276 BULLETIN OF THE UNITED STATES FISH COMMISSION. 



great accumulation of ice would naturally lower the temperature of the 

 ocean so much along the eastern coast of Nova Scotia as to deter the 

 mackerel from making their spring migrations in that direction at the 

 usual time. . 



The numerous pounds and fish-traps about the western part of Nova 

 Scotia, especially from Yarmouth to Barrington, profited by this halt 

 of the fish, aud caught larger quantities of mackerel, in some instances, 

 than the weirmen could properly care for. These fish were said to be, 

 for the most part, remarkable for their large size, beiug, according to 

 several statements, much larger thau any mackerel caught elsewhere 

 during the season. I cannot, however, vouch for the verity of this state- 

 ment, as from my examination of several barrels which were brought 

 thence by a Gloucester schoouer, I failed to note anything remarkable 

 regarding their size, though it is true a majority were above 13 inches 

 long. While these schools were filling the waters between Cape Cod 

 and Cape Sable, there was yet another body of mackerel bringing up 

 the rear in the waters off Noman's Land. These, however, were smaller 

 fish than those which first went north. 



The following mention of arrival of vessels at Gloucester, with mack- 

 erel caught between June 9 and June 20, in different localities, may give 

 some idea of the area covered by these fish. Capt. S. J. Martin, in bis 

 Journal of Gloucester Fisheries, records that some mackerel were caught 

 off Cape Cod on June 9, and that about that time good hauls were made 

 by the seiners 10 miles southeast from Noman's Land. It appears that 

 mackerel continued to be abundant at the latter place for several days 

 after the 10th of June. The Cape Ann Advertiser of June 10 contained 

 the following mention of a good fare from that point : 



" The schooner Madawaska Maid, of this port, took a large haul of 

 mackerel off Nomau's Land last week, and arrived at New York Thurs- 

 day with 300 barrels." 



The captain of the schooner Martha A. Bradley, which arrived in 

 Gloucester on June 23 with a fare of 303 barrels, told me that he caught 

 them from June 15 to June 18, inclusive. The fish were small, ranging 

 from 9 to 11 inches in length. The first day's catch was obtained 20 

 miles southeast from Block Island, and the fish moved so rapidly to the 

 eastward that those which were taken four days later were caught 20 

 miles to the southwest of the light-ship on the South Shoal of Nantucket. 



On June 11 some fish were taken by seiners 40 miles east-southeast 

 from the high land of Cape Cod; and five vessels, with fares ranging' 

 from 300 to 350 barrels, arrived in Gloucester on June 14, having- 

 ea ught the greater portion of these fish eastward of the Cape. On 



ports seeing eight ocean steamers working their way through the ice-fields hetweeu 

 Latitude 44° and Cape Race." 



'•Saint John's, Newfoundland, JunelO, 1882.— Fishing schooner P. L. Whitton 

 arrived last evening. She reports stormy weather, and that it is impossible to fish 

 on the Grand Banks, owing to numerous icebergs. Advices just received from tho 

 nort h ward Bay I hat the bays are again packed with ice. Six sailing vessels are jammed 

 some distance northeast of Cape John." 



