96 BULLETIN OF THE UNITED STATES FISH COMMISSION. 



Striped Bass in Tangipahoa Eiver. — Under date of July 5, 1884, 

 Mr. J. Dock. Harrell, of Osyka, Miss., forwarded a small fish for identi- 

 fication and stated that some of the same hind caught there weighed 

 from 2 to 3 pounds each. In a subsequent letter dated July 10, he re- 

 ported the same fish as becoming numerous and that since the forward- 

 ing of the specimen others of the same size had been caught and great 

 schools of still smaller ones had been seen. At that date specimens 

 weighing from 4 to pounds each had been taken. The specimen was 

 identified by Dr. Tarleton H. Beau as striped bass, Roceus striatus, who 

 has reported upon this and another specimen received in April, 1883, 

 from Mr. Thomas S. Doron, in Proceedings of the United States Na- 

 tional Museum, 1884, page 242. 



Biting habits of the black cross-toothed fish (Chiasmodus 

 niger). — Under date of July 30, 1884, Captain Collins transmits the fol- 

 lowing note upon a specimen presented to the United States Fish Com- 

 mission in June last by Capt. George A. Johnston : 



" When first seen by Captain Johnston the fish was swimming with 

 its belly up at the surface of the water. It was going around in a 

 circle at a great speed, and savagely biting itself just above its tail. 

 When captured, Captain Johnston says that part of its body next its tail 

 was more or less scarred with marks of its teeth. As the stomach of 

 the fish was inflated at that time it may be that its attack on itself was 

 a desperate attempt to relieve itself from the unnatural and uucomf'ort- 

 able position in which it was placed. However this may be, the fish 

 exhibited the same peculiarity after being put in a bucket of water on 

 the vessel's deck. It also bit viciously at the dory scoop in w r hich Cap- 

 tain Johnston dipped it up from the water's surface. After being placed 

 in a bucket its temper was tried by putting a piece of rope in front of 

 it. This it fiercely attacked, sinking its teeth so fir into the rope that 

 there was some difficulty in separating the two without injuring the 

 fish. Wishing to see what it might do after the air was let out of its 

 stomach, Captain Johnston thrust a smooth round stick down its throat, 

 but the moment the gas escaped the fish died." 



On the diminution of the ocean fisheries. — The trawling 

 commission of Great Britaiu, having its office at Old Palace Yard, 

 Westminster, with a view of ascertaining what, if any, effect the efforts 

 of men, especially with the beam trawl net, have upon reducing the 

 ocean fisheries, has addressed several questions to the leading eouutries 

 of Europe and to the United States, from the replies to which the fol- 

 lowing data has been extracted : 



Has the inshore fishing within 5 miles of low-water mark diminished of 

 late years along the whole or any part of the coast, and if so, to what cause 

 is it ascribed ? 



Prance. — No diminution has been noticed, but the amount of fish 

 taken varies according to the seasons, some being better than others. 



