ADDENDA 553 



Sand launce (Ammodytes americanus DeKay), p. ISM 



During December, January, and February of 1924-1925 the Fish Hawk towed 

 numbers of larval launce (identified by Mrs. C. J. Fish and K. A. Goflin of the 

 Bureau of Fisheries) near Provincetown and in Cape Cod Bay, evidence both that 

 this general region (when adults are abundant) is the site of considerable reproduc- 

 tion and that spawning commences as early as November in this part of the Gulf 

 of Maine. 



Swordfish (Xiphias gladius Linnaeus), p. 221 



A swordfish caught in the summer of 1921 by Capt. Irving King and landed at 

 the Boston Fish Pier weighed 915 pounds dressed — hence upwards of 1,000 pounds 

 alive (Fishing Gazette for September, 1921, p. 13). This is the heaviest swordfish 

 definitely recorded from the Gulf of Maine. The specimen was not measured, but 

 the sword being more than 5 feet, the total length of the fish must have approxi- 

 mated 15 feet. 



Pilotfish (Naucrates ductor Linnaeus), p. 229 



We saw a pilotfish about a foot long, freshly taken from a mackerel net, in 

 Provincetown Harbor, August, 1924, this being the third definite record for this 

 species in the Gulf of Maine. 



Tautog (Tautoga onitis Linnaeus), p. 286 



In August, 1924, we saw a number of small tautog seined on the sand beaches 

 around Provincetown Harbor, proving that they frequent sand bottom to some 

 extent north as well as south of Cape Cod. 



Bluemouth (Helicolenus dactylopterus, De la Roche) 



This scorpaenid, common in deep water in the Mediterranean, off Portugal, 

 and off Norway, has been reported by Goode and Bean (1S96, p. 523) at four sta- 

 tions along the continental edge abreast the Gulf of Maine and off southern New 

 England, between longitudes 69° 42' and 71° 02' W., in depths of 156 to 202 fathoms. 



It is very closely allied to Helicolenus maderensis (p. 313), which it so closely 

 resembles in general appearance, arrangement and forms of the fins, and in color, 

 that the description given above (p. 313) would apply equally to the bluemouth. 

 The cheek spines of the latter and the spines on the top of the head, however, are 

 described as much less prominent. Furthermore, according to available accounts 

 and illustrations (we have not seen either species), the black-bellied rosefish 

 (Helicolenus maderensis) has two conspicuous spines upon the upper part of the 

 opercular flap, which are either very small or lacking in the bluemouth (H. dacty- 

 lopterus) . 



In Goode and Bean's illustration (1896, fig. 244) and Jordan and Evermann's 

 account (1896-1900, p. 1837) of the bluemouth, the tip of the pectoral fin reaches 

 as far back as the origin of the anal, but as it falls considerably short of it in Scandi- 

 navian specimens (Smitt, Scandinavian fishes, p. 154, fig. 43), Smitt doubts 



