144 BULLETIN OF Till-] UNIT]:!) .STATES ITttll COMMISSION. 



as if it Lad struck upon a lock. At tlic time tbey were almost becalmed. 

 On lookiuy: over the vessers side a large swordfisli was seen, -whicli 

 lepeatedly struck the vessel Avitli great force. A boat was quickly 

 manned, and a harpoon soon finished the fisli. On taking- it on board 

 it was found that the entire sword was gone, taking- away the ui)per 

 jaw and both eyes. The fish weighed 300 pounds. 



"On arriving at Gloucester the Volunteer went on the marine rail- 

 way, when the work of the swordfish was soon found. Six feet from 

 the stem, near the top of the keel, within a space of 10 inches by G, the 

 sword had i^enetrated and broken off four times, even with the face of 

 the keel, four pieces of the sword being deeply imbedded in the wood. 

 The carpenters dug out one small piece, but the others are still im- 

 bedded in tlie keel. The distance between the centers of the two ex- 

 treme holes is just 10 inches. That a swordfish should repeatedly run 

 its broken sword into the keel of a vessel seems very strange, but such 

 is the fact." 



Geowth of cakp. — Mr. J. Luther Bowers, writing from Berry ville, 

 Va., August 13, 18SG, states that he received from the U. S. Fish Com- 

 mission some carp weighing about 1 ounce apiece, on March 25, last, 

 and that on August 12 he caught six of them, which together weighed 

 10 pounds, being an average of 26| ounces to each fish. The time from 

 being placed in the pond to being caught was one hundred and thirty- 

 nine days, and as they averaged an increase of 25§ ounces, each fisli 

 must have gained on the average 1 ounce in about five and one-half 

 days. These carp on being eaten Avere found to be of excellent flavor. 



Success with thout and salmon. — Dr. C. 11. Balrbour writes from 

 liutland, Vt., on Sei)tember 15, 1SS6, saying: "The lake that I stocked 

 with 800,000 trout and 20,000 landlocked salmon which I received from 

 the U. S. Fish Commission, is a success. Salmon are taken there Aveigh- 

 iug G'l i)oands." 



Gaff-topsail catfisu taken in jSTaiiiiag ansett Bay. — Mr. George 

 A. Lewis, writiiig from Wickford, 11. L, August 31, 188G, says: "There 

 havo, been thus far three gaff-topsail catfish caught near here this sea- 

 son. They Avere about 15 inches long, and agreed Avith the description 

 and plate given in the quarto History of Aquatic Animals, by lueans 

 of Avhich they were identified." 



Poisonous effects of sewage on fish. — Messrs. C. Weigett, O. 

 Sacre, and L, Schwab have investigated the effects on fisheries and fish- 

 culture of sewage and industrial Avaste Avaters, and find them A'ery 

 damaging. Chloride of lime, 0.04 to 0.005 per cent chlorine, exerted an 

 immediately deadly action upon tench, Avhile trout and salmon i)erished 

 in the presence of 0.0008 per cent of chlorine. One per cent of hydro- 

 i-hloric acid kills tench and trout. Iron and alum act as specific poisons 

 upon fishes. Solution of caustic lime has an exceedingly violent effect 

 upon them. Sodium sulphide, 0.1 per cent Avas endured by tench foi' 

 30 minutes. [Popular Science IMonthly, Scpteiuber, 1S8G, p. 719]. 



