444 BULLETIN OF THE UNITED STATES FISH COMMISSION. 



314.— NOTI<:«§ OIV TOE FISHERIES OF OI.OUCE8TER, ITIASS. 



By S. J. MARTIIV. 



[From letters to Prof. S. F. Baird.] 



Summary. — Last week wituessed tbe largest receipt of fish at this 

 port for several years, the total amount of codfish lauded beiug 

 4,020,000, of which 3,080,000 pouuds was brought from Graud Banks. 

 One-balf of the fish from Grand Banks was brought by Nova Scotia 

 vessels. There were also lauded 212,000 pouuds of fresh halibut aud 

 12,565 barrels of mackerel, including 95G barrels from the bay of Saint 

 Lawrence. The 2G0 barrels of herring caught in nets and traps in the 

 harbor have been sold to the fishermen for bait. 



Mackerel. — Small mackerel are plenty on the eastern shore, and 

 extend from Mount Desert to Cape Sable in the Bay of Fundy and as 

 far up as Graud Manau. Large mackerel are scarce ou the New Eng- 

 land coast, the amount caught being about 5 barrels out of every 100 

 barrels. The remainder ranks as No. 2, No. 3, aud No. 4. They bring 

 a low price, and sold yesterday at $3.75 per barrel, with the large ones 

 iucluded in the lot. I hear trom tbe Bay of Saint Lawrence from thre« 

 to four times a week, and learn that the prospect for a large catch of 

 mackerel is good. On August 12 aud 13 the vessels made large hauls 

 off Souris, Prince Edward Island, one vessel catcbiug 400 barrels of 

 mackerel in two days. Mackerel are late in North Bay this summer, 

 owing to the length of time ice remaine<l in the bay. Tbe ice did not 

 leave the bay until June 2, and the mackerel would not enter until the 

 water became warm. I think tbe mackerel tbat have been seen at 

 Greeu Bay, close to tbe strait of Belle Isle, were driven that way by the 

 ice. The mackerel in the Bay of Saint Lawrence are very fat and 

 large. 



BluePish. — Yesterday, as schooner Phantom was on its way out 

 after mackerel, a school of fish was seen 3 miles from tbe mouth of 

 Gloucester Harbor. A seine was set and 136 bluefisb taken, which 

 were sold for $75. 



Hake. — Hake have been a failure this year, not enough being 

 caught to supi^ly the market. 



SwoRDFiSH. — Swordfish have been plentiful. Last week 2 boats 

 lauded 25 swordfish each, from Jeffries Bank, the UO aggregating 

 15,(>25 pounds, and sold at 5 cents per pound. On August 1 there 

 were 4 swordfish brougbt in, and sold at 10 cents per iwund. 



Gloucester, Mass., August 17, 1884. 



Codfish. — During the past week there have been eighty-seven ar- 

 rivals from tbe fisbing grounds, landing 1,878,000 iwands of salt cod- 

 fish, two-thirds of which was brought from Grand Banks. There were 



