BULLETIN OF THE UNITED STATES FISH COMMISSION. 449 



Vol. VI, I¥o. 29. Washing^ton, D. €. iTlar. 24, 1887. 



133 >OTES UPO.X FflSai A^lT© THE mSHERIES. 



[Extracted from the official coiTespondeuce and compiled by the editor.] 



Shipment of soles from England to New York, with gen- 

 eral NOTES ON SOLES. — The following matter was communicated by 

 Mr. E. G. Blackford, iu a letter dated New'York, Nos'ember 5, 1885, 

 and comprises information obtained from Mr. William Little, of 32 

 Scratton road, Southend, England, regarding the English soles. Mr. 

 Little is the fisherman who attended this shipment of soles, caught bj' 

 himself, from England to New York, which is referred to in the report 

 proper of the Fish Commission Report for 1885, page xxxvii. The state- 

 ment and notes are as follows : 



The soles were caught in what is known as the Swin, on the borders 

 of the North Sea, off Clackton. This locality is about 25 miles from the 

 Thames lliver and from 1 to 5 miles from the shore, with sandy bottom 

 and water from 3 to G fathoms deep. The fish, which were thought to be 

 about six months old, were captured with a beam-trawl of about 1-inch 

 mesh and about 27 score meshes to the beam. The vessel was a small try- 

 sail boat of about 14 tons, with a well, iu which the fish were placed as 

 soon as taken. Some of the fish had been in the well for several days be- 

 fore being ])laced in the cans. The soles were shipped at Havarick for 

 Liverpool, being distributed in thirteim cans and five tubs. The cans 

 held about 1 cwt. of water and the tubs about 2 cwts. each. The tubs 

 were built expressly for carrying fish, and had been used for that purpose 

 in sending fish to the Loudon market. The water used was of a temper- 

 ature of 43"^ F. The fish were ten hours on the road to Liverpool, where 

 they arrived in excellent condition. Those in the cans were here trans- 

 ferred to four large tubs, each holding about 4 cwts. of water, which had 

 been taken out at sea. These new tubs were rough, and had been 

 used for beer previously. The soles were put on board the Cunard 

 steamer Gallia, which sailed from Liverpool on Saturday, October 24, 

 1885, at noon. At 4 p. m., as soon as good clear water could be ob- 

 tained, the water was changed on the fish by allowing a stream from 

 the hose to flow gently into the tubs and overflow for a little time, care 

 being exercised not to disturb the fish much. The water was again 

 changed twice on Sunday, when the fish were still in good condition. 

 Late Sunday afternoon a storm came up, lasting all night and part of 

 the following day. For most of the time the storm was severe, and on 

 Monday morning many of the fish were found thrown out of the tubs 

 upon the deck, some of them being still alive. The motion of the w^ater 

 in the tubs must have been great, as most of the fish left in them were 

 dead, owing to the pounding they had received against the sides, most 

 Bull, F. C. 80 — -29 



