408 BULLETIN OF THE UNITED STATES FISH COMMISSION. 



out. I have asked two of the vessels to save some mackerel food, &c. 

 On our visit to Kettle Island trap, Saturday forenoon, we saw a few 

 barrels of large mackerel — 'No. 1. Measured one mackerel, 18^ inches 

 long. Major Low informs me that in 1860 lie measured a mackerel 

 22J inches long.— July 27, 1880. 



Hatching monk-fish. — On July 15 we found a string of monk-fish 

 spawn (30 feet long) under our wharf clinging to the piles. We pre- 

 served some in alcohol, as in the large jar, with label i)roperly marked. 

 We placed a portion of the spawn in one of the Chester hatching-boxes 

 and moored it alongside the wharf, where we watched the development 

 from day to day. The eggs gradually separated from the jelly-like sub- 

 stance that had held them together, and on July 19 began to show the 

 shape of fish. July 22 we found the fish alive in the condition pre- 

 served in the small vial sent. One week was taken for the hatching. 

 July 27 we took some from the box and noticed that the yelk-sac was 

 absorbed on a few of them. I send a bottle of them as found July 29, 

 when they were lively and swimming near the surface of the water. — 

 July 30, 1880. 



Haddock. — Schooner H. A. Duncan, twelve men, 87 tons, belonging 

 to George Steele, fully equipped and ready with ice and crew aboard, 

 is to start to-day on a haddock trawling trip. — September 18, 1880. 



Eesulis of storm. — The recent gale did some damage to the Glou- 

 cester fleet, and several vessels arrived yesterday disabled. One banker 

 was towed into Portland with both masts gone. The captain of the 

 schooner Laura Sayward reports that while at anchor on George's he 

 saw two men drifting by on a piece of wreck. He cut the cable and 

 was able to rescue the men, when it was too rough to lower a boat. 

 One man has been reported washed overboard from schooner Frederick 



Geering while the vessel was scudding under bare i)oles September 13, 



1880. 



Mackerel. — The schooner Victor has arrived from Grand Bank. 

 While in Newfoundland for bait the crew had some trouble, coming to 

 blows with the natives. I am glad to say that the fleet is doing unusu- 

 ally well. Yesterday a mackerel seiner came in with 430 barrels. — 

 September 21, 1880. 



Trip to Greenland. — The schooner Mary E., Captain Madson, ar- 

 rived here yesterday from Greenland. He reports that the vessel left 

 Gloucester April 27; proceeded to Canso and completed crew; pro- 

 ceeded to Flemish Cap, reaching there May 27 ; staid there till June 28, 

 taking about 75,000 pounds of codfish ; left for Greenland ; encountered 

 only one field of ice, and this when some 100 miles from Flemish Cap; 

 reached Greenland July 12, and left August 31, reaching Gloucester 

 September 22. The vessel went as far north as Holsteinborg, fished 

 about 20 miles from the coast, and obtained about 80,000 pounds of 

 flitched halibut, making a total stock of about $6,000. Captain Madson 

 tells me that ho never saw the route to Greenland or the coast more 



