BULLETIN OF THE UNITED STATES FISH COMMISSION. 91 



1884], one of our boys captured a halibut, weighing G5 pounds. T never 

 heard before of their going into fresh water." 



Riverhead is situated at the head of Little Peconic Bay, aud the 

 waters are shoal and not very salt near the village. The river is en- 

 tirely fresh -water, and falls over a mill dam not over 300 feet from the 

 bay. The halibut was taken by a fifteen-year-old boy with an eel-spear, 

 between the mill dam and the bay. 



Blackfish eggs impregnated. — Writing from Charleston, S. C, 

 under date of March 25, 1880, Mr. B. E. Earll reported : 



"This morning while at the fish- wharves I discovered that nearly all 

 of the 'blackfish' (Centropristris atrarius) were thoroughly ripe, and 

 eggs running from fully 50 per cent, of the females when handled. I 

 took a number of thousand aud impregnated them. They sink readily 

 in salt water, and have a diameter of one twenty-seventh of an inch. I 

 have saved some in alcohol and glycerine. Many of the other species 

 are well advanced, and will spawn in two or three weeks at most. I 

 shall try to get a full series of ovaries in alcohol for future examination." 



Capture of blackfish. — About 3 o'clock in the afternoon of Sat- 

 urday, November 15, 1884, a school of blackfish (GlobiocejyJialvs melas), 

 was announced at Provincetown, Mass., as being present in the bay. 

 Immediately a large force of men, in sail and row boats, went in pursuit 

 and captured some by the use of lances. One small section of the 

 school was driven into shoal water and the fish captured. On the fol- 

 lowing morning a much augmented fleet went in pursuit and drove the 

 fish across the bay to the shores of Dennis and Brewster, but without 

 eluding them into shoal water. Fearing a total loss of the fish, the 

 boats dashed into their midst about dark, and many of the largest and 

 best were killed with case-knives. About 60 were thus taken. On 

 Monday the pursuit was again renewed, and the fish were driven into 

 Wellfleet Harbor, where 150 went ashore at Indian Neck, and were 

 killed by the boatmen and inhabitants. Others were driven ashore at 

 Blackfish Creek, making, in all, a capture of about 1,400 blackfish. 



The carcasses were sold at auction for from $7 to $12 each, and will 

 average a weight of 4,000 pounds apiece. There were a fe.w young 

 which weighed from 150 to 200 pounds each. The blubber is tried for 

 the oil, and it is estimated that there will be $25,000 worth of oil. Most 

 of them will be tried at the Cape Cod Oil Works of Cook & Co., Prince- 

 town, Mass. Some 450 persons engaged in the capture and will share 

 the prize-money. 



The foregoing account has beeu compiled from newspapers, while the 

 following has been furnished by Mr. D. C. Stull, of Princetown, in a 

 letter dated December 15, 1884 : 



"About noon on Saturday, November 15, 1884, blackfish were sighted 

 about 4 miles southeast from Wood End, Provincetown. Boats chased 

 them until midnight to drive them ashore. Owing to the presence of 



