248 BULLETIN OF THE UNITED STATES FISH COMMISSION. 



as the basis of operatious during the next season, and that operations 

 may be carried on in this liver on a sufficient scale to warrant its being 

 occupied. No doubt- in ordinary seasons ripe shad will be taken on this 

 river early in March, and with a floating hatchery, such as the Fish 

 Hawk or the Lookout, equipped with gill-nets sucb as are now used in the 

 Saint Mary's Elver, and one or two haul seines, a large number of young- 

 fish can be produced before the season commences in the waters in the 

 immediate vicinity of Washington. 



The facilities for transporting the young fish to other rivers of the 

 South are ample, as the station may be located on the river within reach 

 of the crossing of the Jacksonville division of the Savannah, Florida, 

 and Western Railroad, and by the roads intersecting with the Fernan- 

 dina and Jacksonville Eailroad. 



An experimental station should be established on the Saint Mary's 

 River during the coming season, and it should be ready for operations 

 by the 1st of March. I would recommend, in addition, if Saint Mary's 

 is selected as the river for our future operations at the South, that large 

 numbers of young shad and herring be transported from the stations 

 near Washington and deposited in the Saint Mary's, in order to more 

 quickly increase the supply of shad in this river, and enable us to secure 

 the adult fish in larger numbers in tlie future. 



Washington, D. C, June 15, 1883. 



134.— XOTE ON THE 5JESTKUCTION OF MACKEKEBL, BSY i>©«FISH. 



By Capt. 3. W, COI.I.INS. 



Capt. Joseph Smith, of Gloucester, Mass., tells me that while off 

 Wood Island, Maine, in August, 1880, he observed what he supposed 

 to be at first a moderate-sized school of mackerel at the surface of the 

 water. On closer inspection, however, he found that only a small num- 

 ber were mackerel, probably not exceeding more thanhalf or three-fourths 

 of a barrel, and these were completely surrounded by an immense school 

 of dog-fish. The body of dogfish was formed in such a manner as to in- 

 close the mackerel on all sides and underneath, completely preventing 

 their escape. Captain Smith had an opportunity of observing the mack- 

 erel closely, and says that many of them, he noticed, were bitten by the 

 dogfish, some being deprived of their tails, and others having wounds 

 on their sides. He is of the opinion that every one of the mackerel 

 was ultimately eaten by the dogfish. It is probable, he thinks, that 

 at first a much larger body of mackerel was surrounded. The school 

 of dogfish he estimated to contain at least enough for one hundred 

 barrels. Another school of dogfish surrounding a small body of mack- 

 erel was seen on the same day. 



Washington, D. C, July 7, 1884. 



