BULLETIN OF THE UNITED STATES FISH COMMISSION. 419 



vessel fishermen, as well as to the American fleet that fished farther out. 

 The mackerel, Avhich is always a strange fish to understand in its 

 habits and migrations, has proved more so than ever during the i)ast 

 season, and for once has largely escaped capture. During all the month 

 mackerel have been reported more or less abundant in Massachusetts 

 and Barnstable Bays, yet seldom showing up in any considerable quan- 

 tity, and consequently the catches were mostly small, while the size 

 has generally been large and the quality good. During the month most 

 of the tishijig- vessels of Xew England arrived at home ports and hauled 

 up for the winter. As usual, Gloucester will have quite a fleet of reg- 

 istered vessels engaged in the frozen-herring business, and a much re- 

 duced fleet fishing on George's Bank and the fishing-grounds near home. 

 Boston and Provincetown will also have a reduced fleet engaged during 

 the winter in supplying the demand for fresh fish. The pollock catch about 

 Cape Ann in oSTovember is largely taken by the Gloucester fishermen in 

 gill-nets, fished near their homes. This season the fish have been scarce 

 and more widely scattered than in former years. They are found more 

 abundant than usual on Jeffrey's Bank, yet only a light catch was made. 

 The following catch by the Gloucester gill-net fishermen shows a great 

 decrease from that of one year ago : 



The receipts of codfish at Gloucester vary but little from those of the 

 corresponding month of 1885. Last year the catch during November 

 was mostly taken on George's and Brown's Banks, while during the 

 past month the receipts were largely from Western Bank, where fish of 

 good size and quality were found in abundance. 



The large fleet from Gloucester engaged in the halibut fishery supply 

 nearly all the fresh and smoked halibut used in the United States. Th,e 

 demand annually increases, while the fish are becoming scarcer, except 

 where they are found in any quantity in deep water of 200 to 400 

 fathoms, mostly on the Grand Bank and Banquereau. Eeceipts of 

 halibut the past month show some gain over those of i^ovember, 1885. 



Fishermen have had no cause to complain from want of bait. On 

 Western Bank plenty of squid have been found all the month. Masters 

 of vessels, knowing this, frequently sailed from home ports without bait, 

 catching all they needed on the banks. Young herring, locally known 

 as spirling, have been very abundant near Ipswich, Mass., and small or 

 half-sized herring have been moderately plentiful about Cape Ann and 

 Cape Cod, the catch being ample for all demands. 



