172 BULLETIN OF THE UNITED STATES FISH COMMISSION. 



in the weirs at Sand Point, Cape Cod. Small cod, from 8 to 20 inches 

 long, are plenty in the harbors. 

 Gloucester, Mass., May 20, 1883. 



There have been 62 arrivals here from the fishing-grounds during the 

 past week. Twenty-seventh came from George's Bank, averaging 25,000 

 pounds salt fish to a vessel; 5 from Grand Banks with fresh halibut, 

 averaging 30,000 to a vessel ; 8 with pollock, with an average of 40,000 

 pounds each ; and 14 from the shore grounds, with 20,000 pounds mixed 

 fish to a vessel. The pollock were all caught with seines about 5 miles 

 off Chatham. Last Friday (May 25) pollock were seen in schools on Mid- 

 dle Bank. I never before knew so many small pollock to be about as 

 there are this year; the harbors are full of them. Mackerel are work- 

 ing eastward fast; they have been off Chatham for the past ten days, 

 and are now in shoal water, which is something unusual. There were 

 100 sail of mackerel catchers off Chatham yesterday. Off Sandy Hook 

 the mackerel arc small ; here they are large. Ten vessels were in here 

 yesterday with torn seines. The traps at Harwich are full of pogies. 

 There appears to be something that keeps the bait out of Boston Bay. 

 Herring have been caught at Cape Cod during the past 3 weeks ; and 

 mackerel had been caught at Sand Point for the same length of time, 

 and a few have been caught here ; and some large ones were taken at 

 Kettle Island last night. The fishermen say that there is plenty of feed, 

 called "all-eyes," at Cape Cod, but none in Boston Bay. Mackerel have 

 been caught as far east as Cape Sable, N. S. Herring are abundant at 

 Magdalen Islands. Vessels which went to Cape North after cod are 

 doing well; and the George's fleet is having good success on the west- 

 ern part of George's Bank. There are many traps set this year; 14 are 

 at Kettle Island and Gloucester, and more are being prepared. 



Gloucester, Mass., May 27, 1883. 



The amount of fish landed here during the month of May was as fol- 

 lows : 105 arrivals from George's Bank, with 2,098,000 pounds of salt cod 

 and 08,550 pounds fresh halibut; 41 arrivals from Western Bank, with 

 1,840,000 pounds salt cod and 194,000 pounds fresh halibut; 20 arrivals 

 from Grand Banks, with 750,000 halibut; 18 arrivals with 357,000 

 pounds haddock ; 33 arrivals with shore fish. Of these last there were 

 252,000 pounds cod, 120,000 pounds hake, 118,000 pounds haddock, and 

 98,000 pounds cusk. There were 12 arrivals with salt pollock, a total 

 of 484,000 pounds. These were caught with seines off Chatham. Ten 

 vessels arrived with .'558 barrels of salt mackerel; these were taken in 

 weirs in the vicinity of Gloucester. Fifty barrels of fresh mackerel were 

 sold also. 



Gloucester, Mass., June 4, 1883. 



The mackerel fleet has returned from its southern cruise with poor 

 results. Three vessels which left here April 1st did not catch a mack- 

 erel. They were hard to catch. One vessel set a seine 74 times, and 



