50 BULLETIN OF THE UNITED STATES FISH COMMISSION. 



day to "raise" fish, but without success. After making the moruiug 

 trial the schooner stood 27 miles west by south, and hove to in latitude 

 39^' 40' north, longtitude 71° 37' west. The last trial for the day was 

 made 20 miles west of the locality' last given, in latitude 39'^ 47' north, 

 longtitude 72° 04' west. 



During the day Captain Burnham saw flocks of sea geese {Phalaropes)', 

 gulls were fairly abundant, and occasionally a ganuet Avas noticed. 

 Shoals of porpoises were also seen, but no whales. While the birds 

 and porpoises are considered as indications of the presence of mack- 

 erel, Captain Burnham looks upon the absence of Avhales as quite 

 significant, since, he says, "in this locality, in spring, whales are almost 

 always seen where there are large bodies of mackerel.'' 



After making the last trial for the day, the Hereward headed in for 

 Eire Island, and between 3 and 4 o'clock on the morning of the 7th, 

 when some 18 to 20 miles from the land, the vessel ran through 5 or 6 

 schools of small fish which Captain Burnham thought Avere tinker mack- 

 erel of the size usually called "spikes." At that time the wind was 

 blowing strong from northwest, and the Hereward stood in under the 

 laud, and finally worked over to Sandy Hook lightship, which was 

 reached about 3 p. m. About sunset of the same day the wind mod- 

 erated, and during the night the schooner ran off southeast from the 

 Hook. On the morning of the 8th she hove to about 30 miles south- 

 east from the highlands of Neversink, where small mackerel — 8 to 9 

 inches in length — were tolled up, and about a half barrel caught on hook 

 and line. iN o large or medium-sized mackerel were noticed, even in the 

 water. 



There wjis a moderate to brisk breeze from southwest to south-pouth- 

 west during the day. After the morning trial mentioned above, Cap- 

 tain Burnham stood off shore on a southeast course until the vessel was 

 88 miles from the land. Attempts were made to "raise" mackerel at 

 intervals of 10 or 15 miles during the day, but without success. About 

 GO to 70 miles from the laud, sea birds were the most abundant, but be- 

 yond that limit few were seen. 



After making the last "trial" for fish for the day the Hereward ran 

 16 miles north-northeast, and hove to until the moon set, which was 

 about midnight ; after which she ran for Sandj^ Hook, a bright lookout 

 being kei)t for fish. When she was about 60 miles off the land, saw 

 scattering smallfish, which were thought to be " spikes." This was not far 

 from the locality where we saw small fish darting about on the morning 

 of November 5, when we were running for the Gulf Stream in the Alba- 

 tross. 



Though the Hereward ran through these fish for nearly an hour, they 

 were not seen in sufficient abundance to set the seine, even had they 

 been of larger size. As it was, they were too small to be of any use. 



Cai^tain Burnham spoke a New York pilot-boat, part of the crew of 

 which went on board the Hereward. In answer to inquiries, the pilots 



