms of water, and supposed to lie on the bottom.

51. The spawn is of the size of a mustard-seed, and of a light-red color.

52. The number for each fish has not been ascertained.

53. Either for one season or for lifetime.

54. The eggs when spawned sink to the bottom, but whether they become attached to stones, grass, &c., I do not know.

55. It is unknown whether the fish heap up or construct any kind of nests of sand, gravel, or grass.

57. It is not known by any one on the coast when the eggs are hatched or in what period after they are laid.

62. They are never seen carrying them in their mouths or otherwise. 63. The crab, eel, perch, trout, and several other species of fish de stroy the spawn and the young fish. The parent fish never interferes with either.

64. The young of this fish are found in great abundance on the shores of rivers and sounds.

65. They appear to feed the same as the old ones, as described in answer 37.