BULLETIN OF THE UNITED STATES FISH COMMISSION. 247 



time, the largest weigbiug 5 ponuds. Seeing a large number of fish at 

 the point where the water from the Blue Spring enters the Saint John's 

 Elver, we set the seine around them. The bass, however, jumped over 

 the cork line and none were taken. 



Some GOO catfish, measuring from 12 to 25 inches, were taken in the 

 net, and these were fish that could not readily be shaken out, as they 

 had become entangled i.i the meshes, the men in hauling the net having 

 endeavored to get rid of the same by shaking them out. The fish con- 

 gregate around the entrance to this spring in immense numbers, pos- 

 sibly attracted by the sulphur of its waters. At many j^oints on the 

 river large numbers of shad might be taken, but the present plenty of 

 gar and catfish in this river, judging from the experience obtained at 

 those points where special examination was made, would render it 

 almost impossible to fish for shad without having the nets destroyed 

 by these fish. 



We left Blue Spring on the 2Gth, and after leaving pilot at Palatka 

 proceeded down the river. Chief Boatswain's Mate Hanilen reports 

 that in the morning before sailing he could see the catfish in immense 

 numbers in the sulphur water just where the spring creek enters the 

 Saint John's. During the day spent at Sulphur Spring, while playing 

 two black bass that I had hooked on the rod at the mouth of Snake 

 Creek, a small alligator, apparently about 4 feet long, took hold of one 

 of the fish close alongside the boat, and before it could be frightened 

 away left the marks of its teeth on the fish. At S p. m., it becoming 

 very dark and blowing fresh from the northwest, we anchored for the 

 night ofl' Magnolia. 



On the 27th we proceeded down the river, and after a short stop at 

 Jacksonville reached its mouth in the afternoon. Having been informed 

 that large numbers of sheepshead were being taken in the neighborhood 

 of Saint Augustine in the Matauzas River, near Matanzas Inlet, we 

 sailed on the 28th for Saint Augustine, which we reached at 2 p. m. 



At Saint Augustine I learned from Mr. Alex. Iwanowski, an intel- 

 ligent river pilot, that we were a little early to procure ripe sheeps- 

 head, and that it was doubtful whether the Lookout could bo taken 

 through the Matanzas River. I learned from him that sheepshead 

 were taken a little later in the season in large quantities near the inlet, 

 both north and south of it; that numbers of channel bass and drum 

 could also be taken at this point. The water had been so abnormally 

 cold this season that the fish were late in coming to the inlet. It was 

 his opinion that spawning sheepshead could be readily iirocured in the 

 Matanzas River a little later in the season. 



The Lookout was ordered to return to Washington for service in the 

 waters of the Chesapeake Bay, at which point she arrived on April 19, 

 after having been detained by bad weather on the w^ay. 



As imperfect as the investigations of the shad fisheries of the southern 

 coast were, they satisfied me that Saint Mary's River should be selected 



