J. PISCICULTURE AND THE FISHERIES. 387 



ployed was 376, of which 108 were employed in the mack- 

 erel-fishery. 



The most important item of the fisheries was that of the 

 Georges cod-fishery, producing ^1,021,000; next is the Banks 

 cod-fishery, valued at $998,000 ; while the Bank halibut- 

 fisheries were valued at $507,000. Caiye Ann Family Al- 

 manac, '_ 



CONNECTIOX OF METEOROLOGY AND HERRING-FISHERIES. 



For some years past the Meteorological Society of Scot- 

 land has been endeavoring to ascertain the connection, if any, 

 between the physical conditions of the atmosphere and the 

 water of the sea and the appearance of herring on the coast 

 of Scotland, this fishery being, as is well known, a very im- 

 portant interest in that country, and one employing a large 

 capital and many men. The results of their labors, after a 

 careful consideration of all the facts and conditions, may be 

 summed up in the proposition that the " take " of herring is 

 most abundant when and where the temperature of the sea 

 is lowest. It was found that the temperature of the sea for 

 the east coast of Scotland from the middle of August to the 

 close of the fishing season was continuously and considerably 

 hio-her in 1875 than in 1874 ; and that the catch of herrins: 

 was continuously and considerably lower during 1875 than 

 during the same period in 1874. When the temperature at 

 the surface of the sea was high, the fish were found in the 

 deeper parts of the watei', preferring the lower to the higher 

 temperature. 



When a thunder-storm has prevailed on any of the days 

 devoted to fishing, a good " take" of herrings may be expect- 

 ed, but on the following day few if any fish are caught on 

 that part of the coast, unless at the extreme verge of a deep 

 part of the sea, as if the fish were retreating thither. To set- 

 tle these points on a more definite basis, and to give greater 

 precision to their investigations, the Meteorological Society 

 of Scotland desires the fishermen generally to observe the 

 temperature of the sea at the surface and also at the dej^th at 

 which the fish strike the coast, the amount of trouble involved 

 in this being very incommensurate with the practical results 

 tliat promise to be obtained therefrom. By a somewhat sim- 

 ilar series of observations, prosecuted by Von Freeden, of 



