328 BULLETIN OF THE UNITED STATES FISH COMMISSION. 



generally used. The mother-of-pearl from the Gulf of California is white, 

 with bluish-black or yellow bands. The fisheries were carried on to 

 such an excess that the size of the shells decreased from year to year ; 

 fishing is therefore now permitted only every fourth year. The Cali- 

 fornia shells are sent almost exclusively to Hamburg, whence they go 

 to England, Austria, and France. The largest quantity goes to Paris, 

 but a great deal also to Frankfort on the Main. The entire California 

 fisheries are said to produce from 600,000 to 700,000 pounds of mother- 

 of-pearl per annum. In 1879 Costa Eica exported 3,540 pounds. In the 

 same year Panama sent pearls to the value of 126,000 crowns [833,768] 

 to the Xew York market. Guayaquil, in 1871, exported 13 to 14 tons of 

 mother-of-pearl. In the Bahamas the snail fisheries form an important 

 industry. The pearls found in them are rose-colored, yellow, or black; 

 the first mentioned alone possess any value. The market for these 

 pearls is Nassau, in the Bahamas ; and it frequently happens that a pearl 

 fetches as much as 400 crowns [$107.20J. The average annual yield is 

 180,000 crowns [$48,240]. In the State of Ohio pearl fisheries are car- 

 ried on in Little Miami Eiver. The season lasts from June till October. 

 Men and boys wade in the river and bring up the pearl-oysters with 

 their feet. The shells are opened with a knife ; and seldom are more 

 than 2 pearls found in 300 oysters. Pearl fisheries are also carried on 

 in the rivers of Norway, Bavaria, and Bohemia. 



100.-IVOTES OIV THE IVEIV EIVGLAIVD FISIIEKIES 1!V OCTOBER, 1SS6. 



By ^V. A. WILCOX. 



During most of the month the weather was favorable for fishing, the 

 exceptions being high winds that held mackerel seiners in the harbors 

 of Cape Breton a large part of the mouth, and a long storm oif the New 

 England coast the last week in the month. 



Codfish show an increase of 474,758 pounds in the amount lauded at 

 Gloucester over the corresponding month of last year, the receipts 

 being mostly from Western Bank. One year ago cod were very abun- 

 dant on George's Bank, but few if any were caught on Western Bank ; 

 this season affairs are reversed. For several mouths fish have been 

 reported scarce on George's and very plentiful on Western Bank. Off 

 the New England coast cod have been more abundant than of late years. 

 Many vessels engaged in cod-fishing could show a large amount of fish 

 caught during the year. Among others we notice that the schooner 

 Finance, of Gloucester, from October 2, 1885, to October 15, 1886, with 

 a crew of 11 men, including the master, has landed 600,000 pounds of 

 codfish and 20,000 pounds of halibut, most of the catch being taken on 

 George's and Brown's Banks. 



Vessels engaged iu the halibut fishery have found fish fairly plenti- 

 ful on Grand and Quereau Banks, Gloucester vessels having arrived 



