BULLETIN OF THE UNITED STATES FISH COMMISSION. 69 



chitin from crustaceans, very young plants of Fucus, besides many 

 other objects which might be identified. So that the organic matter is 

 abundant. The Diatoms are most plentiful and constitute possibly one- 

 tenth of the whole amount of the substance. Dr. Kidder has made 

 some preliminary chemical tests upon which he will doubtless report." 



Notes upon fish and other objects on Cape Cod. — Under date 

 of October 31, 1884, Mr. Vinal N. Edwards, who had just made a tour 

 along the shore, reports the traps of North Truro, Mass., full of her- 

 ring, constituting the largest run for many years. Some tautog, king- 

 tish, butterfish, aud pollock were also taken. There were also some small 

 mackerel, but very few-large ones taken. Most every day one or more 

 puffing-pigs were taken and tried for oil. Oue man has had over a hun- 

 dred of the common kind this fall.. 



At Nausett light there is a shell fish * coming ashore quite plentifully. 

 A keeper says he has taken up at one time a bucketful of live ones 

 immediately after a gale. Some samples will be sent to Washington. 



From Nausett Harbor to Truro, and even further north, a kind of 

 moss,t which the people call "ooze," has been coming ashore. It ex- 

 tends about 200 yards into the ocean. In May the water begins to grow 

 red with this ooze, which grows thicker and thicker until the middle of 

 November, when it disappears altogether. The color when it comes 

 ashore is scarlet, and when dry on beach its color is green. When put 

 in alcohol it becomes colored like the sand dollar. 



The proper model for fishing vessels. — Captain Collins has 

 for some time been urging a change of the model of American fishing 

 vessels. The most important feature is indicated in his note in the Cape 

 Ann Advertiser of May 19, 1882, as follows : 



u All evidence goes to prove that in the open ocean, especially where 

 strong winds and rough seas are to be encountered, deep-bodied vessels 

 are much more rapid than shallow ones. Nor does this depend so much 

 on the vessel carrying a great amount of sail as it does on her ability to 

 keep on her course and make headway under short canvas when one of 

 less depth, though of broader beam, must heave to and drift to lee- 

 ward." 



These statements have been verified in a very interesting way the past 

 summer by the Gloucester vessels sent to Iceland on halibut voyages, 

 where they came in contact with English smacks. Capt. George W. 

 Pendleton, master of schooner Alice M. Williams, which is one of the 

 best Gloucester vessels, reported that on the day he sailed from Iceland 

 he encountered a gale and was obliged to heave to under double-reefed 

 foresail when some 40 miles off land. Soon after he heaved to he was 



* Identified as Ceronia arctata (Con. ) H. aud A. Adams. Gould, Iuv. Mass., II, \>. 80, 

 1870. Verrill, Iuv. V. S., p. 679, 1874. . Rathbuu, Proc. N. M., Ill, 1880, p. 128. 



t Identified by Prof. W. G. Fallow as the sea-weed Ectocarpus, aud probably of the 

 species siliculo8U8 which is common on the Massachusetts coast. 



