G88 REPORT OF COMMISSIONER OF FISH AND FISHERIES. 



coral, Primnoa lepadifera, a species of sea-fan, which grows about three 

 feet in height. It is occasionally met with in the fiords of Norway at a 

 depth of 300 fathoms, while fishermen have been said to find it on the 

 ground known as " Monhegan Falls", and a specimen two feet high, 

 from Saint George's Banks, is now in the Museum of the Peabody Acad- 

 emy of Science at Salem, Mass. Our efforts to find it were, however, 

 unavailing. 



We then ran out to Jeffrey's Bank, and trawled in 82 fathoms, bring- 

 ing up a fine Alecto or Coniatula, a near ally to the Crinoids. This was 

 the first specimen taken by the Fish Commission during the summer. 

 The head of another specimen was captured on Cash's Ledge. Near 

 Jeffrey's Bank, we also dredged in deep brown mud, at a depth of 107 

 fathoms, with a temperature of 39J°, Hyalonema, apparently interme- 

 diate between H. boreale of Loven and H. longissimum of Sars from 

 Northern Europe. This had previously been found off Casco Bay by 

 Professor Yerrill. Interesting sponges, allied to Holtenia, also occurred. 

 Everywhere on Jeffrey's Bank and Cash's Ledge the mud was reddish- 

 brown, and was possibly brought by currents from the Bay of Fundy. 

 This red mud probably extends as far west as the mouth of Kennebec 

 River. The mud about Jeffrey's Ledge and in Massachusetts Bay is of 

 the ordinary blue color. 



At noon of September 4 the sea became too rough to dredge, and we 

 ran into a harbor at George's Island, north of Monhegan, for shelter, 

 and on the succeeding day returned to Portland for repairs. 



On September 12 the Bache left Portland for a farther exploration of 

 Jeffrey's Bank, and on the loth a series of dredgings was made on each 

 side of the southern extremity of it, at depths of GO, 105, and 100 fathoms, 

 with excellent success. The weather appearing threatening, we ran 

 into Portsmouth. 



On the 16th we began to dredge on a line extending from Portsmouth to 

 Cash's Ledge. Stopping to dredge on either side of Jeffrey's Ledge, 

 we found, in a deep- mud-hole, 95 to 98 fathoms, fourteen miles S. E. J 

 E. of Boon Island light, with a temperature of 37£° and 41°,* living 

 ticliizaster fragilis, a beautiful sea-urchin; Molpadia oolitica, a sea-cu- 

 cumber, not previously recorded so far north on the coast of North Amer- 

 ica ; Macoma proximo, and Aporrhais occidentalism two shells rivaling in 

 size individuals dredged by the reporter in shallow water in Labrador ; 

 and tubes of Spioclicciopterus typicus Sars. This abyss, so near the shore, 

 afforded the lowest temperature found during the month's work. 



The results of the exploration on Cash's Ledge were extremely inter- 

 esting. At depths ranging from fifty to eighty fathoms, over a hard, 

 gravelly bottom, characterized by multitudes of Ascidia callosa, or sea- 

 potatoes, the richest assemblage of life was found that we met with in 



# The readings of both thermometers used are given, the lowest temperature, that 

 given by a new Casella-Miller thermometer from the Smithsonian Institution, and 

 probably nearly correct. 



