BULLETIN OF THE UNITED STATES FISH COMMISSION. 381 



winter. The water gets pretty warm in them in summer and a good 

 deal of vegetable matter is produced in them, which I think would be 

 well adapted for the growth of these fish. I have raised the gold fish 

 or golden carp in one of them somewhat successfully. Being desirous 

 of trying the German carp, I shall feel greatly indebted to you if I could 

 get a few pairs through your kind instrumentality. 



P. S. — If you would like a specimen of our Ontario salmon in the gravid 

 state, I shall be greatly pleased to forward one or more to you. I can 

 only promise you two females from the causes mentioned herein. 

 Should you also like to have one of the lacerated^ emaciated specimens of 

 " Canadian Californias," I will send it also. 



FISHERY IVOTES FROm OI^OIJCFSTER, mASSAGIIUSETTS. 



BY S. J. MARTIN. 



[From a letter to Prof. S. F. Baird.] 



The net fishing is almost done for this winter. There are only three 

 boats fishing with nets. Those that have nets are doing well, and those 

 who have lost them in the storm will not get any more this winter, as 

 the time is getting short for net fishing. The nets which the boats had 

 in the first part of the winter are used up. Nets will not last more than 

 three months when they are down all the time; if they were taken up 

 every morning, as they are in Norway, they would last two winters. 



"We have no news from the four missing vessels — schooner Edith M. 

 Pew, Captain Corliss; schooner Paul Eevere, Captain Bently (these 

 two vessels were haddocking); schooner Bessie W. Somes, Captain 

 Wright, one of the halibut catchers ; schooner Charles Carroll, one of 

 the vessels that went to George's. These four vessels are given up as 

 lost ; they had 51 men. I hope that is all. The halibut catchers have 

 done poorly. The last three vessels that came in did very well ; they 

 got 40,000 pounds each. The George's vessels bring in small fares. 

 The fish so far on George's are very large — the largest that have been 

 caught for eight years. There are no school fish yet. Herring are 

 abundant — five loads are in the harbor, selling at 75 cents a hundred. 

 All the Newfoundland vessels are home; they all brought full loads. 

 The three fish* mentioned were caught in a cod gill-net in Ipswich Bay. 

 They were busters — three female fish with no spawn in them. 



I have not much news to write. The fishing business looks well for 

 Gloucester the coming year. Very few fish or mackerel in the market. 



Gloucestee, Mass., February 27, 1882. 



*Copy of extract (from neiospaper) accompamjing Captain Martin's letter. — " Three main- 

 moth codfish were landed at Rockport last week by schooner Alabama, weighing re- 

 spectively 97, 93, and 70 pounds." 



