162 BULLETIN OF THE UNITED STATES FISH COMMISSION. 



NOTE BY JOHN A. RYDER. 



The observations of Professor Verrill are interesting and important. 

 1 have had oysters live in the shell for two weeks where the tempera- 

 ture ranged from 35° to 40° F. at night to over 80° F. in the day, 

 lying on shelves in the cases in my work-room, exposed the whole time to 

 the air, without showing the slightest tendency to decompose, every 

 specimen containing and holding liquid in its mantle cavity. The posi- 

 tion of the shells I did not notice. This was about two years since, 

 mid the facts did not then seem to me to have any practical bearing, as 

 they now appear to, as suggested by Professor Verrill. 



A striking observation which I made at that time, and which 1 re- 

 corded, I believe, in the sketch of the life history of the oyster prepared 

 under my direction for the annual report of the Geological Survey, was the 

 following : The specimen which served me as my " model" from which to 

 sketch the external anatomy of the soft parts, published in that report 

 and also in the Fishery Eeport of the Census, laid open for twenty-feur 

 hours, with one valve removed and the soft parts exposed to the air 

 for the whole time, and yet at the end of that time, when the ventricle 

 was touched, it began to slowly pulsate, and did so under this stimulus 

 a uumber of times. This instance of tenacity of life on the part of a 

 mutilated bivalve is pretty hard to excel for incredibility; in fact, had 

 I not witnessed the facts as stated above, I would have been disinclined 

 to accept them as a statement of the truth. 



Washington, D. C, March 13, 1885. 



SS.-NEW ENGLAND FISHERIES FROM JANl'ARY 1 TO MARCH 31, 



1S85. 



By W. A. WILCOX. 



The winter fishing by the New England fleets is confined to theGeorge's 

 Bank cod, haddock, and halibut fleets, the frozen-herring catch of Grand 

 Manan, Bay of Fundy, and Fortune Bay, Newfoundland. With the ex- 

 ception of vessels engaged in supplying the large fresh-fish tnarkets of 

 Boston and New York, and a few sail from the Provinces, the winter 

 fishing is confined to vessels from Gloucester. A large part of the catch 

 sold at the leading lresh-fish markets is also made by vessels from that 

 port. The catch of codfish and mackerel during 1884 having been ex- 

 ceptionally large and prices lower than for years, not much encourage- 

 ment was felt to engage in the dangerous winter fishing. The report 

 for January shows few sail and light receipts. 



Shore cod-fishkk y.— Thirty-two sail from Gloucester have followed 

 the near home shore fishery for ground fish, the catch being made in 

 Ipswich Bay and landed at Portsmouth, Kockport, and Gloucesf er. Dur- 

 ing the past winter, up to the middle of March, the eutire catch was 



